Mental health advocates in combat sports
Living with mental illness in the world of combat sports is not a unique endeavor. I wish I could say I was the craziest there ever was, or that I have the most wars to battle in my own mind. But there are a lot of us.
My story, although told a bunch, is not unique. That’s not to say I’ve told everything because I certainly haven’t, but a collective voice is much more impactful.
I wanted to see how many successful people in the combat sports world also struggle with mental illness. The ones who have spoken out about it, at least.
I’ve compiled a list of articles that pertain to mental illness within the combat sports community. If you’re at all a fan, you’ll know most of these names.
I started training jiu jitsu because it alleviated my depression and anxiety, or as I like to call it, self hatred. But I didn’t even know this until a year or two into training. That’s because I didn’t seek out professional help until after I started training, so there’s no way I understood the full power of what I had started. White belt to blue belt, I was addicted to jiu jitsu and had no idea why. I wanted to do nothing else. I later realized it was because I felt self-worth for the first time in a long time.
Jiu jitsu wasn’t my therapy but it was definitely my gateway to therapy. I took action in my life by signing up for jiu jitsu and it all started from that decision. I learned that I had control over my life, that I could choose my own path and that’s what I would do. And I’ve stuck with it since that day.
Now in mma, the mindset is no different. I want to see what I am capable of doing despite my mental hurdles and struggles. I’m not cured, and there are definitely parts of the mma lifestyle that exacerbate my anxieties, but the feeling of achievement is worth it.
I am an advocate but so are all these people listed above. Some have donated their time to charity, and some have simply made a tweet about seeing a psychiatrist.
All it takes is a conversation, a post, a blog, a picture. Just a little disclosure, a small percentage of vulnerability, a glimpse of your personal story, and you’ve helped eliminate the stigma against mental illness. And maybe you’ve educated someone just a tad on mental health or made it seem normal to see a therapist or take antidepressants. What little you say, I don’t really care. Just talk about it.
