After Beijing 2022 – The euphoria of the Olympics can be followed by a serious blues

– The euphoria of the Olympics can be followed by a serious blues

A great emptiness, depression, psychological distress and even real depression. The post-Olympic Games can be very complicated for some athletes.

Published today at 06:30

How will Alina Paetz and the Swiss curlers come to terms with their Olympic disappointment, they who had to settle for fourth place in Beijing?

KEYSTONE

It is said that following coitus, the animal is sad. And there are postpartum depressions. Everything happens as if our brain was not equipped for ecstasy: following euphoria comes depression. The Olympic Games, this quadrennial fiesta, cause a similar dysphoria for some of the athletes and para-athletes who participate.

Also to read

According to a study published last November in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, almost a quarter of British athletes (24%) who have competed in the Olympics reported ‘high or very high psychological distress’. The proportion is high, but it is comparable to that found in the “normal” population.