What else?
Reluctant Adventures
Lesley Perman-Kerr, October 2002
There is still strong perception that ‘asking for help’ is somehow a sign of weakness. The treatment of physical wounds is never questioned, however, the treatment of injuries to the mind is often thought to be unnecessary and to weaken rather than strengthen the patient. Thus, PTSD (which often responds well to psychological intervention) can be left untreated, resulting in misery for victims and those close to them.
In my consulting room I often see people who have lived with psychological pain caused by trauma for many years – some dating from the 2nd World War. Why hadn’t they sought treatment? Because they didn’t know it existed, they thought nothing could be done, or they felt embarrassed or weak owning up to their inner struggle.
Therapy is the final hurdle where people release inner pain, ‘put things back together’, gain a perspective on what has happened and move forward with their lives. The journey is painful but hopeful at the same time.”
Simon Weston, the Falkland’s war hero, confirmed many year’s experience in the consulting room. As Simon said, the treatment of his physical wounds was ‘second to none’, but his psychological wounds were left untouched and still plague him today.
Athletics of the Mind
Dr Lesley Perman-Kerr, September 2002
Over-stressed people are frightened people and they respond in pre-programmed ways: fleeing, fighting or freezing; ‘primitive’ responses, familiar to our earliest ancestors.
They do not process information well, become confused and develop a distorted view of the world. This translates into poor decision-making, ignoring problems, bullying and hostility, helplessness and panic.
Fear feeds on itself. The more stressed people become, the more they get caught in a loop spiralling downwards, which seems impossible to escape.
It has been described as trying to claw your way out of a deep hole in the ground, the more you try to progress the more the earth buries you and the more you panic, the faster it happens. At this point, recovery takes time and (often) professional intervention.
However, for many reasons, organizations – and individuals – have historically resisted putting measures in place to prevent over-stress or burnout occurring. It seems ‘sissy’ or unimportant to the ‘bottom line’ – “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”.
Athletes in the field are also geared up to compete to win. To achieve this goal, training that advances both technique and resilience is essential.
To the naïve eye, it could seem that the harder they train, the more likely they are to win. Not so! Seasoned athletes know that consistent success hinges not only on the grit to maintain and survive hard training, but also on respecting the body’s need for rest and renewal.
It is about finding the right balance. The more they push the upper limits, the more they need to recover at the other end. If they sustain injury then appropriate action is taken to promote full healing.
The body is stressed in small doses and it learns to adapt by resting and recovering between sessions – rather like getting an inoculation where measured doses of a disease are administered to build resilience.
Looking after the mind should follow the same practical principles: appropriate preparation, work/rest balance and crisis intervention where necessary, leading to increased resilience against harmful stress and the possibility of fully realised potential.
