We need to talk about the psychological effects of suffering a sports injury - by Natalie Morris @Nmozz
Getting injured doing something you love is the worst. It’s the bittersweet risk we run as sports lovers – the harder we push, the harder we can fall. And no one, elite or amateur, is immune.
We saw the tears roll down Andy Murray‘s face as he talked about his potentially career-ending hip injury – and we felt that - Deeply. If you’ve ever had a sports injury then you will know the sheer dedication needed to play through pain, and the heartbreak of realising you just can’t go on. Injuries aren’t just about the physical. There can be real emotional and psychological trauma that sits alongside the symptoms that everyone else can see. But it isn’t talked about enough.
When it comes to injuries we focus on phsyio, rehab, regaining mobility, building strength – but we rarely tackle the mental side. We need to address this unspoken affliction. Athletes and sportspeople need support to mend their minds as well as their bodies.
After I dislocated my shoulder playing netball for the fourth time, I started to dream about the pain. I would wake up in a cold sweat, imagining that my arm was sticking out at an inhuman angle. The pain of my injuries was horrific. There was the sickening pop followed by a blinding, burning in every nerve-ending. It sucked away my breath and sent my body into a state of shock.
READ MORE FROM Natalie Morris @MetroUK
