The Mental and Emotional Sides of Recovery

We always hear about how sports affects the body physically. The sports networks seen on TV or heard on the radio cover the injuries sustained and how players are working on getting better. What we don't hear is the struggles some sports members face during the recovery journey. Whether it is a torn ACL, a concussion, or any other injury that sits a player out, the process of coming back into play is not a walk in the park.

You are broken down not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. It is difficult to not be able to do something as easily as you could before. Athletes get very frustrated and take their anger out on themselves or other people.

For Pequannock senior Katie Dara, she has experience with sports breaking you down physically and mentally. Dara is an excellent soccer player who pushes herself while motivating her team in the process. Over the span of 3 years, Katie has torn both her ACL’s.

She told us that, “It was very frustrating... I think what got to me the most was not being capable of doing many things on my own, always needing a helping hand. I am very independent, and having to depend on others to help me do some of the simplest things really annoyed me.”

Dara also added “After the second tear, I was at one of the worst points in my life. I had a hard time accepting the truth... I was not the same person I once was. There were many days where I was almost depressed. Really, I was so confused and heartbroken that something so horrific had occurred for a second time, and would set me back another 6 months.”

She also reflected on her mental and emotional pain that was endured during her recovery. “When looking back at my injuries I really struggled to be the same happy person I once was… I really felt as though nothing in my life was worth fighting for anymore. Mentally, I could not even go to support my team and to this day I still get flashbacks in my head of hearing my knees pop. Emotionally, I could not look down at my knees without shedding a tear, or wanting to burst out in anger. It really was one of the worst emotional states I had ever been in. It took me a good amount of time to get back to a happy emotional state.”

The mental side of recovering from an injury is very emotional. Katie Dara is just one example of the thousands of people who suffer from a sports injury. You are emotionally drained, physically tired, and mentally out of it. Like Katie, many athletes don't feel like themselves anymore. Sometimes you get so angry you can’t help but to yell at the people who are there and care so much about you. No one wants to talk about the mental recovery from an injury but I feel it is very important for everyone to know the hardships some athletes go through in order to get back onto the field.