Obessive-Compulsive Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder…Lets Talk About It (5 of 6)

It’s the work ethics, discipline, and skill level that make a good athlete great. It makes us unique. It makes us standout. It’s the drive that forces us to crank out that extra set, go back to the gym on our day off, or complete that extra hour of cardio. The mind of an elite athlete is not “normal” when compared to others. It cannot be or else we would not be elite we would just be average. But at what point does this mindset cause our passion to be the best to turn into potentially harmful behaviors? The 5th segment of this mental health series will discuss Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and its potential characteristic features in athletes.

OCD is classified as an Anxiety Disorders. It is characterized by recurrent obsessions (thoughts which cause anxiety) and/or compulsions (the actions that alleviate the anxiety). (DSM-IV). The obsessions must be time consuming (1+ hr/day) and provoke some type of anxiety, while the compulsions are the repetitive behaviors engaged in to keep the anxiety at bay. Some common obsessions are contamination, doubts, and order, while common compulsions include hand washing, counting, and repeating words. The easiest way to remember it is that the obsession is the thought and the compulsion is the act. (ie- someone who obsesses about contamination will repeatedly wash their hands to reduce feelings of anxiety). Obsessive-compulsive tendencies are not uncommon, as we all have some of the traits. Maybe it’s doing a certain morning ritual that feels awkward if done out of order. Maybe it’s playing a certain set of lottery numbers on a specific week every month, or even taking a certain route to work and feeling like the day just won’t go right if you deviate from that route. No big deal, right? So then how does OCD and athleticism go together?

As athletes we are very good at goal setting and doing whatever it takes to reach our desired level of success. If someone insinuates that we can’t do it, we work tirelessly until we do. We often push ourselves to the point of exhaustion, fatigue, or injury. If someone says stop, we may get angry and work that much harder. I do believe that our innate drive for success is our motivator, but at what point do we cross that fine line and consider our efforts obsessive? Is it after we have lost friendships or occupations behind our drive? Or after failed marriages? Our success and quest for greatness becomes the obsession and the ways we go about achieving them our compulsions. We want to be the best. If we are not, we can become frustrated, disappointed, angry, or aggressive. This forces us to repeatedly participate in activities that reduce the anxiety and make us feel better such as working out, practicing, etc. Viewed from this perspective it is easy to see how elite athletes are prone to obsessive-compulsive tendencies in their quest for greatness. It should not be considered alarming, rather it should make us more aware of our individual behaviors in order to develop a healthier sense of greatness that is not achieved through complete mental sacrifice. Like I previously stated, what good is greatness and success if one is too miserable to enjoy it?

www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml
www.helpguide.org/mental/obsessive_compulsive_disorder_ocd.htm
www.aafp.org/afp/980401ap/eddy.html