There's widespread awareness of the damage that results to fighters from head trauma. But there's another possible cause for many of these symptoms: post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Post traumatic stress disorder is a condition in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing a terrifying event. It's often identified with members of the military who have seen combat, first responders who were involved in a deadly incident, and survivors of child abuse.
PTSD can last for years as memories of the trauma trigger an intense emotional - and sometimes physical - reaction. Symptoms can be:
(1) Psychological (e.g. depression, fear, severe anxiety);
(2) Behavioral (agitation, hostility, hyper-vigilance, social isolation, self-destructive conduct); and
(3) Physical (headaches, dizziness).
Nightmares and insomnia are common.
Some of these symptoms are the same as the symptoms experienced by a person who has suffered a concussion. But in the case of PTSD, the cause is psychological, not physical.
PTSD is treated with trauma-focused psychotherapy that is sometimes supplemented by medication to manage symptoms.
It's not unreasonable to suggest that fighters, by virtue of the circumstances of their profession, are candidates for post traumatic stress disorder.
Fighters suffer brutal beatings. Jersey Joe Walcott, who was brutally knocked out by Rocky Marciano, later said, "It goes down on tape. And you play it back at funny times, when you're dreaming or just walking down the street."
But most fighters who have been beaten up are told simply to "shake it off" or "get over it."
A fighter who kills or inflicts serious brain damage on an opponent is also vulnerable.
There's a school of thought that boxing can help a person deal with post traumatic stress caused by other trauma. But that's more anecdotal than scientific.
Major sports leagues offer counseling to players with emotional problems. There's no such organized support system in boxing. State athletic commission medical advisory boards have neurologists, orthopedists, ophthalmologists, and other specialists, but not psychiatrists. Most commissions treat psychiatric problems as disciplinary issues or not at all.
Some fighters (such as Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury) have suffered from psychiatric issues and been able to get help because of their celebrity status and money-making potential. But the great majority of fighters are on their own.
Jim Lampley, who studied fighters for decades, opines, "I don't have empirical data on this. But my instinct tells me that post traumatic stress disorder is very real and overwhelming for some fighters who live with it every day of their lives, and that it's an underobserved, underreported, and understudied phenomenon."
Dr. Margaret Goodman (former chief ringside physician for the Nevada State Athletic Commisson and one of the foremost advocates for fighter safety in the United States) concurs and says, "I don't know that the issue has ever been seriously studied. And it should be."
Let's open up the discussion. There are fighters in need who might be helped.
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Very few fighters have a safety net when it comes to pensions, health care, and other benefits. But Pat English, who has counseled people in the boxing business for decades, has some advice.
Recent Congressional legislation has expanded unemployment benefits to cover many individuals who weren't previously eligible to receive these benefits. Independent contractors who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis are among those who can now claim unemployment benefits. This, English says, includes fulltime boxers who can demonstrate that they have been unable to work as a consequence of the coronavirus shutdown. The rules regarding the implementation of this policy vary from state to state. But the underlying right is a federal right. Recipients of the benefits must be U.S. citizens or have a green card.
Main Events (a promotional company that English represents) has notified its fighters accordingly. Other promoters, managers, and state athletic commissions should do the same and, whenever possible, offer guidance.
Thomas Hauser's email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book – A Dangerous Journey: Another Year Inside Boxing – was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. He will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the Class of 2020.