Acl Tears Physical and Emotional Affect on Athletes

Taiwan Wiggins        

K. Kelley-Lafata

Writing 150-12

December 2, 2014

Here in the 21st century one of the most common knee injuries is a sprain or tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, better known as the ACL.  This injury is very common for athletes involved in soccer, basketball and football, although it can happen virtually doing anything.  However it’s not always the physical aspect of this particular injury that leaves the athlete vulnerable and scared, the psychological damage can be the most difficult to conquer.  

It can be a simple movement like jumping that could leave an athlete on the ground screaming in agonizing pain.  For someone who eats, sleeps and breathes their sport an injury like this leaving you sidelined for many months can be heart breaking.  Psychological consequences of this injury include cognitive, emotional and behavioral things.  A five stage grief reaction response: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance or reorganization.  “Psychological responses will always occur in physical trauma or injury and most athletes with injuries will experience negative emotions and lack of self-confidence because of reduced physical ability.” (Kvist 393)  

After this injury happens in most cases the athlete becomes stressed out, you may notice a lot of pressure on the athlete to return the way he or she was before the injury.  Posttraumatic stress can be a big psychological factor when talking about the ACL.  A few months after the injury happens the athlete may have flashbacks of the exact invent that led to them being sidelined.  These flashbacks can happen during the day and night and can increase ones heart rate significantly, they can also raise ones anxiety of re-injury.  Behavioral therapy is used to treat negative moods and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.  

Post injury a lot of thoughts enter and leave the athletes mind, such as perception about the cause of injury and recovery status.  Most victims become angry, fearful and anxious.  In the sport football for example say the running back is hit low while being tackled and resulting in him tearing his ACL.  This player may express his anger toward the other player vigorously.  Also with such anger he might even desire to injure his culpable party once he retuned back to the playing field.  Another sign that the athlete usually shows post injury is depression.  The athlete usually becomes less social and things that used to excite the athlete before the injury just seem dull and boring now.  The athlete could also go days without seeing or wanting to speak with anyone.  Most athletes who are very serious about their sport when asked post injury how they feel about what happen, most response by saying their respective sport was their life and now that it has been taking away from them it is hard to find happiness despite their family, friends and teammates social support.