COLUMBUS, Ohio – This weekend, just about everyone is a football fan, at least for one day, but an OSU expert warns that fans who become too emotionally involved in their team’s fortunes can find themselves engaged in obnoxious and emotionally unhealthy behavior.
Drinking, gambling, even other fans watching the game can have an impact on a fan’s emotions.
“Being a fan is fine, but there is a line you can cross that makes it really unhealthy,” says mental health expert Ken Yeager, PhD.
Yeager (right) says sports fans often project their team’s fate on the field to themselves. Their psychological and a physical response to what’s happening during and after a game can affect their cortisol and testosterone levels.
“The clues go all the way back to the ‘fight or flight’ survival mechanism,” said Yeager, who works in the department of psychiatry at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and is also a licensed social worker and has counseled NFL players for more than a decade
When we become emotionally agitated, out body lets us know: We feel nervous, we sweat or feel the need to lash out. If you have these signs, particularly if you are in public or around others, Yeager says, take a break. Remove yourself from the environment momentarily and calm down.
“So if you feel your heart begin to palpitate, you begin to sweat a little bit, you feel your breaths are shallow and racing; you’re getting a little too far into the game and a little too far away from the pleasure,” he said.
Yeager is clinical director of the Stress, Trauma and Resilience Program, which addresses the effects of psychological trauma and stress on patients and families.
Yeager’s advice for a healthy, happy Super Bowl:
Don’t drink too much. “Alcohol is a depressant, and if things don’t go well, it can make you feel even more agitated and upset.”
Don’t bet on your team. “Putting your hard-earned money on the line increases emotional intensity and makes a loss more painful.”
Control the volume of the TV. “Overstimulation can quickly increase agitation. If things aren’t going well, turn your TV down or mute it. Reducing noise stimuli can calm you down and help divert your focus.”
Exercise on game day. “Exercise reduces stress and can help you better cope if things don’t go well for your team.”
Surround yourself with “good” fans. “Watch the game with others who share your interests but are more even minded and less temperamental.”