When it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, sometimes you’ll hear the saying “BJJ saved my life.” Often this is a cliche and is thrown around very quickly. However, for some people the saying is very true and literal. The reason for this is that mentally, BJJ can offer solace when you’re feeling down or depressed. For some people, they may have previously joined BJJ after a life of bullying or drug abuse.
This is when BJJ is at its best, and it can transform your body and mind for the better. Having said this, it’s also not a silver bullet. Nor should it be treated like one. Instead, it’s probably best to view BJJ as a supplement for fighting depression, rather than the ultimate answer. Sadly, all too often you will hear stories of BJJ practitioners that end up killing themselves.
Perhaps the most famous example of this was Anthony Bourdain. On the fringes, his life looked almost perfect, yet ended up committing suicide. This was proof that even though someone appears fine on the outside, they can still be suffering internally.
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BJJ helps, but it’s not the best answer
It’s not just hearsay. BJJ genuinely helps fight depression on a scientific level. When training and exercising, your brain will release endorphins. You may tap someone or perform well and have a short-term buzz for the next few hours. Similarly, some people enjoy problem solving which is what BJJ is great at.
Because of this, BJJ literally helps fight depression and that is a scientific fact. However, as mentioned previously – it’s not a long-term solution for all.
In other words, it’s good to promote BJJ in fighting against depression and living healthily. The issue is that sometimes people take this too far. For example, what would be ideal is to see a councilor or a psychologist whilst simultaneously training BJJ.
The reason for this is that BJJ helps you in the short-term and gives you things to focus on a day to day level. At some point though, this may not be enough and your depression may turn its ugly head. This is why it’s good to seek professional help and look for proven, long-term solutions. If BJJ works for you in the long-term then that’s great, but it’s not always the case for everyone. Sometimes, people can feel depressed shortly after training, which shows there’s something wrong.
How to avoid BJJ injury depression
A classic example of how BJJ isn’t always the answer is when someone picks up a big injury. Imagine that BJJ is great in fighting your demons, then you break your leg. Now you literally can’t train for the next year or even longer and have to switch your priorities. This can naturally lead to depression and now your main source of happiness has gone.
As a result, it’s not surprising that people can get depressed when injured for a prolonged period of time. Sadly, if you train for years then at some point you’re going to have to stop training due to injuries. The best way to combat this is to be seeking professional help whilst training and not be in denial, as this means you’ll be better equipped to deal with your injury if and when it happens.
In the mean time, it’s smart to try and continue a positive hobby. This could mean something physical that doesn’t harm your injury. With a bad leg for instance, you could start lifting weights for your upper body, or light swimming if possible. Of course, this may not offer same level of relief that BJJ provides, but it still helps and offers some mindfulness which should aid your recovery. The point is to shift your focus and keep your mind active whilst out.
Don’t substitute your problems with BJJ
Although BJJ definitely helps against depression and personal problems, it can equally be unhealthy to substitute them with BJJ. This happens and is actually more common than you may think. An example of this could be someone that was previously addicted to drugs. Now, they change this addiction from drugs to BJJ.
On the one hand, exercise addition is far better and more healthy than addiction to drugs. We’re not arguing otherwise, either. On the other hand, an addiction is still an addiction and is an unhealthy mentality to get into. Even pro BJJ athletes are not addiction for the most part.
So, how do you know if you’re addicted? This means you can’t focus during your personal or professional life and they start to suffer as a result. It could mean that you try and force training through injuries as you’re so obsessional. In other words, your entire world becomes BJJ-centric and you shut everything else out. You may get good at BJJ by doing this, but ultimately it’s good to have a balance.
A sensible solution here would be once again to find other things that you enjoy, and understand that your personal and professional life are off-limits from BJJ. If you want to test yourself, take a week off BJJ and do other stuff. If you can’t take yourself away, then you may have issues that need looking at.
Does BJJ help with anxiety?
Firstly, it should be noted that anxiety is a very different beast compared to depression and the two are not the same. However, as we’re looking at mental health then it’s good to look at anxiety as well.
In short, similar principles are applied to anxiety as they are with depression. This means that BJJ can help beat anxiety, but it’s not always a long-term answer. For example, the benefits of BJJ for anxiety are that it can help you deal with physical adversity that translates to the outside world. It can also help you mix with like minded people and get you comfortable around others.
Perhaps the ultimate test in BJJ with anxiety is competition. For most people, competition can induce nerves and anxiety, so facing your fears head on can have tremendous results off of the mat. Remember, that in some ways BJJ can also harm your mental health as well.
Of course, all these ideas may be good for some, but not others. Once more, the answer for long-term, proven success lies in the hands of mental health professionals. Nonetheless, anxiety can be reduced by BJJ and it depends on how bad or complicated your anxiety is to begin with.
When BJJ can make your depression worse
Overall, the BJJ community often has a tendency to show off its positive features, whilst downplaying some of its more problematic issues. In some cases, BJJ can actually harm your mental health if you’re in a toxic environment.
There are two examples of this; one is physical and the other is digital. Addressing the first example, you could be put in a gym that has a bad atmosphere. The head coach could be a bully who enjoys picking on people. If this is you then it may harm your mental health and make your depression or anxiety worse.
When this happens, leave the gym and find a new one. In brief, it’s ideal to find somewhere that you fit in and feel happy and safe. If you’re feeling pressured or harassed in any form, then simply leave as that gym is not good for your mental health.
Perhaps a more common situation is the digital BJJ domain. This includes social media, and is especially a big issue when it comes to Instagram. Study after study show that social media can harm your mental health and it causes unhealthy, unrealistic comparisons with other peoples lives.
As a result, if you start looking at BJJ on Instagram, then it can lead you down a road that doesn’t end well. If this sounds too familiar, then unplug from social media and do your training and BJJ offline, your brain will thank you for it.
A healthy lifestyle is key
There’s often an argument put forward that whilst depression can sometimes strike randomly and is a complex matter, there’s also a number of key things that can help lessen it and help defeat it. Obvious, BJJ is one of those things.
Other activities can also help, such as sleeping enough, having a positive routine, eating healthily, and getting fresh air outside, as well as avoiding social media and the news. If you do these, you’re at least giving yourself a greater chance of success.
Again, a lot of the above listed are based on science rather than hearsay. Nonetheless, it’s also important to remember that depression is complex, and sometimes these activities can’t help due to more deep rooted issues.
Conclusion
As you may have guessed, BJJ is good in battling depression and can help aid your mental health. At the same time, it’s not always effective for everyone, and people are all unique. With this said, a good mentality to have is that BJJ will often offer some solutions to your problems, but isn’t always a blanket way to happiness.
With this said, hopefully this article will help your depression and remember, sometimes the best thing to do is to talk to someone and ask for help. Want to learn more about exercise and mental health? Check out this great book.
