Mental Health Matters, Even for Tough as Nails Swimmers

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Read the original story on SwimSwam.com

Mental toughness is a double-edged sword. As athletes, we learn from a young age that, if we put our heads down and tough it out, we typically achieve the goals we set. We see many resilient athletes who are successful because they swim through the physical pain. But when you apply the tough-it-out mentality to everyday life, it can be a dangerous combination. With mental health, toughing-it out is not always the best approach. Sometimes, you have to seek help. This doesn’t mean you aren’t tough, it means you’re stronger than you imagined.

MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS: ONCE A TABOO TOPIC, NOW MORE IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS THAN EVER BEFORE

Everyone struggles at some point, whether it’s dealing with the loss of a loved one, living with depression or experiencing anxiety before a competition. Yet, instead of feeling connected to others that struggle, we feel alone because of the culture we live in. This performance-based culture breeds the tough-it-out mindset and promotes perceptions that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

As a community, we have to change that.

The swimming world has been shaken with the tragic and untimely deaths of multiple young swimmers across the country. Mental health wellness and conversations about mental illness are more important than ever.

The most difficult part about initiating a conversation around mental health wellness is that many mental illnesses or struggles faced by athletes can be hidden beneath the surface. When a person breaks their leg, it is a visible injury, one that people not only see, but will force the injured to ask for help. Mental illness does not operate in that way: people can spend years hiding their struggles without reaching for help. This fact makes it necessary to foster honest conversations around mental health wellness, the pressures faced by athletes and the promotion of help-seeking for those who are struggling.

There are unique mental pressures that come with being a swimmer. Not only do we face a demanding practice schedule that we must balance with academics and family life, we also deal with the pressure of having an entire season come down to one meet in the spring and one in the summer. These pressures can be crippling for anyone, from an age group swimmer to an Olympic medalist. Regardless of age or skill level, we all face similar pressures to succeed in something we have devoted our lives to.

It is a reassuring notion to know that we are not alone, that swimmers of all levels are connected through pressures faced. The next step to breaking down stigmas surrounding mental health is to spark conversation, teaching swimmers that it is not a weakness to reach for help. Not only does reaching for help show strength, it also gives athletes the self-awareness needed to be successful in the pool and in life. It is essential to understand that you do not have to have a clinical diagnosis to reach out and talk about mental health. Speaking about pressures is a healthy discussion that will give you a better understanding and awareness both in and out of the pool.

Reaching out for help when struggling may seem frightening, but it is a weight off your shoulders to find that you are not alone. Similarly, reaching out to a teammate who is struggling can be a hard discussion to start, but there are resources to help with that process.

Swimmers know where to turn to when they have a physical ailment, but sometimes it can be hard to gather information on where to seek help for yourself or a teammate when it comes to mental health. Below are some warning signs around mental illness, coping strategies to help with anxiety and resources to help those in need:

According to the Mayo Clinic, talk your parents or a trusted adult if you are experiencing these symptoms:

  • Constant thoughts about performance or performance outcomes
  • Can’t eat or sleep
  • Don’t want to do things you usually enjoy
  • Feel like you can’t control your emotions and it’s affecting your relationships with your family and friends
  • Feel hopeless
  • Feel confused, forgetful, edgy, angry, upset, worried, or scared
  • Want to harm yourself or others

The Guide to Better Emotional and Mental Health provides examples of questions you can ask as friend:

  • I’ve been worried about you. Can we talk about what you are experiencing? If not, who are you comfortable talking to?
  • I am someone who cares and wants to listen. How are you doing?
  • Sometimes talking to someone who has dealt with a similar experience helps. Do you know of others who have experienced these feelings who you can talk with?
  • It seems like you are going through a difficult time. How can I help you to find help?

When talking to a friend, you may not always get a positive response at first. Regardless of your friends response, the fact that they know you support them in a judgment free way is the best way to create a safe environment.

The American Psychological Association is a great source to find additional coping skills:

  • Breathing Techniques: Breathe in slowly and deeply through the nose and out through the mouth releasing all the oxygen. It is important to be present and focus on what your body is doing.
  • Mindfulness: Being aware of your thoughts, if you are aware of thoughts you have the choice and opportunity to change them.
  • Journal: Write down your thoughts of the day. Be sure to end each journal entry with three things you did well that day.

Additional Resources:

Speaking up about mental illnesses is a difficult topic for anyone. Ultimately, it is the choice of those struggling to seek help, which can be a powerless feeling for those directly involved. Keeping an open dialogue with those around you, and having conversations about mental well-being, is the start needed to promote help seeking.

It is not always about toughing-it-out. It is about being tough enough to ask for help when needed.

