03/07/2021
ATHLETES & GRIEF - SHA'CARRI RICHARDSON
Jamal Jackson, LCSW
7/2/2021
I do not own the rights to the pictures!
Elite. Mesmerizing. Powerful. Athlete. Grief. Compassion. Human. These are the words that come to my mind when I think about the last two years of Sha’Carri Richardson’s journey to the Olympics. She rose to fame in 2019 becoming one of the fastest women in history at the young age of 19 running a 10.75 in the 100 meter dash! ELITE! But she wasn’t finished! Earlier this year she broke her own 100 meter record running a 10.72. MESMERIZING! This places Sha’Carri in the history books as the sixth fastest women in the 100 meter dash. POWERFUL! The dedication, physical skill and mental stamina necessary to perform at an elite level leaves no question about her athletic prowess. ATHLETE!
Losing a loved one can be a traumatic experience triggering grief. Grief is a strong emotional reaction to loss. Sha’Carri Richardson was informed of her biological mother’s death by a reporter. What a numbing feeling it must be to be told by a complete stranger that your biological mother has passed! GRIEF! It is important to mention that this article is in no way a means to excuse her decision to use ma*****na but rather to build more compassion for a woman who is grieving. COMPASSION!
Sha’Carri reported using ma*****na to cope after learning about her biological mother’s death! Sha’Carri may be an elite, mesmerizing powerful athlete but at the forefront she is HUMAN! And as humans we all make mistakes. Sha’Carri’s mistake has resulted in her accepting responsibility in the form of a 30 day Olympic suspension and the United States Anti Doping Agency disqualifying her US Olympic trials times. Discipline has been assessed so let her live and uplift her in her time of need! Additionally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the link between grief and substance use. Whether you agree or disagree with the utilization of ma*****na to cope with grief I challenge you to do your research before jumping to assumptions and judgements. Lastly, as a clinician it is my hope that the people in Sha’Carri’s corner are finding the necessary mental health resources to support her healing!
Referring to the Cycle of Grief can be helpful in understanding what Sha’Carri, other athletes and or people in general are experiencing when they lose a loved one. Furthermore, the Cycle of Grief experience is different for each person and dependent on many variables.
Denial refers to a conscious or unconscious refusal in accepting the facts of loss. Sha’Carri, other athletes or individuals may present as refusing to discuss the death of a loved one. Unconscious denial may present as communicating as if the loved one is alive.
Anger refers to a secondary emotion, oftentimes found underlying fear and sadness. Many times sadness comes from the experience of loss. Sha’Carri, other athletes or individual’s anger from the loss of a loved one may result in directing anger at others and possibly blaming others for their grief.
Bargaining refers to avoiding grief through negotiating. Sha’Carri, other athletes or individuals may cycle through what if statements (ie. What if I was nicer? What if I was there to support them when they asked? What if I would have only answered the phone when they called)
Depression refers to empty feelings (feeling numb) from loss, grief on a deeper level with feelings of hopelessness. Sha’Carri, other athletes or individuals may experience withdrawal (ie. not wanting to be around others or get out of bed, not feeling like talking, or suicidal thoughts)
Acceptance refers to accepting the reality that someone is gone and a potential for emotional stabilization. It is important to mention that acceptance is the experience of not being okay with loss, because the reality is no one will ever be okay with losing someone close to them.
If you have lost a family member, friend or someone close to you make sure you contact a mental health professional for support.
Looking for a therapist to address your experience with loss?
www.psychologytoday.com
www.therapistofcolor.com
https://www.joylifecounseling.com/
https://www.monetscs.com/
