The Mental Side of Injury

Wise advice but what happens when you have a) been out for a long while - talking 3 years plus b) have emotional scarring from you previous coach who did more damage then good and c) don't have anyone now who would be able to help you? It always seems such a struggle especially when you were quite young when it all went very wrong and may not have the emotional maturity to deal with it.

Hi Belinda

Just seen your response to my posting, which was as you identified, really focussed on short and medium term injury.

With the examples that you gave in your posting the best approach would be for that person to work 1-1 with someone, and to identify the mental barriers to their return, and then to deal with these, before building the positive resources needed to return to peak fitness. This is very possible.

I work using hypnotherapy, emotional freedom technique (EFT) and NLP, and in combination the kind of situation that you have described can be overcome quite quickly i.e. 1-2 sessions.

If I can be of any further help please get in touch.

Best Wishes

Steve

Balinda I think have solved your own challenge. Your last sentence makes a very telling remark, "when you were quite young when it all went very wrong and may not have the emotional maturity to deal with it."

I will assume that you are much older now and are able to identify the problem you had at a much younger age.

The first step to overcoming any challenge is awareness. You have already identified what may be the core challenge. You were young then, but now you are older and able to understand.

It is difficult to understand your entire situation in a tiny email and I am not a Doctor so I won't begin to diagnose. I will only try to offer encouragement.

You are a mentally more mature athlete now than you were then and you MUST understand that there isn't a coach in the World who has the right to make things go horribly wrong. There are other coaches. Other people to talk to and get advice from. I was told many times in my life that I would not be an All-American or an Olympian but I made them both happen, almost in spite of those coaches who tried to bring me down. I urge you to do the same and wish you all the hapiness that sport can give you.

I hope this is a little bit of encouragement Elle. I know how hard this can be but ultimately you have the strength and the power to overcome it all.

Jonathan -

Hi, Steve:

I'm quite sure that your tips will be useful for me in the future. Thanks for addressing the mental side of injury that we usually forget, and for suggesting positive ways to do something about it.

Betty

I could have cried reading this posting! I am so frustrated right now I feel like screaming. I have been running with no pain in my Achilles for three years after getting orthodics. Because of lunges, I believe, I am now feeling that red-hot pain once again WHILE training for a marathon. This isn't an ordinary marathon either. I am working with the Leukemia Society's Team n Training group, and just like any other marathon, I am on a schedule. Coupled with the intense training, I am also raising money. Well, my schedule has taken a blow, and I am trying not to panick and do something stupid, like continue to train. I am praying that a couple of weeks off will get me where I need to be. I am also seeing a chiropractor right now, icing, and doing everything humanly possible to get a speedy recovery. Reading this helped me. I hope I can relax a bit in my mind and realize that missing a couple of long runs isn't going to kill me. How should I handle this?

I am really sorry to hear about your injury. I can empathise with you having spent the last 9-10 months injured and having to undergo surgery - I got no racing at all in 2003 after a really good 2002! My mental approach really helped me through this period and so I hope that the advice that I give can help you to.

Firstly, I am pleased that you found some benefit from the posting. Reread it again and develop a rehabilitation plan in cooperation with your chiropractor. As athletes we like planning, and doing this, with goals, affirmations, visualisation etc helps to maintain focus. Additionally, see what exercise you can do e.g. swimming, weights, cycling etc that can help to maintain some basic CV fitness.

Keep involved with the Team n Training group so that you maintain social contact as this is often very important to people. Also, with the extra time that you have why not see if you can utilise it to raise more money for the charity.

Physiologically, if you have been training consistently, a couple of weeks off training will not set you back too far. The priority right now has to be effective treatment and rehabilitation. Please take the time to let yourself heal. Rushing back is short term benefit, but often long term pain. You only get one body, which if you look after it, can run many more marathons in the future.

Keep me posted on your progress, and feel free to email me if you would like a more personalised program.

Best Wishes

Steve

I have not been able to shoot an arrow since November, due to a problem with my upper arm. I accept that I can not shoot for a while. Just accepting the fact has helped a lot. Be positive in your attitude, be patient, as you improve (as I am doing), do not try to rush the healing process, otherwise you will be back to square one before you know it. Listen to your "Healer", She/He knows your body better than you do. My target is to take up shooting within the next two months, & that will be with a trainer-bow, low mass weight, & low poundage, then build up to my normal shooting (Or better :lol: )
One big advantage with having an injury & being laid off for a while, is that I should have lost any bad habits I have built up over the years, & I can start back at the basics with the knowledge of a coach :wink: