How Lance Armstrong Coped With PTSD
- Lance Armstrong, who beat cancer after being diagnosed with advanced-stage testicular cancer at 25 years old, has opened up about his mental health and how he dealt with the repercussions of his doping scandal, which included Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- According to the American Psychiatry Association, PTSD is “a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances.”
- Speak with a psychologist or therapist to help you navigate your mental health journey, as your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
- In order to keep your mental health in check, it’s important to be aware of signs which can be subtle that there is something affecting your mind. If you are feeling unusually sad or on-edge, know that there are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope. These include talk therapy, medication, and meditation.
- Check out SurvivorNet’s great mental health resources for you.
The resilient Texas native—who was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 25 and was formally charged by the United States Anti-Doping Agency nearly a decade later, after winning his seventh Tour de France on July 24, 2005—opened up about his mental health struggles in a recent episode of “The Great Unlearn” podcast.
Read MoreLooking back on his fall from grace in the cycling world, he recounting “throwing” himself into “fitness and health” after confessing about taking performance-enhancing drugs (including, testosterone, a human growth hormone, a stimulant called erythropoietin (EPO) and illegal blood transfusions) in 2013.View this post on Instagram
He also noted that he didn’t cycle for “many” years after his initial retirement from the sport of cycling, which came shortly before his drug admittal, however, he did work out other ways.
Armstrong, who also has his own successful sports podcasts dubbed “The Forward” and “TheMov,” explained, “I ran a lot. I swam. … It’s not necessarily a workout [but] I picked up the game of golf.
“But, yeah no … that was the other option. There were two options for me … was to just kind of give up and become a bum, whether that’s lazy, or addicted or careless, reckless. Not that you don’t have moments that are a little careless or reckless, but mind you, I wasn’t the only guy in cycling that got destroyed.”
After mentioning how other sport stars who used performance-enhancing drugs lost valuable relationships or their livs, he continued, “You had that as an extreme and then you had my situation, where I was like ‘ok that’s an option but I’m not doing that. I’m also not going to curl up and cry and feel sorry for myself. Yeah, I mean, this isn’t ideal and this sucks and most of this is self-inflected but f–k this, I’m doing to figure this out. I am, I promise you … I don’t know how long it will take but I’m not giving up and I’m certainly not going to go down that rabbit hole of just destroying my life.'”
Armstrong, noting it’s been just over 11 years since he opened up to Oprah in an interview about the drug usage, said he “went from hero to zero overnight.”
“A lot of people applauded that. A lot of people thought that was funny. A lot of people thought that I deserved that. And a lot of that’s right. I didn’t think it was funny, but I certainly deserved it,” he said.
Looking back on what led to him having PTSD, Armstrong said, “There was a mile-long list of lawsuits. Income went from some exorbitant amount to zero … You can’t go through all of these things without suffering PTSD.
“I think we as a society hear about PTSD and we associate that with people that have been at war and have lost comrades and have seen death and have killed people … PTSD is not exclusive to soldiers, it’s certainly not exclusive to me.”
He ultimately went through a five-day intensive therapy program for PTSD.
View this post on Instagram
Explaining further to Callahan, Armstrong said, “I sort of tried to live life and focus on my children and my wife, and just bandaid things. They were just bandaids. And whether that’s sort of couch therapy, once a month or once every two weeks, those are bandaids.”
He said it was approximately five years ago that he realized “these band aids” weren’t working.
“I need something different and deeper. I went to a place in Tennessee,” he said, calling it a “five-day super-intensive” therapy.
Armstrong said the therapy was done “all alone, one-on-one, 10 hours a day,” saying it was similar to “surgery,” adding, “And no distraction, no devices. I was nervous about it. Didn’t know what I was getting into … ended up loving it. Now I go all the time.”
He continued, “You have to address trauma and there’s multiple ways to go about that.”
According to the American Psychiatry Association, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is “a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances.”
“An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being. Examples include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape/sexual assault, historical trauma, intimate partner violence and bullying,” the association says.
The ADA adds, “PTSD has been known by many names in the past, such as ‘shell shock’ during the years of World War I and “combat fatigue” after World War II, but PTSD does not just happen to combat veterans. PTSD can occur in all people, of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and at any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year. ”
It’s great to see Armstrong living life to the fullest after overcoming such a hard time, and being open about getting therapy. And his ability to jump back and regain his strength is clearly seen in his most recent Instagram post.
In Armstrong’s recent Instagram post, showing photos of working to beat a world record, the father of five wrote, “Lately, I’ve doubled down on my health. My friends keep asking me what I’m training for.
“Here’s my answer: I’m training so that I can be prepared to do whatever anybody wants to do on any given day.”
