Sports Psychology to Treat Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It actually helps deal with pressure and difficult situations. But when anxiety becomes excessive and it manifests into a daily dread of everyday occurrences, it is a disorder.

Significance

• Generalized anxiety can be recognized and categorized by excessive worry, tension and angst. Symptoms may become physical and include headaches, sweating, twitching, trembling, muscle aches and pain, and fatigue.

Features

• After a visit to a physician to rule out other medical conditions, alternative treatments should be considered. Sports psychology is an effective way to treat many kinds of anxiety.

Benefits

• Both athletes and non-athletes can benefit from sports psychology. Athletes can freeze when facing an opponent or competition. Their performances can be affected and controlled by how they respond to, look at, and react to anxiety.

Considerations

• Anxiety in many athletes is the result of uncertainty. It is also caused by the importance of the event, the spectators, and the potential successes. The key is to get psyched up not psyched out.

Prevention/Solution

• There are numerous ways for athletes and non-athletes to cope with, and overcome, anxiety, including: setting Individual goals; reinforcement by coaches, spouses, bosses, friends, managers and teammates; encouraging a winning feeling; focusing; breathing techniques; stopping negative thoughts; letting go; and meditation.

Potential

• The mind is a powerful ally and/or adversary. Accepting the anxiety as part of an athletic event is the first step in overcoming the unease. Pressure has the potential to bring out the best. Let anxiety work for you, not against you.