Podcast with a sport psychologist - The Latarjet Diaries
The mental challenge post latarjet surgery
“Here is what actually is going on”
Voor Nederlands, KLIK HIER
A podcast guest
I had a guest on the podcast, a sports psychologist from Israel named Ron and a Latarjet Diaries subscriber, exactly three weeks out from his own Latarjet surgery. We didn't just talk shoulders. We talked about what actually happens in your head when your body stops working the way it used to.
Ron's injury history goes back five years, to a full dislocation on a scooter ride home from university. After a decade of recurring dislocations, he chose surgery not because he had to, but to get his life back. He described the decision process as lasting five years, and the fear leading up to it as "insane," because you never know if you're making the right call until it's already made.
Identity
The most honest part of the conversation was about identity. Ron put it simply: "A month ago I was a basketball player. Something happened, and now I cannot play basketball. So who am I?" As a psychologist, he explained this isn't dramatic, it's normal. Losing the thing you build your identity around, whether it's sport, a job, or a relationship, triggers a real identity crisis. The brain's response is catastrophic thinking, and it's just your mind trying to keep you safe from further risk.
Doing versus being
We also got into the practical side: the pillow his partner made with her photo on it so he could "hug" someone at night, why comparing your recovery timeline to anyone else's is pointless, and his framework for balancing "doing mode" and "being mode" so you don't burn out during a six-month recovery process.
His advice for anyone starting this process: prepare before surgery, trust your physiotherapist, and understand that the real question isn't whether you'll have a bad day. It's how fast you bounce back from it.
Full episode and timestamps are linked below.
Youtube Video: FAQ session with my physiotherapist
