So maybe you already have a psychiatrist and things are going pretty well, or maybe you don’t have a psychiatrist just yet — but you wonder if you could benefit from the care of a Sports Psychiatrist. While general psychiatrists can adequately manage mental health issues, there are distinct advantages to choosing a sports psychiatrist who specializes in treating athletes.

The Sports Psychiatrist is somewhat of a cross between a general psychiatrist and a sports medicine physician. They have the training and expertise to understand the demands of different sports on the human body and mind. Here are just some examples of situations unique to athletes that a Sports Psychiatrist has been trained to recognize and manage:

– the difficulties involved in the process of cutting weight in weight-cutting sports like boxing and MMA. A difficult weight cut can significantly impact the fighter’s physical and cognitive performance in the fight, possibly exposing them at greater risk of injuries, including Sport-Related Concussions (SRC).

– the diagnosis, management, and prevention of Sport-Related Concussions and the associated physical and neuropsychological consequences in the short and long term.

– the body image and body weight pressures faced by athletes in esthetic sports like gymnastics and figure skating, or in weight-sensitive sports like marathon running or equestrian sports, which may place the athlete at risk for developing conditions like eating disorders and body dysmorphia, which can have their own behavioral and medical consequences.

– the importance of monitoring the athlete’s nutrition to ensure they are taking enough calories and nutrients to fuel athletic activities, support biological processes, and allow adequate repair and recovery from training. Chronic Low Energy Availability (LEA) can progress to a condition known as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) which is detrimental to athlete functioning and health, as it leads to problems like stress fractures, low immunity, fatigue, depression, cognitive impairment, gastrointestinal distress, disrupted hormones, and fertility problems.

– recognizing the different stages of Overreaching and its potential serious consequence of Over Training Syndrome (OTS). OTS can overlap with psychiatric symptoms like depression, fatigue, anxiety, and low motivation.

– appreciating the challenges for athletes who are tested by various anti-doping agencies for competition. Certain prescriptions can show up in tests as false-positives, or sometimes the athlete is legitimately prescribed a medication that is banned (e.g., stimulants for ADHD) and would thus require an application for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

The above demonstrates how a trained Sports Psychiatrist can better manage mental health in athletes. If available, working with a Sports Psychiatrist will have more potential for a more productive productive therapeutic relationship.

Read more about the difference between a Sports Psychiatrist and a Sports Psychologist here.