opinion
The US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles withdraws from the individual all-around competition from the team competition. She justifies this with psychological problems. A right and important decision that we should all take as an example.
It takes a lot of courage to admit that you have mental health issues. Therefore, the US gymnastics star Simone Biles deserves the utmost respect. Admitting weaknesses is not easy.
The 24-year-old withdrew from the team final in Tokyo on Tuesday. On Wednesday she then canceled her start in the individual all-around competition. The reason: psychological problems. “Mental health comes first. So sometimes it’s okay to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself. It shows how strong you really are as a competitor and person instead of just fighting your way through,” said Biles, who spoke of a “fight against demons” before the competition.
Simone Biles is an example for all of us
On it wrote the four-time Olympic champion of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro: “I truly feel like I have the burden of the world on my shoulders right now. I know I brush it off and make it look like the pressure is not affecting me have on me but damn it, it’s tough sometimes hahaha. Olympia is no joke. “
Biles isn’t the only one. The Japanese tennis ace Naomi Osaka had already withdrawn from the French Open due to mental problems and made the topic public.
What Biles and Osaka did not only take courage, it should set an example for all of us. Because mental problems are an enormous burden for those who have them – even if you often don’t see them at first or second glance. Many people suffer from it. 5.3 million of adult Germans between 18 and 79 years of age will develop a depressive disorder in the course of a year, according to the. One in four women and one in eight men will suffer from depression at some point in their lives. Depression is a widespread disease, that cannot be denied. And then there are other mental illnesses, such as eating disorders or bipolar disorders.
Depression is a serious illness
Many of those affected and sick carry on with everyday life despite their problems, struggling through without showing anything, like Biles and Osaka. But that’s not healthy, it can even add to the problems and pressures. And that’s why we should all do the same as the two athletes.
Anyone who has the flu or a bad cold does not go to work, university or school. You stay at home and cure yourself. This is exactly how one should deal with mental health problems.
Depression or other mental problems are nothing where you should “pull yourself together”. They are certainly not a “fashion sickness” at all. Like the flu, it is a serious illness. And this is exactly how you should deal with it: withdraw when you feel bad, get support, go to the doctor or psychologist, possibly even take medication. Mental illness is not something to be ashamed of. You can meet anyone: fathers, bosses, professors, children, poor, rich.
Biles and Osaka showed how we should deal with mental problems. You are a role model for all of us. They focus on themselves and their mental health. That is more important than any medal.
Do you have the feeling that you or someone close to you might be suffering from depression? The German Depression Aid Foundation offers a self-test for this. You can find the link for this.
The also offers information material, contact points and advice.
