The suicide of German footballing goalkeeper, Robert Enke, came after years of depressive illness. His tragic death serves to emphasise just how important it is that the sporting world recognises depression as the serious illness that it is.
Sporting Pressures to Achieve Can Lead to Depressive Illness
In the competitive, "macho" sporting world, the pressure to reach goals and, once having reached them, maintain those high standards,can be extremely stressful.
The expectations of fans who are often unsympathetic to what may be seen as weakness in their heroes, adds to the pressure. Successful sportsmen are seen as fortunate to be rich, successful and doing a job they love.
Depression Seen as Weakness in Sporting World
Signs of what might be considered weakness are not generally encouraged amongst clubs and management themselves. Ten years ago, when the Aston Villa football player, Stan Collymore, sought help for his depression, the club threatened to sack him, and his manager came on television to berate Collymore in front of thousands of viewers. It was a ‘snap out of it’ attitude that is still prevalent in sport today.
When the boxer, Frank Bruno, had to be sectioned for mental health problems in September 2003, the Sun newspaper headlines read, “Bonkers Bruno Locked Up”. Later headlines modified the language but such public vilification of a mentally ill sportsman was criticised by mental health organisations.
Changes in Attitude to Depression in Sport
However, the mood is changing. Steps are being taken to encourage athletes to open up about their fears and speak to a medical professional if they are in any doubt about their mental well-being.
These changes have been brought about by sports personalities themselves publicly revealing their struggles with depression.
Sporting Personalities Who Have Suffered From Depression
Brave sportsmen and women have helped to raise the public profile of depression in sport, and in the wider community, by being up-front about their experiences.
- John Kirwan was a New Zealand All Black rugby player from 1984 until 1994. His struggles with depression led to mental illness. He went public and featured in a series of ground-breaking advertisements encouraging people to seek help for depression. He is now a public figure in New Zealand where even his name has come to describe depression, i.e. “a case of the Kirwans.”
- Frank Bruno helps raise awareness of depression and mental illness in the UK. He has been part of many fund-raising schemes, and talks openly about being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
- Athlete Dame Kelly Holmes said that her low self-esteem before her gold-medal win at the Olympic Games in 2004 had led her to cut herself with scissors. She sought help from a doctor and feels that she will never return to that dark place.
- Celtic football coach, Neil Lennon, suffered years of depression which began in 2000 when he was playing for Leicester City. It was only when he moved to Celtic that the Club doctor diagnosed his problem. His situation was exacerbated because he was threatened with violence for being Catholic. Lennon said that revealing his depressive illness to his own family had been the hardest.
- The cricketer Marcus Trescothick, 2005 Ashes hero, has also ‘come out’ about his stress-related illness and has decided never to play international cricket again, but concentrate on home matches. In his autobiography, Coming Back to Me, he explained frankly his history of anxiety attacks and depression, which he has suffered from since the age of 10.
Sporting Heroes Raise Public Awareness About Depression
Pressure in sport can be an exhilarating experience and most sports personalities can handle it. But often the pressure exceeds the ability to cope and then comes depression, anxiety, fear of public shame, constant newspaper speculation, and the advice to ‘pull yourself together’. Pressure in sport is excessive and expectations are high. In particular, for young men the male stereotype can be hard to live up to.
Depression is slowly being recognised as an illness, not a weakness. Experienced sporting role models are helping all sufferers from depression to seek help and recover.
Related Articles on Depression and Sports Figures
- SAD Lamp and SAD Light Boxes - Learn how to treat winter depression with a SAD Lamp or SAD box at home or at work.
- Daniel Mendoza - First Jewish Boxing Champion - This article examines the brief life of Mendoza, from the Jewish East End of London who became a boxing legend.
- Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali Visits Ireland - This piece profiles the iconic boxer's visit to Ireland in an attempt to discover his Irish roots.
- Overcome Fear of Failure Under Pressure When Competing at Sport
Sources:
- Inside Sport: Depression in Sport (BBC 1, 25th November 2009).
- "The Stigma of Mental Illness" by Anna Motz (Guardian on line, 15th November 2009).
- "Police confirm Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke left suicide note" (Guardian on line, 11th November, 2009).
- "Holmes Reveals Self-Harm Ordeal" (BBC Sport on line, 29th May 2005.
