Although psychiatrists and other mental health clinicians interested in sports practice already have the necessary general skills to help competitive athletes deal with adversity and the multitude of emotions that sports can elicit, most typically they lack the sports-specific knowledge necessary to truly help these patients and clients. In "Sports Psychiatry: Strategies for Life Balance and Peak Performance," the long-time team psychiatrist for the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens intends to remedy this knowledge gap by sharing his unique perspective and rare expertise in cultivating athletes' peak performance while promoting team unity, sound judgment, personal growth, pride, and a lasting sense of accomplishment. The book: - Explains sports culture and team structure and function, vividly describing the environment in which elite competition takes place - Focuses on the shifting nature and intensity of athletes' emotions--the highs that come with success and the lows that accompany poor performance--and describes the situations that magnify them, including injury and pain, media scrutiny, the availability of performance-enhancing drugs, and the fear of both failure and success - Addresses critical topics, such as regulating energy, recognizing and controlling stress, preparing mentally for performance, and treating mental disorders common to athletes - Draws on the author's length of experience and clinical observations, the evidence base of sports psychiatry, and fascinating stories of athletes at all levels to inform, teach, encourage, and inspire. Although written for mental health professionals, the book will also be of great interest to primary care and sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, team owners and managers--and of course--the athletes themselves. Engaging and insightful, "Sports Psychiatry "is the go-to book for those in need of practical strategies for supporting and attaining peak performance. "It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. McDuff for over 15 years now, I have always felt confident when referring an athlete to Dr. McDuff that a positive result would be the outcome. David has been a great help especially to the ballplayers and myself in the area of injury rehabilitation when that player believes he will never recover from that career interrupting or ending injury. We form a great team as I handle the physical and David handles the mental side of returning that player to the field. In this book, you will discover intimately some of the techniques Dr. McDuff uses to positively return that player to the field of competition." --"Richie Bancells, M.S., ATC, Head Athletic Trainer, Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore, MD" Sports competition, from the student to the elite professional level, is a specialized world. Its players face singular challenges in overcoming the stress, anxiety, and fear of failure (and success) that characterize that environment. As the team psychiatrist for the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens since 1996, the author of Sports Psychiatry: Strategies for Life Balance and Peak Performance is uniquely aware of the knowledge and skills mental health practitioners require to work effectively with athletes as they strive to play better, heal better, and feel better. The book is grounded in evidence-based psychiatry, but is written in a style that will engage and inform not only mental health professionals, but also primary care and sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, team owners and managers, interested laypeople -- and, of course -- athletes themselves. Absorbing narratives exemplify the themes and issues covered in each chapter, including how to recognize and conquer stress, how to prepare mentally for competition, how to manage pain, and how to tune out the myriad distractions of the athlete's life and focus on performance. The strategies that Dr. McDuff offers are down-to-earth, insightful, and informed by his many years of experience treating players at the highest level. Practical and compassionate, Sports Psychiatry: Strategies for Life Balance and Peak Performance will be of enormous help to readers inside and outside the sports arena. Sports competition, from the student to the elite professional level, is a specialized world. Its players face singular challenges in overcoming the stress, anxiety, and fear of failure (and success) that characterize that environment. As the team psychiatrist for the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens since 1996, the author of Sports Psychiatry: Strategies for Life Balance and Peak Performance is uniquely aware of the knowledge and skills mental health practitioners require to work effectively with athletes as they strive to play better, heal better, and feel better. The book is grounded in evidence-based psychiatry, but is written in a style that will engage and inform not only mental health professionals, but also primary care and sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, team ow