View this post on Instagram
He continued, “So when @clintongphillips told me he was training to break the world record for pushing a 4,000 LB car (for a mile!) — I told him, ‘next time you’re out pushing cars — call me’. While I got ya, Clinton is a true inspiration.
“So, yeah, whatever you got — I’m ready.”
Lance Armstrong’s Cycling Career & Cancer Battle
In 1996, Lance Armstrong became the first American to win the La Flèche Wallonne, a men’s professional cycle road race in Belgium, and won his second Tour DuPont, a cycling stage race in the United States held annually between 1989 and 1996, according to ESPN.
He had previously won stages of the Tour de France, a men’s professional cycling event widely considered to be the biggest sporting event in the world. But that same year, even though he only competed for five days of the competition, he went on to participate in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. There, he finished sixth in the time trial competition and 12th overall in the road race.
He was on top of the cycling world. But his world seemingly came crashing down around him in October 1996 when the young star cyclist was diagnosed with advanced-stage testicular cancer. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, lungs, brain and abdomen. He was just 25 years old.
“I intend to beat this disease, and further I intend to ride again as a professional cyclist,” he said when announcing his diagnosis nearly two decades ago in 1996, and he did just that.
Armstrong went through chemotherapy treatments, his last round being in December 1996. He was declared cancer-free in 1997 the same year he launched the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was later renamed Livestrong. The organization was started to support cancer patients and research.
He later returned to the world of cycling and won his first Tour de France in 1999.
“No day means more to me than this one,” he posted to Instagram on Oct. 2, 2021, 25 years since his cancer diagnosis. “Hard to fathom it’s been 25 years since I heard those dreadful words that millions of us have heard ‘you have cancer.'”
View this post on Instagram
“I didn’t know if I would live 25 minutes, 25 hours, or 25 weeks. Truly blessed to have made it this far. What a journey it’s been and continues to be. Wouldn’t trade a second of it. To all who have hung in there through thick and thin, I love you more than you’ll ever know. And remember, it’s FORWARD never straight.”
“I hope it sends out a fantastic message to all survivors around the world,” Armstrong said to the crowd at the Tour de France finish line in Paris. “We can return to what we were before and even better.”
Be Kind to Yourself — We All Need the Reminder
Mental Health: The Basics
The term mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or change in your physical health can affect mental health. That’s why it’s important to keep tabs on your mental health, which could mean seeking treatment for some. This doesn’t necessarily mean traditional therapy because while it may be really helpful (even life-changing) for some, that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Problems with mood and overall mental well-being can be attributed to several factors. For some people it’s genetic, while others may be experiencing a response to some sort of stressor or past trauma.
Learning To Cope With Mental Health Struggles
“I think flexibility is really a core of how to manage it,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, tells SurvivorNet. “Are your coping strategies that you’re using now, are they helpful in the way that they were in the past?”
Dr. Boardman suggests working to recognize any negative thoughts that may be making the process of cancer treatment more difficult, and trying to dismantle those to be more “realistically optimistic.”
RELATED: Responding to Stress: How to Cope With Complex & Changing Emotions
In order to keep your mental health in check, it’s important to be aware of signs which can be subtle that there is something affecting your mind. These signs include:
- A change in eating or sleeping habits
- Losing interest in people or usual activities
- Experiencing little or no energy
- Numb and/or hopeless feelings
- Turning to drinking or drugs more than usual
- Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
- Yelling/fighting with loved ones
- Experiencing mood swings
- Intrusive thoughts
- Trouble getting through daily tasks
These symptoms can be wide-ranging and vary a great deal from person to person. Everyone experiences grief differently, for example.
However, if you are feeling unusually sad, on-edge, or like you’re no longer interested in activities you used to love, know that there are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.
Finding the Right Option for Mental Health Needs
Whether it is life-balance, a loss of a loved one or job, or a change in life brought on by a cancer diagnosis, “grief comes in waves,” says Dr. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist and Director of Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
“They’re grieving the change in their life, the future they had imagined is now different,” he told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. Some days can be tougher than others, but Dr. Irwin says talk therapy can be really helpful so it’s important to reach out to your doctor, to a therapist, or to support groups in your community if you are struggling.
Dr. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, explains how talk therapy can help patients dealing with grief.
Treatment options for people struggling with mental health really run the gamut. While some people may benefit from seeking the help of a psychologist and getting on medication, others see great improvement by simply implementing some lifestyle changes, such as prioritizing exercise and cutting back on alcohol.
Those struggling should know that they are not alone about one in five American adults has experienced some sort of mental health issue, according to mentalhealth.gov. However, what worked to help someone else cope may not necessarily help you as treatment must be individualized.
