124 Long Term Injuries: How to Confront Difficult Thoughts and Emotions

Today's podcast episode looks at long-term serious injuries, the psychological impact and helpful strategies to help you manage your mental health during the rehabilitation process and afterwards.  My guest, doctor of occupational therapy, Keagen Hadley has recently released a book called Torn: Overcoming the Psychological Challenges Post-ACL Injury which we go on to discuss too.   Keagen shares his backstory, the motivation behind writing his book, his definition of mental toughness when faced with a long term serious injury, like an ACL.  We also chat about Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a potentially helpful solution and much more.  Key Learning Points: Keagen didn't intend to write a book initially however he found it became a cathartic process helping him process his thoughts and emotions. He personally had two long term ACL injuries which occurred whilst playing American Football, as well as experiencing battles with depression and anxiety. Being part of the group was difficult for Keagen when he was injured. His identity of who he was shifted hugely. Mental toughness in this context is about learning to face and sit with difficult thoughts and emotions. Seeking support and discussing your problems is important to process the emotions. Acceptance Commitment Therapy helped Keagen greatly during the difficult times and is something he advocates in his work with athletes too. Connect with Keagen Hadley LinkedIn Website  BOOK: Torn Overcoming Psychological Challenges Post ACL  Connect with David Charlton Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn To Listen to the Full Podcast Episodes Ep011: Dave Algeo - Mental Toughness, Mental Health and High Performance Ep018: Kieron Brady - From Professional Football to Alcoholism Consultant Ep075: Grant Phyphers – How to Rebuild Your Identity Ep113: Polly Brennan – The Relationship Between Mental Fitness, Mental Health and Mental Toughness Ep124: Richard Dorney MBE - Supporting People: What Can You Learn About Resilience From The Military Other Useful Resources linked to Mental Health Blog - Make Better Decisions to Help Your Sport Performance Blog - 5 Ways to Create a Psychological Safe Sporting Environment Blog – 3 Tips to Deal with Bullying in Sport Blog – How to Find Your Why  Blog - Mental Health Guidance for Coaches When Supporting Athletes