The life of a sportsperson is never easy. The majority of the athletes competing at the top level always remain under professional and social pressure. There is hardly anyone who has never experienced a downfall in their sporting career. Practically, it’s not easy to maintain calm, and sometimes, the pressure can lead to anxiety and depression. The same happened to English cricketer Graham Thorpe, who took his life earlier this month. Her wife Amanda later revealed that the 55-year-old was battling mental issues for a prolonged period.
After the news came to light, former Indian cricketer Robin Utthappa shared his experience with the same. He made the revelation on the second episode of his series True Learnings, “Overcoming Depression & Suicidal Thoughts."
“I’ve faced many battles on the cricket field, but none as tough as the one I fought with depression. I’m breaking the silence around mental health because I know I’m not alone. I want to inspire you to prioritise your well-being, seek help, and find hope in the darkness," Uthappa wrote in the description of his YouTube video.
The 38-year-old reminisced about one of the lowest points of his career and mentioned how it affected his mental health. He started the video with a touching tribute to Graham Thorpe and former India opener VB Chandrasekhar, who also committed suicide due to mental stress in August 2019.
Shedding light on his own story, Uthappa said, “I remember in 2011, I was so ashamed of who I became as a human being that I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. I did avoid any opportunity or even an instance of me looking at myself anywhere. And I know how defeated I felt in those moments. I know how burdensome my existence has become. I know how far I am from being purposeful in life."
Mental health tragedies have been seen in other sports as well. Former US swimmer Michael Phelps earlier admitted that he had suicidal thoughts after his drunk driving arrest in 2014. The 28-time Olympic gold medallist later had to undergo therapy to overcome the difficult phase.
Among them is American gymnast Simone Biles, who pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, citing mental health issues. The 11-time Olympic medallist is still battling the trauma and currently needs to visit a therapist at least once a week.
Referring to this topic, clinical psychologist Dr. Arushi Dewan, in an interview with HT, said, “Most celebrities and athletes make their self-worth dependent on their performance and results, which puts them in a cycle of self-criticism and guilt if they don’t achieve their desired performance results, which causes discontentment with themselves eventually leading to feelings of depression."
The news of the international athletes might have come to light but what about the emerging ones? According to a study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the rate of suicide among college athletes doubled between 2002 and 2022.
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