In sports, mental health is finally getting the attention it deserves, but we're missing the mark by treating the mind and body as separate entities.
As a former Olympic alternate and NCAA champion turned functional medicine practitioner, I've seen this division's pitfalls firsthand.
There’s a lot of talk about mental health in sports these days. We have phenoms such as Simone Biles and Michael Phelps sharing their struggles and the importance of therapy for the mind. This is incredibly important, and it’s a huge step in the right direction for athlete wellness.
Although a positive step, I believe we still do our athletes a disservice when we separate out “body” and “mind.” I recently listened to a podcast called Bodymindspirit with Eric Moya and Raja Selvam, and Dr. Selvam reminded listeners that this division of body and mind is very much a Western culture idea. Much of Eastern thought is rooted in nonduality. That is, there is no separating the mind from the body.
What is the problem with separating them out?
There is a misconception that the mind is up in our brains, but we know that the brain is wired throughout the body. Our thoughts affect our physiology, and our physiology affects our thoughts. There is a saying in trauma therapy, “the issues are in our tissues.” So, when we only focus on thoughts, or what most consider a “mental issue,” and we neglect the body, healing and health will not be possible.
We forget the interconnected nature of the body and can cause more harm than good. For example, an athlete is struggling with depression. She is given an SSRI which leads to fatigue, apathy, and lack of motivation in the gym. Instead of looking into the many different causes for depression such as thyroid issues, gut dysbiosis, emotional trauma, and low B12 (to name just a few), she is given a pill that serves as a Band-Aid, and it has psychological and physiological adverse effects. Had this athlete been looked at through a “bodymindspirit” lens, there would have been a more comprehensive workup.
We are too complex to be broken down into individual, isolated parts. As functional medicine practitioners, we look at each person as a complex system of systems that are forever influencing and interacting with one another. We cannot consider the mind in isolation without considering the entirety of the body, and we can’t consider the body in isolation without understanding the intricate connection with the mind.
How can we fix this problem?
We need holistic wellness teams to support athletes. In this way, there can still be the “physical doctors” and the psychologists tending to “mental health,” but there is an understanding within the team that whatever is done in one realm will inevitably impact the others. The practitioners can work together, each bringing their area of expertise to the table, but remember that every part of the team is essential and interconnected.
We need a deep understanding of the “bodymindspirit” in its complexity, which will allow those supporting athletes to let go of “cookie cutter” approaches and treat each athlete as a unique and complex individual. This will ensure each athlete receives the care and support they need. And this is all the more reason to have holistic wellness teams.
I recommend an integrative or functional medicine doctor on each holistic wellness team. Functional medicine practitioners always see through the lens of “systems of systems” and how each system influences and is influenced by other systems. At the root of each complex individual is the mental, emotional, and spiritual, which, once again, is ever impacting and being impacted by the physiological systems.
When I imagine “holistic wellness,” the image that I perceive is of a spiral in constant motion. Each layer of the spiral looks separate and distinct, but we know it’s part of the bigger whole. When one piece of the spiral moves, all other pieces do. Each person has this constant motion within, with trillions of cells interacting with one another in a miraculously harmonious way.
It’s the job of those involved in athlete care to understand this beautiful inner symphony and, from this place of understanding, provide a holistic model of care that optimizes one’s potential in athletics while nurturing the health of the “bodymindspirit.”
Adopting a "bodymindspirit" approach can address the root causes of health challenges and subpar performance, leading to true healing and optimal athletic execution.
It's time to revolutionize athlete care.
Are you an athlete or someone who works with athletes seeking a more holistic approach?
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