How can gratitude lead to a healthier mindset?
To maintain a positive mindset and address mental health struggles you may be having, treatment may include:
- Seeking professional help from a psychiatrist or therapist
- Learning healthy coping skills
- Medication such as antidepressants
- Adding more physical activity to your routine
- Adjusting your sleep schedule
- Connecting with others via support groups
- Mindfulness and meditation
No Reason to Feel Shame
Armstrong’s willingness to talk about how he needed therapy and had a difficult time coping after his doping scandal, will hopefully help people realize there is no reason to be embarrassed about seeking out mental health tools and taking time to focus on mental health.
There’s nothing to be ashamed of and it is important to realize you are not alone. The CDC reports that more than 20% of American adults said they sought out mental health treatment over the past year, according to a 2020 survey. Among those people, 16.5% said they had taken some sort of medication for their mental health and 10.1% said they had received counseling or therapy.
The term mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. There are also certain triggers as stress, traumatic events, or a change in your physical health can all affect mental health.
It’s really important to keep tabs on your mental health and, if necessary, seek treatment. This doesn’t necessarily mean traditional therapy because while it may be really helpful (even life-changing) for some, that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Understanding Testicular Cancer
A testicular cancer diagnosis is rare, but it is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in young men.
According to MedlinePlus, “Testicular cancer is a cancer that develops in the tissues of one or both testicles. The testicles, or testes, are part of the male reproductive system. They make male hormones and sperm. They are two egg-shaped glands inside the scrotum, a sac of loose skin that lies below the penis. You can get cancer in one or both testicles.”
RELATED: 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer
Depending on the stage of the cancer at diagnosis, the disease is considered extremely treatable. Treatment options can include chemotherapy and radiation, but often the first step of treatment is surgery to remove the testicle which contains the cancerous cells.
Dealing With the Shame That May Come With Testicular Cancer
Signs of Testicular Cancer
Symptoms of testicular cancer can be subtle, so it’s important to be aware of your body and any unusual changes. Some people may even confuse the early symptoms such as a small mass in their testicle as an injury. Sadly, when these signs are dismissed, the cancer can grow and become worse.
“Testicular cancer often presents with a painless mass in the testicle,” Dr. Bradley McGregor, the Clinical Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously told SurvivorNet.
“However, there may not always be a palpable mass and it may just be a change in the way a testicle feels or a heavy sensation.”
Testicular Cancer Survivor Todd Rosenbluth Says Don’t Ignore Symptoms
Dr. Edwin Posadas, the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, also spoke with SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, explaining, “It’s not uncommon to see men come in with masses on their scrotum and have inflammation of the scrotal wall; they develop pain as a result. A lump is the most common symptom of testicular cancer.”
Dr. Posadas says some men may even notice blood in their ejaculate as a result of testicular cancer. “This symptom is less common, but always bad,” he said.
Other symptoms can include:
- Breast growth or soreness
- Early puberty in boys
- Low back pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Belly pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Headaches or confusion (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
Dr. Posadas advises young men to seek medical care if they are having symptoms. “Most men under the age of 40 tend not to think about seeing a doctor “they need to know to advocate for themselves,” he said.
Screening for Testicular Cancer
Testicular self-examination is one way to screen for this disease, Dr. Posadas explains.
“It takes less than a minute,” Dr. Posadas told SurvivorNet. “Rub testicles through your fingers, looking for any sore areas. Rub the top of the testicle, particularly the delicate epididymis. (The epididymis is a tube at the back of the testicles which stores and carries sperm.)
RELATED: If You’re Worried – Go to the Doctor
“Don’t squeeze real hard on there. [You should] look for a smoother feel; if you feel a hard nodule on there, you may require blood work from a urologist. [Testicular cancer] is highly curable, even when it’s advanced.”
As for Dr. McGregor’s advice on self-examinations, he said, “It is recommended that men aged 15 to 55 perform a monthly self-examination to find any changes to help find the cancer at an early stage.”
And if someone spots any of the early symptoms, “he should visit his doctor immediately,” he added. It’s important to be aware of your body and get in touch with a doctor if you notice anything unusual.
“Testicular cancer commonly occurs from ages 20-45, but it can occur at any age,” Dr. McGregor continued. “The highest risk factor for testicular cancer is a history of cryptorchidism, an undescended testicle, where the testicle does not move down into the scrotum before birth.
“Men with a family history of testicular cancer are at increased risk as well. No lifestyle changes have been shown to definitively reduce risk of testicular cancer.”
READ MORE: Save A Nut Testicular Cancer Survivor Mark Borja Makes It His Mission To Spread Awareness
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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