Mountain people are adrenaline junkies. Athletically A.D.H.D., playing hard and with significant consequences. Injuries happen, and they suck. Altering life, taking something joyful, and replacing it with agony. They suck, suck, suck, but will happen.

In the high country, we find and define our identity in what we do, skier, biker, runner, climber, boater, adventurer, whateverer. Elite-uber-athlete, hack-job-back-of-the-packer (that’s me), or newbie-glass-eyed-first-timer-falling-in-love-with-adventure, it doesn’t matter, playing is part of us, and often the part of us we truly love and need.

The massive shift experienced from being healthy, active, and playing in nature to sitting on the couch in agonizing pain impacts your entire being. On Tuesday you were carefree, grinning with friends, knee-deep in sweet-sweet-pow-pow to Wednesday with a torn ACL in your bed, alone, in pain, with huge medical debt, unable to work. Tuesday your body was pumping with dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline (all positive mental health chemicals), Wednesday all pain and cortisol (a negative mental health chemical), and probably a bunch of opioid-based pain-killers which also are unpleasant. Oh what a difference a day makes. Injuries change our existence in a moment, physical, mental, social, and even spiritual shifts.

Obviously, the best way to avoid injuries is to be pro-active and love your body (yoga, nutrition, stretching, knowledge, gear maintenance, etc.). However, you have likely found this article because you are already injured and those topics all sound like great eye-rolling, “I Told You So” reading. And even to the most prepared and cautious, s*&% happens. However, these proactive measures are going to be important to recovery and rise back to Awesomeness. Which can happen. Start believing.

Mental Health Issues After Injury

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Isolation
• Trauma
• Fear of re-injury
• Shaken identity
• Financial burden
• Over/under eating
• Hypersomnia (sleeping too much) or Insomnia
• Doubting one’s self
• Suicidal thoughts
• Anger/violence
• Substance abuse

My Injury History

Injuries have plagued me, especially my teens and twenties, when self-care and decision-making were suspect at best. This likely led to more intense injuries, worse recovery, and future damage. Always being hurt takes a toll on your whole being.

4 surgeries (hand, hernia, 2 shoulder) in 5 years playing collegiate ultimate frisbee led to an unhealthy use of pain-killers and significant mental health struggles. I couldn’t catch a break, it sucked. Moving to Colorado from Ohio and having a much larger, consequential, beautiful play-ground the injuries obviously continued, knees, shoulder, and ankles all dinged up just playing in the hills.

In my first Imperial Challenge, which was terrifyingly awesome to even show up at the start-line, I wrecked 500 meters before the finish line and destroyed my ankle. My left-boot was still in hike mode, F%$#. I was in good shape, worked all winter to be in peak form, for me. The IC was a jumping point for conditioning for the summer, where I would be playing in the National Championships of Masters Ultimate Frisbee. HUGE DEAL for me in my athletic career. And now my ankle was broken. Damn it.

I was angry, hurt, and broken. It was less than ideal. However, I would train, recover, and still get an opportunity to play at Nationals with an ultimate team Called O-H-I-Old (a clever name for an Ohio team competing in masters, AKA old-man-33-plus-division). Still very proud of this essential lifetime achievement award of sorts, but well-earned. It was here where my life would change forever from a Traumatic Brain Injury. This injury changed me for the worse, anger, memory deficits, serious limitations, and would require more rehab than I ever thought, and in so many ways. However, this was when self-care became a huge part of my life and allowed me to really grow mentally, physically, and spiritually. It just took work, not the normal kind of athletic work, but holistic work.

During times of recovery, everything changed. My weight, motivation, diet, social-network, happiness, anxiety, work, sleep, and most notably mental health, all shifted, in a bad way. But I eventually endure.

Think of an active mountain person like a heroin addict, a healthier addict but hooked on adventures and the associated chemicals naturally created. Like many addicts, not realizing the depth of our addiction. We rely on it to feel good, function, socialize, and feel alive. We build up a tolerance, meaning we need more of the chemicals to feel their effects, and when taken away, withdrawal. And it is often a harsh, painful, overwhelming reality.

