Treatment for Anxiety caused by Lifting

[Cristina_Sanchez2112]

My fiance has been lifting for almost 10 years and 3 months ago he got hurt doing a deadlift with 350 pounds falling on him and bending his back in a worrisome way. He went to the hospital immediately, got his painkillers and everything. He has been too stubborn to get the MRI done since he started feeling better after laying in bed for a week doing all the treatments recommended by the doctor. He was careful to not do any strenuous lower back exercises until a month ago that he started doing deadlifts with 250 pounds again. He wasn't getting any unusual lower back pain, only the usual sore from the exercise. This week his lower back has been hurting, not severely, but enough to get worried since he hasn't been working his lower back since last week. He has a background of anxiety since this past summer and one of his bigger triggers is anxiety caused by fear of being sick, broken, or weak. I don't know how to help him overcome the anxiety because by his fear of getting hurt again. I don't know if the anxiety is causing the lower back pain or if it's intensifying any lower back discomfort. I would sincerely appreciate any advice since I know taking him to a doctor would only startle him more, I want to know if there was any other way of helping him in a more subtle way.

Thank you in advance for any advice and possible treatments.

[Paxiled]

First of all, you don't say how old he is.  The older we get, the harder it becomes to recover from exercise injuries.  You also gotta understand dead lifters -- people who strive after things that don't matter, such as big muscles, or to lift more than someone else, well, you really can't reason with them.  Or I should say us.  I've exercised myself into all kinds of pain because it's my outlet from the anxiety.  I'm not sure he needs an MRI, actually, but only getting one would tell him that for sure.  However, when you come back from an injury, you have to start back slowly, you can't just go back to where you were.  I'm also guessing he's doing a weight that's a problem for him or without sufficient spotters and precautions or he wouldn't have had the accident in the first place -- he got overconfident.  Lower back injuries can take a long time to get better, and regular docs aren't the best people to get exercises from -- physical therapists or physiatrists or orthopedists are the specialists in this stuff and they will demand pictures.  But the fact he's feeling this much better seems to indicate it's not a serious problem -- you know when the lower back is out, believe me, I've been there and it took a long time to come back.  But he's got to build back up to where he was, and he's got to properly warm up and take more precautions than before this happened.  But you know, we can't make him not be stubborn, it's also the thing that allowed him to get to where he could deadlift that much weight.

[Paxiled]

And by the way, the lifting didn't cause the anxiety, the way he thinks did. That's what separates us anxiety sufferers from those who don't get it.

[Colitis123]

If hes 18 years old or 25 doesnt matter , dont risk injury for life .that will cause anxiety and depression.

[Paxiled]

Well, yeah, but you must be very young -- 18 and 25 are very very young and the body recovers very quickly at that age.  Your argument seems to be that people shouldn't do what they love to do the most if it might result in harm.  So I'm assuming you don't ride in cars, right?

[Colitis123]

Stop the lifting period . he will get over it and his body will recover. We all get old . do a different sport , exercise good for the heart and mind . he wont regret it .hope that helps.