Prokop speaks openly about his identity crisis in football: a fresh start!

Prokop speaks openly about his identity crisis in football: a fresh start!

In the football business, the actors are often under immense pressure. This is also evident in Luka Prokop's life, which recently opened his personal crisis in Croatia in an interview. The active player spoke about how he had to deal with an identity crisis in the past three to four years that brought him to the edge of the end of the career. Prokop, which identified strongly with football, realized that his poor performance not only influenced his football career, but also his private life negatively. He felt in a personal hole and was unmotivated, which he took, so reports [90minuten] ( https://www.90minuten.at/de/Magazin/interview/prokop ---eine-krise-Keinen-bock--/ ).

In this challenging time, Prokop found support in faith in God, who helped him find a meaning in life and better deal with heights and depths. Today he feels better than ever and estimates the changes that his switch to TSV Hartberg brought with him. In this environment, which he showed as a supporter than with big clubs, he can concentrate more on football without the constant pressure, which is often associated with larger clubs.

psychological stress in professional sports

The challenges with which Prokop was confronted are not an isolated case. A study shows that professional athletes are exposed to up to 640 stressors during their career who can significantly burden their mental health. These stressors, which include pressure to perform, risk of injury and operations, can lead to various psychological problems, such as sleep disorders, fear and depression, reports the [Journal of Sports Medicine] ( https://www.zeitschrift-sportmedizin.de/psychische-probleme-im-profisport-ach-ach-der-karere-noch-ein-thema/ ).

A meta -analysis illuminates the psychological stress both active and former athletes. Although the symptoms remove slightly after career, they still remain above the average prevalence in the normal population. 34% of active athletes have signs of fear or depression, which makes it clear that mental illnesses in sport are often a taboo subject and are often not sufficiently treated.

Holistic Approach Needed

The mortality of mental illnesses in competitive sports is also discussed in the [Sports Physicians Zeitung] ( https://sportaertzentzeitung.com/rubriken/psychologie/12282/Mental-gesundheit-im-sport/ ). Dealing with mental health has become more important, but there is still a great need for interdisciplinary support and research. The athletes are often not supported by a holistic approach, and many athletes still identify strongly through their sport. Long -term injuries or the end of the career can question the entire identity of the athletes.

The stigmatization of mental problems by society is another great obstacle. It is reported that many athletes, like the judo world champion Anna-Maria Wagner, emphasize open communication about their challenges and the need for mental support. This shows that the need for regular screenings and better training to form mental health issues in sport is urgently required.

Overall, the Situation of Luka Prokop shows that mental pressure, identity crises and emotional difficulties in the world of football are omnipresent and holistic care for athletes is necessary to help them in the long term.