HomeBlogPatient“The Best is Yet to Come”: Moving Forward After Significant Life Events “The Best is Yet to Come”: Moving Forward After Significant Life Events This material has been reviewed for accuracy by: Renee Albers, PhD July 10, 2024Patient This summer, the world’s elite athletes are arriving in Paris and dreaming of leaving with medals of gold, silver and bronze hanging from their necks. These medals represent the culmination of years and years of planning, preparation, training, and dream-chasing. The question is, when the games are over, what is next? For some athletes, whether they have won a medal or not, such thoughts can lead to depression. Olympic Athletes and Depression Olympic swimmers Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps have both opened up about battling depression after competing in the Olympics. Franklin struggled after leaving the games in 2016 with disappointing results. She failed to reach the finals in the 200-meter backstroke, an event she won the gold medal in during the previous Olympics. Franklin also had to undergo double-shoulder surgery after the summer games. These challenges led to anxiety and depression. Through the experience, Franklin acknowledged that while life has its “highest highs,” it also has its “lowest lows.” “Every year of your life isn’t going to be the next best year,” she told NBC Atlanta. “Some aspects are, but there are also going to be some incredible challenges.” Likewise, Phelps recalled to CNN that his experience at the 2004 summer games left him “hungry for more” medals, leading him to push himself to his limit. This soon became the trend for every Olympics he competed in. Phelps would set enormous goals for himself and achieve many of them. Then, as soon as the games ended, he would begin to feel depressed, using drugs and alcohol to cope. “Really, after every Olympics, I think I fell into a major state of depression,” Phelps stated. “It would be just me self-medicating myself, basically daily, to try to fix whatever it was that I was trying to run from.” Phelps and Franklin’s battle with post-Olympic depression is not rare. Scott Goldman, sports psychologist and director of the Performance Psychology Center at the University Michigan, explained to The Atlantic that athletes can experience an emotional drop after the Olympics regardless if they leave with or without medals: “Think about the rollercoaster ride prior to the Olympics, and just how fast and hectic that mad dash is. This ninety-mile-per-hour or hundred-mile-per-hour ride comes to a screeching halt the second the Olympics are over. … [The athletes] are just exhausted; it was such an onslaught to their system. And when it’s all said and done, they’re just physiologically depleted, as well as psychologically.” Major Life Events Can Trigger Sadness According to Goldman, it’s not just Olympic athletes who can experience these feelings after completing major life events. Graduation, weddings, big projects, and other milestones are things we look forward to and work towards for so long, that a feeling of emptiness can be left when they are over. In Psychology Today, Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD. calls this “Post-Adrenaline Blues,” which could be triggered biologically due to the withdrawal of stress hormones, or psychologically due to feeling unsure of what to do next. Regardless of the cause, “the jubilation at being done is often quickly followed by a sense of letdown.” Solutions to Ease the Transition Just as Olympic athletes stretch and “cool-down” after physical activity, it is important to take time to care for ourselves to renew our energy. Kennedy-Moore states that there are ways to ease feelings of sadness, such as: Setting new goals – especially one that isn’t related to what you just achieved Eating well – a balanced diet can help improve your mental state of mind Exercising – even if it is a walk around the block Connecting with loved ones – especially if you feel like you’ve been neglecting them If you find that your feelings could be signaling something more serious such as depression, it is okay to ask for help. Speaking to a healthcare provider is a good first step. With care, you can move forward with new life experiences while enjoying the memories of past events. Missy Franklin explained that although going through her post-Olympic experience was hard, it gave her a new outlook on life: “The best is yet to come, and that could mean a million different things to me right now.” Our articles are for informational purposes only and are reviewed by our Medical Information team, which includes PharmDs, MDs, and PhDs. Do not make any changes to your current medications or dosing without consulting your healthcare provider. The GeneSight test must be ordered by and used only in consultation with a healthcare provider who can prescribe medications. As with all genetic tests, the GeneSight test results have limitations and do not constitute medical advice. The test results are designed to be just one part of a larger, complete patient assessment, which would include proper diagnosis and consideration of your medical history, other medications you may be taking, your family history, and other factors. If you are a healthcare provider and interested in learning more about the GeneSight test, please contact us at 855.891.9415. If you are a patient, please talk with your doctor to see if the GeneSight test may be helpful. Patient 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We’re thrilled to share that 3 million patients (and counting!) have now taken the GeneSight test! We're so grateful to the dedicated healthcare providers who... Read more Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... Read more Healthcare Provider How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied Acts of bullying can cause feelings of fear, loneliness and sadness, as well as depressi... 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Patient The Model Minority Myth and Mental Health The model minority myth stereotypes one cultural group, typically Asian Americans, as “intelligent, hard-working, and diligent and therefore more academically, ... Read more
Healthcare Provider How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied How Clinicians Can Help Support Their Patients Who Are Being Bullied Acts of bullying can cause feelings of fear, loneliness and sadness, as well as depressi... Read more
Patient Cyberbullying: Unique Challenges and Impacts ‘We lost our daughter to cyberbullying.’ McKenna Brown was an accomplished hockey player and scholar, known for her kindness, when she became the target of int... Read more
Going Beyond Green, Yellow, Red on the GeneSight Report This blog summarizes key points discussed during the March 2024 GeneSight® Engage webinar Participants: Bernie Ranchero, MD, MS, MBA, medical direc... Read more
Healthcare Provider Top 5 Reasons Patients Stop Their Mood Disorder Treatment Mood disorder treatment for depression can be challenging – and patients may become frustrated when treatments don’t work. In fact, when people with depres... Read more
Patient The Impact of Gratitude on Depression and Anxiety “Say ‘Thank you,” a mother reminds her young kiddo. “T.G.I.F.!” we cheer at the end of a long week. We know it’s important to be thankful. But do we ... Read more
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Patient How to Talk to Your Doctor about Anxiety Medication “When I was 27, I felt bad all the time,” writes Joanna Goddard on the popular Cup of Jo blog. She describes her initial experience with anxiety in detail. ... Read more
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