Unpleasant things like depression, anxiety, sleep issues, short temper, suicidal thoughts, decreased motivation, drops in self-esteem, dietary issues, stomach problems, reduced sex drive, and overall negativity can frequently accompany an injury. Elite runner and ski-mountaineer, Nikki LaRochelle summarized the way she felt post-injury:

“Injury makes you an angry, depressed, neurotic person which is unfortunate for those around you.” Lovingly, her husband Brad pled the 5^th.  Injury impacts not only the individual hurt, but those around us, including family, friends, and colleagues. Relationship dynamics may change drastically.

The bad news: Injuries are going to happen. The good news: You have some control over your reaction, self-care, and attitude. Remember, all injuries are different and have unique restrictions.

1. Proactive Prevention/Recovery. This includes stretching, resting, cross-training, proper nutrition and hydration, using appropriate and quality equipment, and understanding your limits. But your recovery is a way to proactively prevent future injuries. Even if you can’t use your right leg doesn’t mean you need to let your whole body deteriorate.
2. Understand the Injury. We love to self-diagnose our injuries, dangerous amateur doctors from the “prestigious” school of Web MD make us feel like surgeons at Vail Summit Orthopedics… not a good idea. Know the injury, the best treatments, and approaches according to actual doctors, nurses, and PTs you trust. You could be icing when heating is better. Resting when maybe you need to be stretching.
3. Stay Active While drastic changes to your exertion level happen, depending on the injury there are still going to be things you can do. Walking, light hiking, exercise bikes, and yoga are all great activities that may be possible to keep your body moving for some injuries.
4. Focus on What You Can do, Not What You Can’t. Can you still rip Lake Chutes or bomb Aspen Alley, probably not right now. However, you can still reach out to friends, make some art, maybe do yoga, find anything you CAN do, and make that your focus.
5. Check Your Attitude. While you need to experience all the emotions, both positive and negative, be what you need to be, all of it. You also have to recognize when an attitude adjustment is needed. You can be sad, grumpy, angry, and throw a pity party that you are injured (Acceptable and necessary but prolongs recovery because of cortisol release). Or you can adapt, find gratitude, connect with people, and focus on recovering (Helps recovery with dopamine and serotonin)… either way, you are injured. Your choice on the attitude.
6. Occupy your Mind. Read and write, spend time with friends, games, being creative, grateful, kind, volunteer, meditate (Proven to help recovery), just stay active mentally in many ways. Screens and tech can be helpful but also need some boundaries and limitations.
7. Be Active Socially when Possible. If you were an active racer or competitor this is also your social outlet, if you are a recreational athlete, this is also usually your friend group. And that can change form with an injury. If you like going to events (when possible and safe), be around friends, volunteer, or give back to your community. Being at races, practices or events is a great way to stay connected to the sport and community. Just going up to the base of Peak 8 and sitting outside can often feel like a tease, but it can also allow you to connect with people and motivate you. Game night, chill activities, make some art, meals together, anything to foster healthy relationships.
8. Catch some Rays. The sun helps our body create Vitamin D naturally, in Colorado we often get a lot of this when playing, so when we are no longer playing we may miss out on Vitamin D which is essential for mental wellness and injury recovery. Even if you are sitting in a chair outside your house, get some sun.
9. Connect with the Community. People in the high country have all been injured, and most love to share stories as near badges of honor (or horror). It is part of the reason we live here, to be hardcore and bad a**. If you have been injured, share techniques of what worked in recovery, tips for good mindsets, and how you healed, be a friend. If you are currently hurt, listen, grow, connect, and see how you can use this experience to better yourself. Lean on your community, ask friends for help, we have all been there. Teamwork makes the dream work!
10. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Well sorta. You are likely going to have to fuel your body differently. Body chemistry is going to be altered because of less calorie output, eat well, a healthy diet aids recovery. Comfort foods are necessary in moderation as well, but sometimes you need mac-n-cheese. Alcohol and drugs are often used excessively when injured, be aware of your use, responsible and safe. A glass of wine with friends can be a great release and filled with laughter, joy, and social connection, a bottle of whiskey alone with tears every night is not serving you. If you think you are drinking too much, take a break and set boundaries. What might feel like a temporary benefit may really be pulling you down into a negative spiral. But being merry is a choice 🙂

Remember, it is better to be hurt in the mountains, than anywhere else! It sucks you got injured, big time. You will have good days and bad days, that is normal. However, so much is in your control, attitude, therapy, decision-making, mind-set, all are fully in your control.