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Bridget, equestrian phobia/injury - Case study 4.

One aspect of sport psychology that makes it so interesting is the diversity of problem areas and the types of sport that are encountered.
Bridget approached me somewhat nervously, as is often expected in the field of hypnotherapy. She was unsure whether a hypnotist would be able to help her with her problem. It is always evident to me that if someone has plucked up the courage to eventually seek help, then their problem is beyond their own conscious abilities to solve, or else they would have done so. People often keep mind therapies as a last resort due to both the fear and stigma often associated with them.
Bridget was a cross country horse jumper (equestrian eventer). As with most 'horsey' people her interest went far beyond a hobby but spilled into every area of her life. The people around her were beginning to become concerned for her well being, she had started to become easily upset, anxious and short tempered. Bridget was well aware of her irrational behaviours and that they had only begun to emerge after an accident that she had experienced nearly a year before during a competition.
After some time it became clear that the accident although not physically a problem any longer, had many repercussions at a mental level. Her new fear which bordered on a phobic response, had seeped into her private life. The anxiety she experienced just from the fact that she was no longer able to enjoy her sport to the degree that she had previously, was enough to cause a huge amount of frustration. The resulting release of everyday worries that horse riding was able to promote was no longer an outlet for her pent up emotions. There was a void in her life.
We had to approach this problem in a multi-pronged attack. Firstly we had to discover her intial fear and decide why this was holding her back. With this removed some of the other areas of her life should slip back into place, if not other factors would be focused upon. In hypnosis it's often best to focus on one area at a time, although usually other factors are hard to distinguish from one than another.
Bridget realised that it was a past accident, a fall at a jump during competition that was the foundation of her fears. She had broken a leg after her horse had fallen on her. Although her physical injury had healed the mental ones were still clearly evident. It made her angry to doubt her abilities as a jumper, even at the most trivial of obstacles. She felt nervous and hesitated before jumps, consequently the horse would pick this up and lose confidence in the direction he should take. Bridget knew too well what she was capable of intellectually but found difficulty in harnessing her physical reactions to the external environment. It is interesting to note the physical aspects in humans that elevate animal reactions to our fears. When we are anxious we emit hormones called Pheromones. These are easily picked up by animals with their acute senses, thus encouraging the animal to 'play up' to a greater degree. This was just one of the reasons we needed to treat Bridget's nervousness.
It's often the case after serious injury that athletes experience fear of their chosen sport, even though they are fully aware that nothing has changed. Their bodies have set up an unconscious mechanism to guide them away from perceived dangers. Without the self-image of being the competent rider Bridget had previously experienced she found her private life difficult to handle. We worked on cognitive behavioural responses that would show that she had alternative choices in the future if for any reason riding ceased to be an option for her. It is undesirable for athletes to run their whole lives under the guise of sports accomplishments, when gone, there emerges a void, their self image and confidence then suffers. Together we were able to find new acceptable activities to immerse Bridget in when not riding or looking after the animals. She developed the other areas of her life, although horses remained a large aspect in this equation.
Bridgets riding climbed back to its former level within days of therapy. We continued using suggestion therapy for a number of weeks which helped Bridget to understand and utilise self-hypnosis a little better for the resolution of future problems. I also acted in a life coaching capacity, helping Bridget to create the life she really desired. Once outside influences and social pressure to conform are eliminated, it is often interesting to note the extent at which people begin to achieve their desires. What their parents might think; being regarded as 'different' by society or conforming to rules are common influences that trouble people. It is often the case that people excel in their chosen careers when they finally throw off the shackles and decide to do the things they want to do. Those things they truly value in life. The sad thing is this transformation rarely occurs before their fourth or fifth decade, leaving less time to really enjoy their lives as they want them.