People sharing their mental health stories has taken an uprise since Covid lockdown. More and more people are starting to post on social media platforms. Sometimes it is about family members other times it can be about their own struggles. Social media platforms are being used more often now for people to speak about their own problems and how it has affected them personally and as a family. Mainstream news are starting to interview and report about big time celebrities and athletes. However, it has been a big issue in athletics and more student athletes are starting to get help. Regardless of the level of play, athletes can be impacted differently by mental health disorders. Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in athletes (Stull). …show more content…
There are three different types of eating disorders: anorexia, binge eating, and bulimia (Rittenhouse & Ekern, 2021). People can develop eating disorders due to many reasons. One example could be pressure to eat less in order to have an ideal body type which can lead to body dysmorphia. Another way athletes can develop eating disorders can be from parents and trainers who have the athlete workout excessively without fueling their body with proper nutrients. Eating disorders do not have one specific cause (Rittenhouse & Ekern, 2021). Although there is no certain causes there are certain things that are commonly done by athletes that have eating disorders. Eating disorders have consequences that can be dangerous, also eating disorders may present itself differently for different people (Rittenhouse & Ekern, 2021). The most common sports with athletes struggling with an eating disorder are gymnastics, wrestling, swimming, diving, and cross-country (Stull). These are all sports where athletes' bodies are compared to what is considered a typical body type for that sport. Body Dysmorphia can also be closely related to eating disorders. Body Dysmorphia is when athletes imagine a defect in their appearance that causes stress (Stull). Athletes involved in sports with larger sizes are more likely to have body dysmorphia (Stull). Athletes involved in these sports