The Psychology of Sports Injury: Why Getting Hurt Can Lead to a Perceived Loss of Identity in Athletes

Like other professions, many athletes derive their identity from their sports. This outcome is understandable — even normal — especially if you spend decades running, swimming or doing other pursuits. The longer you engage in your passions, the deeper the athletic identity is embedded in your psyche. Unfortunately, this has both positive and negative consequences if you get injured. Learn how sports wounds can result in a perceived loss of identity in injured athletes.

What Comprises an Athlete’s Identity?

No single word can define one’s identity. It’s the amalgamation of all your experiences, memories, relationships and values. This sense of self is variable and changes over time as you obtain new experiences that transform your personality or beliefs.

At some point, you’ll gain a steady concept of who you are, which becomes the foundation of your identity. In short, your identity is formed and developed through life experiences.

Impact of Sports Injuries on Identity and Mental Health

When you emotionally invest in your passions, you get attached to them, especially if you’ve been doing them all your life. It’s similar for athletes. However, the downside is this attachment can be painful and debilitating to your mental health if an injury forces you to leave sports.

A study found mental well-being and sports injury have a reciprocal connection. Getting hurt during training or competition can lead to depression, trauma, anxiety and other psychological disorders. After the incident, the uncertainty of whether you can return to your pre-injury level may make you fall deep into despair, prompting feelings of losing identity.

Physical and Mental Coping Strategies for Athletes

Many sports injuries happen because of overusing the body. For instance, baseball players are prone to injuring their elbow ligaments due to excessive overhand throwing and other repeated motions.

Therapy and rest are the best ways to cope with an injury physically. Healthy habits like proper hydration are also important. When you lose 1.6% of your body’s fluids, anxiety and fatigue worsen.

Physical coping mechanisms are straightforward — the real challenge is overcoming the mental consequences, especially for people who have dedicated their lives to their sports. Here are some tips to thrive during injuries.

Accept Strong Emotions

Sadness, depression and frustrations are normal and valid. Don’t beat yourself up if you lose your positivity. Instead, channel your energy on things that make you happy, like eating good food or socializing.

Talk to Others About How You Feel

A therapist can walk you through how to process fear, anger and other negative emotions if you open up about how you genuinely feel. Alternatively, you can turn to friends and loved ones for social and emotional support.

Find Something Else to Focus On

If you find yourself rehabilitating at home, find a healthy diversion to focus your attention and energy on. Suppose you love nature. In this case, going for walks may help you get through tough times.

One study found taking an average of 7.5 nature walks can make you happier and calmer. It doesn’t mean you give up being an athlete, but a second pursuit may open an exciting chapter in your life.

Re-Assess Your Relationship With Sports

Some passions can be toxic. The term for this is obsessive passion. Although it’s not categorized as a mental health disorder, it’s a serious concern that happens when a person loses their sense of self-control as the activity overpowers them. They can’t stop training despite it causing harm, burnout and feelings of shame and guilt.

Use your break to re-evaluate what sports really mean in your life. Why do you love to participate? What do you get out of it?

Letting Go of Athletic Identity if Your Career Ends

What do you do if an injury leaves you no choice but to let go of your identity as an athlete? Here are some tips for slowly decoupling yourself from sports.

• Explore multifaceted identities: Cultivate different aspects of yourself. Are you a parent, friend, philanthropist or artist who can be more passionate about your role? You can have multiple identities, and it’s up to you to discover those.
• Practice mindfulness and self-compassion: Techniques like meditation teach you to detach emotions from thoughts, helping you see a different angle of your circumstance.
• Define your values: What other things matter to you? Are they family, sustainability, creativity or financial stability? Go over your values and find a way to build a sense of purpose around them. Doing so will encourage you to step outside of your athletic identity.

Reframing Sports Injuries From a More Positive Lens

There’s a saying that goes, “Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” Although this mindset contradicts an athlete’s belief, setbacks can teach you lessons to transform your pain and disappointment into resilience.

For example, dealing with sports injuries can increase your mental toughness as you navigate the physical and emotional challenges of rehabilitation. Additionally, these incidents can boost your self-awareness. Hard times can motivate you to pay more attention to your body and emotional state, allowing you to understand your needs better.

More importantly, forced breaks can give you a much-needed rest from intense training, giving your body time to recover. The respite can also help you prevent burnout. Although unfortunate, sports injuries can sometimes remind you what you need to learn and pay more attention to.

Sports Injuries Affect Athletes Mental Health

Injuries affect an athlete’s mental well-being in both positive and negative ways. They can either be a learning opportunity to increase your mental resilience or a misfortune that will drive you to depression. It’s mainly a matter of your perspective. Overcoming these adversities can help you regain your identity and become more mindful.