WWE: Sasha Banks and why self care & mental health must be a priority

The WWE showcased a Network chronicle over the weekend featuring Sasha Banks.

In the special, they put a spotlight on her return after almost four months away from the wrestling ring. One of the main points brought to light was Sasha’s unhappiness leading up to WrestleMania, where she reached her breaking point. The awareness of her mental health and self care being heightened, Banks took a much-needed sabbatical from WWE television.

In the fascinating special, Sasha Banks explained that a series of events led her to taking time off from the WWE.

Banks had felt “saddened and destroyed” by comments made about her work in the ring. More specifically, her match with Paige that ended in the unintentional injury of the British Superstar. A push kick counter to a maneuver by Paige led to an unexpected stoppage of the match and prematurely ended her career in the process.

It was clear when watching the Chronicle that Sasha Banks was emotionally unavailable and was eager to take some time off from the wrestling business. Banks, over the course of the last five months, has undergone mental therapy and some soul-searching. When she finally was able to find her happiness and peace within, it led to her return to WWE programming on the Aug. 12 RAW broadcast in Toronto, Canada.

The seriousness of Sasha Banks and her struggles internally were brought to the forefront during the documentary. She alluded to a difficult childhood, bringing to the surface that RAW and SmackDown were “the only two hours” of her week where she could escape the reality of her life.

Banks has been in pro wrestling for almost eight years. Being on the road for almost 300 days a year can be taxing for any human being. Yes, it is the career path in which these performers have chosen and we look at these humans as practically indestructible “larger than life” characters, but the reality is we don’t know the background of these performers. We don’t know exactly what and how they are feeling outside of the ring and television.

Being scrutinized and under a microscope by your peers in the industry and social media pundits alike are not apart of these performers’ job descriptions. There is pressure associated with being in the WWE as a wrestler and it’s very real on the surface. You often hear “if you don’t want to be at the top of the mountain, why are you here?” I personally cannot imagine what that could do to someone’s psychological state. Especially if they let everything that is said about them in person and the cyber world pierce their emotions and well-being.

Which brings us to mental health and self care in the wrestling business. There are a number of factors that can contribute to a mental illness or depression. Genes and family history, life experiences (a higher risk for a disorder if a traumatic experience happens in your childhood) and chemical imbalances in your brain are some examples. All of the conditions that I listed are out of a person’s control. The disease is something you inherit from your family and their medical history. The cards being dealt can be cruel and unfair.

If you add the overuse and abuse of recreational or over the counter drugs into the equation, then you have a recipe for internal disaster. It can cause bipolar, schizophrenic, or manic episodes. For those of you that think depression isn’t an illness and is “a suck it up and get over it” type circumstance, you need to do some homework. The effects of depression or any mental illness can be dangerous and is a case that needs to be treated immediately.

We can look to the past as examples of instances gone wrong. Brian Pillman, Test and Eddie Guerrero are a few cases where a performer has passed way too soon. All had issues with their heart or cardiac system related to substance abuse. The abuse their bodies took in the ring led to them ingesting far too many painkillers or concoctions to keep them from taking time off. This could potentially have been prevented through a more condensed schedule; something that has been brought to the forefront now with the Sasha Banks WWE Chronicle.

If you are someone who struggles with a mental illness or depression, here are a couple of tidbits that can help you. Seeking a counselor or a doctor would be a great place to start. They can guide you in the right direction and potentially put you on a medication if applicable. Confiding in a family member or a close friend as a support person is essential as well. You can’t walk alone in this fight.

Exercise and nutrition are arguably the two biggest keys to combating either disease. Moving alone will boost your endorphins, sitting still will make your condition worsen. Food is optimal here. Focus on eating items that are rich in vitamins, minerals and possess a high anti inflammatory response. Examples of these foods are spinach, salmon, legumes, eggs and grains. The Mediterranean style nutrition plan would be ideal if you are struggling with a disorder.

With the large talent roster that the WWE presently possesses, Banks made the correct decision in taking time off for herself. With the amount of talent that the company has, we could dive a bit into reasons why the WWE should either have an off-season or rotating schedules, but that brings us off track of the main point here.

It’s important that situations like Banks’ get resolved in a timely manner. Not just that, but the performers speak up about what’s going on internally, which can be a difficult task. While it’s courageous of talent to do this, it’s ultimately the correct thing for these men and women to do. Kudos to Sasha in stepping away from her career and being emotionally aware of her health and safe care.