BIPIN DANI
There have been some instances when players have returned to the field after performing last rites of heavenly departed family members.
Last month, Baroda's Ranji Trophy team member, Vishnu Solanki received the news in Cuttack that his wife had given birth to a girl. Obviously, the 29-year-old Solanki's joy knew no bounds as it was his first child in the family.
However, his joy of parenthood did not last long. The next day he was woken up with the news that his one-day daughter is no more in this world. Shaken up, Solanki returned to Baroda, performed last-rites, consoled family members and returned and joined the squad. Not only that, he registered a hundred.
Another tragedy was unfolded again last Sunday. His 75-year-old father passed away in the hospital in Baroda.
Solanki informed the team management he wants to stay and play their last league game of the season, against Hyderabad, starting on March 3. He watched on his mobile the last rites of his father performed by his brother in Baroda.
Now, how would the situation Vishnu be able to deal with?
We posed this question to a sports psychologist Dr. Anusheela Brahmachary.
"Both the unfortunate events may cause short- or long-term trauma in him. Generally, such heart wrenching emotional distress pushes the individual in a phase of post-traumatic stress", the sports-psychologist added.
"As a player, I would assume that Solanki has a strong athletic identity. It may further be accompanied by his sense of duty towards his state team. Such attributes may drive him to resort to his sport as a coping mechanism where he continues to play under severe emotional distress because that is possibly the only way of some solace to him in this condition".
Adding further, she says, "it may also be possible that he is demonstrating avoidant behavior by getting away from the home environment and distracting himself by engaging in his sport which comes with a larger responsibility. Investing into larger causes is used by many to get over grief. Although, this may leave a potential chance of repression due to lack of adequate catharsis that is not recommended".
"It is important to ensure healthy coping mechanisms for him in the present situation. He should be allowed to cope in a customized way that he will feel comfortable about. He should have the liberty of doing things he wishes to and express freely according to his will and comfort. The only thing that should be taken care of is that he does not indulge into any repression or self-harming behavior that can have undesirable consequences".
"The wound is fresh in him and it is expected of him to be in pain. He would potentially feel different emotional and behavioral reactions within himself that are not very usual. If after a span of 10-12 weeks, his functionality and efficiency get disrupted or some significant behavioral changes are noticed, it will be advisable for him to seek professional help for grief management. Some people show delayed reactions to grief and trauma. A keen eye on trauma symptoms is necessarily to be kept to save him from slipping into depression", Anusheela concluded.
