Anonymous Story

1. What personal experiences with mental health do you have? Either with yourself, athletes in your area or friends.

I struggled with mental health for a big part of my life, still do from time to time.

I‘m still in therapy because I might relapse but I feel so much better now. It started from a very young age, I’ve always been quite competitive and I used to beat myself up for every little mistake. It led to an anxiety disorder and regular panic attacks. I started cutting myself at 11 and got anorexic at around 13. I was very depressed and the only thing I had in mind was to be “perfect“. I accomplished a lot of things but I felt horrible because it was never enough. 

So that’s kind of my mental health background.

2. How do you feel sport/fitness affects mental health?

Going to the gym helped me so much. I was always into sports but I did have a really bad relationship with it at one point because of my eating disorder. Going to the gym and building muscle gave me a goal, not to become skinnier but to become stronger. I could focus my ambition on a healthy goal. I also knew that in order to build muscle I had to be eating enough so that helped with my relationship with food as well.

I have good days and bad days, sometimes I get too competitive and beat myself up for every little mistake I make at the gym and I get anxious but thats completely fine. 

For me the gym is my happy place, it’s where don’t have to think about anything and can just concentrate on giving my best.

3. What advice do you have for people in sport/fitness who struggle with mental health issues?

Make small little goals you can work towards to and try not to focus too much on changing your looks. Try to focus on how you feel, over time your body will change anyway. 

Also don’t be shy to ask for help. Better to step out of your comfort zone by asking someone than to feel uncomfortable the whole time because you don’t know what to do.