Be mindful of their problems

In the early 1980s I worked with many Australian Rules football coaches and spoke to them about the dangerous effects of high levels of continuous stress on their players performance and mental and physical health Concurrently I tried to show them the benefits of adequate rest relaxation and recreation at critical periods during the seasonLast October Glenn Maxwell an outstanding Australian player took a mental health break from local and overseas cricket claiming that selfimposed pressures and the stress of being constantly on the road ruined him mentally and physically He said that when he decided to take time off for rest and rehabilitation he was pretty cooked He added I think I was eight or nine months on the road living out of a suitcase and that had been going on for four or five years just constantly on the road and it all just caught up with me at that timeWith guidance from medical professionals quality rest recreation support and loving kindness from family friends and colleagues he underwent a psychological revival He is making good progress and will soon be on cricket fields doing what he does best In fact just a few days ago he was one of the most expensive acquisitions in this years IPL auctionWhen Brian Lara heard about Maxwells mental health problems he sympathised with him and stated that mental health issues in sport are real and serious He admitted that he himself struggled with similar mental health problems in the middle part of his illustrious career He feels that debilitating mental issues should be identified and treated earlyVirat Kohli also understood Maxwells plight and admitted that he too experienced mental issues in England when James Anderson Englands fast bowler got the better of himFrom the start of his firstclass cricket career Lara was exposed to unrelenting pressure not only from opponents but also from team members administrators the press and the cricketing public whose expectations of him were sometimes too high Breaking the world records for the highest scores in Test and firstclass cricket catapulted him to superstardom at a young and tender ageUnfortunately he was not properly trained to deal with the huge demands high expectations and intense pressures Moreover he did not have a strong support network to guide and protect him from the disruptive effects of those pressures The burden of captaincy compounded his problems Inevitably he succumbed to the inner and outer battles that he was constantly fightingBetween 1995 and early 1999 the middle period of his career he experienced despair dejection performance slumps and persistent conflict Thinking was unclear confidence and concentration were substandard and his actions and behaviour were at times questionable During one of the West Indies tours things got out of hand and Lara threatened to retire from the game Famous fast bowler Wesley Hall is quoted as saying that on a number of occasions Lara made it known that the game he once loved was now ruining his lifeIn 1999 after the disastrous tour of South Africa I became a member of the West Indies support team and witnessed firsthand Laras psychological rebirth during a period of good support effective rest and recreation With a clear calm and rested mind he embarked on a most productive period in his great and distinguished career He made a double century against Australia in Jamaica a virtuoso and matchwinning 153 in Barbados and another century in the fourth Test match in AntiguaThe mental issues that these sportsmen shared are in some ways similar to those of soldiers who suffered from battle fatigue or combat fatigue during World War IIIn that War extensive research was done on the effects of chronic stress on the health and performance of soldiers exposed to continuous combat In his book Battle For The Mind William Sargant described the research findings of Sir Charles Symonds a neurologist in the Royal Air Force He found that the constant and prolonged tension of battle resulted in a breakdown of performance and a deterioration of the mental and physical health of many of the soldiersSir Charles observed that in the early part of a campaign most soldiers faced their fears and learned to control them Soon after they gained confidence and became competent in battle But after three or four weeks of constant battle the signs of combat fatigue began to set in Soldiers complained of continuous tiredness that was not relieved by sleep or rest Then they became disoriented and could not tell the difference between their own guns and the enemys They were easily startled and became tense and confused Moody and irritable they overreacted to trivial stimuli and as concentration and judgement declined they lost control of their thinking emotions and behaviour Performance then plummetedLater on these signs and symptoms were replaced by dullness apathy physical slowness and even depressionTodays militaries prevent battle fatigue by limiting the exposure of their soldiers to continuous combat After a few weeks of combat they are afforded a period of rest and recreation after which they are returned to the battlefieldIndividuals with signs of battle fatigue are best treated by being kept near the front lines given quality rest and recreation and administering sedatives or appropriate psychological techniques As soon as recovery takes place individuals should return to the battlefield In some cases the militaries use troop rotations and grant leaves from the war zoneWith busy schedules and heavy workloads of todays cricketers selectors administrators and players agents should look carefully at mental fatigue and mental health problems and ensure that their players get adequate rest recreation and support in order to stay fresh alert and in control throughout the seasonClayton Murzellos column Pavilion End will be back next week Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot 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