Athletic Trainer’s Corner- May 2019

LET’S TALK

            We all know life is full of stress – getting kids to school and yourself to work on time, making sure everyone is eating healthy, finding time to work out, all while trying to smile and enjoy life. What happens when life’s stresses become too heavy? What happens when your son’s or daughter’s life stressors become too heavy? Grades at school have dropped from A’s to D’s, your crazy eating teenager has barely touched their food, they are starting to lose interest in their sports, and you’re frequently getting into fights with them about it all. You wonder what is going on, why are they acting this way, and if you’re doing something wrong or not enough. Teenagers are difficult. They are moody, get annoyed when asked too many questions, embarrassed by their parents and siblings, and only seem to care about their friends and what they think – this is all normal. When they are not themselves and constantly feeling sad and anxious, it may be time to worry.

Mental health has never been an easy topic to talk about. But it is a topic that should and needs to be talked about. When pushed aside or seen as not a real issue it could actually hinder the individuals involved even more. Youth are exposed and involved with various stressors throughout their life but when it turns into distress and they cannot cope with the increased challenges, hindering thoughts begin to overtake their minds and as a parent watching, all you want to do is help. Changes are inevitable throughout life, especially as a young athlete. What happens when a child has difficulty with handling those situations and cannot cope? Mainstream says “Deal with it. Push it aside. Act tough, act happy. Failure is not an option. Everything is ok,” but really everything is not. There are various reasons why youth struggle to cope with stress and when it’s associated with a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety, it may seem like a losing battle. Even though there is no single cause for suicide, mental health conditions increase a youth’s risk for suicide, especially when unaddressed. So, how can we help our child’s normal stressors not escalate to feeling like there is no way out?

First, be open to discussion. As parents and guardians over young athletes it is our job to make sure they are safe. Part of that is to allow them to feel safe by providing a safe space to talk. Whether the athlete has a mental health condition or not, letting them know that if they need to talk about something, decompress or just process what is going on in their lives is impactful. When the opportunity comes this is a time to just listen and empathize. As hard as it may be to not fix or recommend ways to help the situation, a lot of the time what your child may need is just an ear to listen. You can then offer how you can help. If they are open to it suggest outlets they can go to, letting them know it is ok to have some down time. Go for a hike, have movie night, or paint. As much as you may want to be that outlet for your child, sometimes all you can do is refer them to someone who can. Seattle United coaches are trained in how to respond to an individual struggling with coping stressors and even thinking about suicide. If more help is prompted where a medical professional is needed, they also know who to refer them to (i.e. Crisis Hotline, The Trevor Project, etc.) that can aid in your child’s care.

Most suicides are preventable, you and Seattle United play a lifesaving role to anyone dealing with suicidal thoughts. It doesn’t need to get to that point. Mental health is important! Let’s not just push it aside and say, “everything is ok”. It is ok to fail, it is ok to want some downtime and breathe, and it is ok to talk. It is when we say nothing that stress begins to escalate. Seattle United is open to talking about mental health.  Are you? To find out more, there is a link about L.E.A.R.N and how the community can help our children’s minds healthy in order to prevent suicides.

The L.E.A.R.N Presentation can also be found HERE.

Seattle United’s Athletic Trainer

Jasmin Ayala, MS, ATC-L/R

References:

1. Risk Factors and Warning Signs. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. https://afsp.org/about-suicide/risk-factors-and-warning-signs/
2. What everyone should know about suicide prevention. Jennifer Barron. 2016
3. Suicide Facts & Figures: Washington 2018. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Retrieved at https://afsp.org/about-suicide/state-fact-sheets/#Washington
4. More Than Sad – Parents. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 2018. Retrieved at https://afsp.org/our-work/education/more-than-sad/