Do Olympians get OCD?

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:20:00 +0000

Watching all these synchronized divers, as well as the U.S. women’s gymnastics team victory this week, got us thinking. What sort of mental acrobatics does it take for a gymnast to stay on that 4-inch beam, to dive perfectly in unison with another person, or, for a sprinter to burst from the blocks at just the right moment? With the precision required of them, are elite athletes more prone to obsessive compulsive disorder than the rest of us?

Not quite, according to two sports psychologists who spoke with Salon. But the perfectionism and obsessiveness that tend to course through Olympians’ blood does leave them vulnerable.

“That obsessive compulsive person is awesome up to a point,” said Dr. Judy L. Van Raalte, a Springfield University sports psychologist who works with college and professional athletes. “You’re willing to train, to commit, and it feels comfortable to you; it doesn’t tire you out.”

Yet, just like anyone else, athletes do have weaknesses that can be triggered by stress – a theory called the diathesis-stress model of mental illness. Elite athletes confront distinct, sport-specific challenges, which can wreak mental havoc when presented in moments of extreme pressure, like Olympic competition.

Salon.com > Kelly MacDonald

Do Olympians get OCD?