Through my work as a mindfulness and performance coach and mental health therapist I have extensive experience working with injured athletes. As a former DI soccer coach I never went a season without one of our athletes tearing their ACL.As a former DI athlete I also experienced significant injury throughout (and after) my career. Those include:

• Lateral Meniscus Repair
• L4/L5 Pars Fracture (left and right side)
• 2011 Right ACL tear / reconstruction 
• 2017 Left Hip Labral repair 

And along the way there were many ankle sprains, muscle strains and a concussion. To say I know the mental and emotional journey of an injured athlete well would be an understatement. I know firsthand how injury can impact not only overall well being but in particular your mental health. For an athlete, injuries will not only exacerbate pre-existing mental health challenges but for many can be the onset of them. 

As someone who already experienced a significant amount of anxiety and panic attacks my injuries heightened this. I felt more anxious and on edge and my rumination and worry were uncontrollable at times. I also experienced quite a bit of low mood, sadness and crying spells. My outlook on life tended to be more negative and pessimistic and I struggled to find joy and hope in my everyday life experiences. 

All of this is normal and does makes sense. Yet, I believe there is one more layer here that we have to acknowledge for the athlete. 

Grief. 

In her book “Its Ok that you’re not ok”, psychologists and grief expert, Megan Devine shares that there is no right or wrong way to “do” grief.  Our culture is one that often reinforces that grief is reserved for when we lose a loved one. We know this is not true. We can experience loss in a variety of ways and when an athlete experiences an injury, particularly a significant one including surgery there can be a tremendous amount of loss. 

Here is what an athlete may experience:  

• Loss of sport 
• Loss of routine 
• Loss of social connection, interaction and community 
• Loss of identity 
• Loss of a source of joy and fun 
• Loss of a healthy outlet 
• Loss of independence 
• Loss of movement and mobility 

First and foremost I want you to know that if you have experienced or are experiencing any of these, you are not alone. There is no right or wrong way to feel any of these losses and if you don’t resonate with or feel any of them, that's OK too! I think the concept of “there is no right or wrong way to do grief” also extends to an athlete navigating and injury. I’m not convinced there is a right or wrong way to “do” injury. There are many people (parents, athletic trainers, PTs, coaches, teammates, therapists or mental performance coaches) that might tell you there is but I am not sure that's true.

What I do believe, is that each athlete's experience is their own. One of the most beneficial things we can do for ourselves when navigating ANY difficult experience is to honor how we feel whether that includes grief or not. 

When an athlete experiences injury (of any degree) they are bound to experience a wide range of emotions. Through my work I have spoken with many injured athletes that express anything from sadness and anger to relief and peace. Let me reiterate, there is no right or wrong way to feel here. We don’t have good or bad emotions and anything an athlete may feel when we get injured is valid. A critical piece in navigating and regulating our emotions is actually giving ourselves permission to feel and then FEELING what we feel. 

At the same time, there are a lot of misconceptions on HOW to feel and PROCESS our emotions. We can do this in a variety of ways. Contrary to popular belief this does not mean that we sit still, open to painful emotions and let them just wash all over us. That can actually be unhealthy and often lands us on getting “stuck” in our emotions. At the opposite end of the spectrum is willing or wishing our emotions away after 1 day. Sometimes emotions linger or they ebb and flow. Permission to feel is about opening to what our experience is in tolerable and manageable ways knowing that we can take breaks when we need to.

As a former DI athlete who has torn an ACL and now a Mental Health therapist that has worked with MANY athletes that have torn their ACL I encourage my athletes to think about having a tool box when it comes to feeling and processing emotions. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

-Give yourself permission to feel by using self talk, affirmations or mantras 

-Talk to someone 

-Cry, scream, yell 

-Journal, write, blog 

-Use music or creative arts 

-Progressive muscle relaxation

-Breath work

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to “do”  injury. I trust that YOU know you better than anyone and that you will slowly move towards what will support you. Pick 1 or 2 things per day to help you simply allow for what you are feeling. If that feels hard or difficult, try seeking support around this! 

Check out more resources at the Unbroken Athlete. If you have torn your ACL or know someone who has, check out our ACL program that provides both mental and physical support throughout the injury journey. 

*Disclaimer: Any blog, resource or social media post we share does not replace individual mental health or medical advice. Always consult your own provider for your specific needs.