The decision by American gymnast Simone Biles to prioritise her wellbeing at the Tokyo Olympics will go a long way in helping to fight the stigma of mental illness, an expert in the field said on Wednesday.
According to Ben Miller, a psychologist and president of California-based Well Being Trust, mental health has been marginalised in society for far too long and athletes speaking up on the topic should all be applauded."Other athletes that might have struggled with similar issues now feel like it's OK for them to talk about it. There's something very powerful in that moment," Miller told Reuters in a video interview.
Biles, who won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, this week cited the pressure of living up to expectations and a need to protect her mental health for her decision to pull out of the team competition in Tokyo.AdvertisementMiller said that while top athletes have trainers to help with the physical side of performance, a person's mind is part of their body and should be cared for with the same diligence so they can manage the pressure of competing on a big stage.
"We're in the middle of a pandemic still, so there's all that social disconnect, there's no crowds to cheer you on, there's a lot of things that COVID has amplified or magnified that I think are underneath a lot of this stuff," said Miller.
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