Case Study in Applied Sport Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study in Applied Sport Psychology - Essay Example Somatic symptoms like muscular tension and butterflies in stomach have also been reported by Lucy during the interview. Lucy is an International netball player and plays goal attack. Though she performs well in club matches and training sessions, her performances in all the international matches remain bleak. Lucy is worried of the fact that if she continues to perform in the same way, she would probably have to lose her team’s confidence in her. This condition is leading Lucy to a deeper psychological syndrome. She is gradually losing self-belief and thinks that the coming international tournament due in just 8 months will be her last ever opportunity in the arena of international sports. Lucy finds it difficult to cope up with the pressure of performing well in International matches. She experiences weakness prior to the competition. For the treatment of Lucy, it is important to have a thorough understanding of all her symptoms. Anxiety manifests in many different ways. These symptoms can be broadly classified into Somatic, Behavioral, Emotional, Cognitive and Defensive mechanisms. The physical symptoms of anxiety include chest and muscular pain as reported by Lucy. Behavioral symptoms of anxiety experienced by Lucy include restlessness and pacing. Cognitive behavioral mechanisms like fear inducing thoughts; inability to concentrate and obsessive thinking of failures is leading Lucy to a confusing state of mind. The word ‘anxiety’ stems from the Latin word anxius. Anxiety is a response for a perception of threat, clearly distinguishable from fear, which is understood as a physiological response to a stimulus. The unpleasant sensations result from a stim ulus. John Raglin and Yuri Hanin points out that ‘similar’ stimulus may be ‘perceived as a beneficial challenge to one individual, threatening to another, and neutral to the third’. The cognitive state anxiety has usually a negative effect on the athletic