Sport’s psychiatry and psychotherapy
In spite of all this athletes can develop mental health problems. They have learned, often utilising methods of psychology in sport, to push their physical boundaries and thus ignore signs of exhaustion and limitations. As a result they are prone to develop depressive illness including burnout or the syndrome of ‚over exercise’, anxiety disorders, eating disorders or substance abuse or dependency. Psychiatry and psychotherapy in sports can result in treatment and a better recognition of mental well being and challenges to these; other than psychology in sports that often focuses only on improvements of sports achievements. To achieve this we use a variety of psychiatric, neurological, psychotherapeutic, psychosomatic and psychopharmacologic methods, all of which are adapted to the physical situation and needs of the athlete.
From its constitution Prof. Pajonk has been a member of the Section Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Sports (Referat „Sportpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie“) of the German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Nervenheilkunde – DGPPN) and the Network for Sport’s Psychiatry and Psychotherapy „ANSPP“. He is an acknowledged expert both with regards to the effects of physical training on mental well being and the treatment of athletes. In relapse prevention and treatment of mental illness our work acknowledges the importance of well-placed physical exercise.