Pilot program focuses on mental health for athletes

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From The Michigan Daily:

By Katie Penrod

The University is piloting a new program designed to draw attention to the mental health for student-athletes.

The program, which was piloted in the fall and included a public service videos and drop-in counseling sessions, drew participation from 90 percent of the University’s 931 student-athletes.

The program, which is a collaboration between the Athletic Department, the School of Public Health and the University’s Depression Center, is supported by an $50,ooo NCAA grant.

The pilot consisted of presentations that showed two videos in which two former student-athletes, former football player Will Heininger and former swimmer Kally Fayhee spoke about coping skills and their experiences with mental health.

Read the rest of the article.

Athletes Connected Program Presents Findings at NCAA Convention

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The original story from MGoBlue is Part 2 | Read Part 1

By Steve Kornacki

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Thursday afternoon (Jan. 15), in front of a packed ballroom at the NCAA Convention, it was time to share the results of the reach-out for mental health awareness and solutions at the University of Michigan.

The Athletes Connected program, funded in part by an NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant, was detailed in a 10-minute presentation by former Wolverines student-athletes Will Heininger and Kally Fayhee as well as Daniel Eisenberg, associate professor of Health Management & Policy in the School of Public Health.

After videos telling the stories of Heininger and Fayhee were shown on two big screens and the trio discussed the core of the program — drop-in support groups monitored by a clinician, team presentations, video testimonials and counseling options — there was a loud round of applause from those gathered at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington, D.C.

“People have come up to me from Division I, Division II and Division III schools,” said Fayhee, a former U-M swimmer, “and they’re not only interested in what we have to say but in implementing the program. Getting that from a range of divisions was spectacular.”

Heininger, a football defensive lineman from 2007-11, told the audience that he hoped it could become “a sustainable model” for other universities and colleges.

“It’s one that will empower student-athletes to take control,” said Heininger, who now works with student-athletes on campus in regard to mental wellness. “When I was struggling (with anxiety and depression), just learning that this was common, after sort of being forced to open up, allowed me to get better.

“I wasn’t alone, and this happens to a lot of people. And (I discovered) a large portion of student-athletes take anti-depressant medications.That’s why reducing the stigma is so important.”

Read the rest of the story here.

Athletes Connected: Program Supports Student-Athlete Mental Health

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Read the original story from MGoBlue.com, Part 1 | Part 2

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s nothing more powerful than connecting in a time of need and finding that there is someone else who understands your distress, desperation and feelings.

Will Heininger, former defensive lineman for the University of Michigan football team, found that person in athletic trainer Lenny Navitskis, who noticed him in distress and suspected he needed help.

Kally Fayhee, former U-M swim team captain, found that person in a teammate and good friend. She was struggling with anxiety and an eating disorder, finally breaking down to someone she felt confident confiding in. Fayhee was given an ultimatum by her friend to seek help.

Both made it through the toughest of times with support from coaches, teammates, friends and family. And, perhaps most importantly, they got on the path to recovery by connecting with athletic department counselor Barb Hansen.

They wept in private while trying to tough it out, doing what they were taught as athletes, but found that they were facing an entirely different opponent — one that required more than inner strength to defeat.

And while their quests to wellness came with plenty of trials and tribulations, they got help and stayed the course to understand what was happening in their minds and how to address it.

Now, they are the helping hands, the people other Wolverine student-athletes can reach out to for answers, direction and hope.

Heininger is a driving force behind Athletes Connected, a program designed to remove the stigma attached to mental illnesses while raising awareness and providing solutions. After first sharing his story at the U-M Depression on College Campuses Conference, he left a job in finance in Chicago to become involved with the initiative and is contemplating making it his life’s work.

Read the rest of the story here.

NCAA, University of Michigan team up to fight mental illness

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Read the original story on The Columbia Chronicle:

By Eddie Diaz

In an effort to combat the widespread stigma associated with mental illness, the University of Michigan has launched Athletes Connected, a project that aims to support student athletes as they deal with mental health issues.

After receiving the NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant for funding in March, the U of M assembled a team of faculty from its School of Public Health, Depression Center and Athletic Department, to lead the project.

Daniel Eisenberg, associate professor of Health Management and Policy in the School of Public Health and Population Studies Center, said he was happy to see the NCAA get involved and help fund the costs for the program.

“I had never thought about the NCAA as a potential source for research funding,” Eisenberg said. “I wasn’t aware that they were looking at this issue and [were] interested in funding projects in this area. It was a nice discovery.”

Athletes Connected has been introduced at the college in the hopes of changing or reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and to encourage student athletes to seek help for any issues they may be struggling with.

Athletes who feel more comfortable in group settings can seek help among their peers in the drop-in support groups Athletes Connected will offer.

Read the full story.