1. I spent around 7 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry man and I deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Afghanistan in 2008 and saw quite a bit of combat on those two tours. I was diagnosed with PTSD/TBI and discharged in 2012 for those two illnesses and I was having a pretty hard time until I found BJJ.
I was taking up to 12 pills a day for my treatment while I was active duty on top of therapy a few times a week. I got out and my life was starting a slow downward spiral until a friend I served with got me to check out my current gym and the rest is history. I have lost about 30 pounds and keep losing more, I haven’t had to go to therapy or use any medication for my PTSD.
Since my unit returned from Afghanistan almost 20 people I know have committed suicide, hell the New York Times did an article about the suicide rate in my unit it was so bad. Now I;m not saying I would have gone down that path but I wasn’t too far from it at one point.
BJJ helped with my anger, depression, nightmares/flashbacks and makes me a happier person. I know several other combat veterans that started BJJ and they are saying the same thing I am.
2. Jiu jitsu helped me quit drinking when I used to be an alcoholic. It kind of gave me something to stay sober for because class was in the evening and I wanted to actually be able to understand it and roll well. And it gave me something good going on in my life that I could be proud of, a way to deal with stress, and a way to be able to forget about everything else for a couple hours. Plus, it gave me the chance to hang out with a really good, understanding group of people, who just knew me as the girl who works really hard at jiu jitsu (versus the f***ed up alcoholic girl).
My life’s in a much better spot now and I haven’t drank for a long time. But, I think I still get a lot of the same benefits from jiu jitsu like something to look forward to at the end of the day, help me deal with stress, be around good people, and just have fun for a couple hours.
3. BJJ helps me with my PTSD. One of my major symptoms I deal with is insomnia due to hyper vigilance and nightmares/flashbacks. On days when I have gone to the gym I find it much easier to relax at home afterwards.
4. I joined towards the end of my marriage this year. It gave me something to divert all my energy into it, it gave me structure when i had little left. I was able to surround my self with a really great group of very positive people. Ive been drinking so much less because of it too, it has given me a sense of purpose and a reason to be healthier. I finally found my thing the one thing that im actually motivated to keep pursuing, i am genuinely so so happy when im on the mats.
5. I’ve struggled with depression and suicidal ideations since I was about 12 years old. Honestly, it just feels great to be around people even if they are trying to choke you out. I feel like when I’m on the mats, I’m not thinking about all the negative shit that ruminates in my head.
Instead, I’m trying to survive, learn and adapt technique as much as I can. This is going to sound pretty sad, but the other day when we were practicing seatbelt escapes, just having an arm around me and fighting made me feel great. Just having human contact felt alleviating. It’s really helped me in ways of going to the gym and doing other strenuous activities haven’t.
6. I have generalised anxiety disorder. Just under two years ago it got so bad that I couldn’t go to work any more. Instead, I trained like a fiend for 6 months. BJJ gave me purpose, something to get out of bed for. A lot of the time it was a mental struggle just to get on the mat, but doing it time after time helped me unlearn the idea that anxiety was going to cripple me and leave me useless to the world. Now BJJ has given me confidence, friends, and fitness. The people at my club know me, know my struggles, and accept me how I am. I’ve had panic attacks on the mat and been treated like a human by my training partners instead of being judged or shunned. BJJ people are special people
7. I’ve battled with depression and anxiety since childhood, and I just recently went through a break up of a 2 1/2 year relationship. I was not in a good place at all, and I finally decided to start training again after 10 years.
I started training at the next town over and haven’t looked back since. I’m in the best shape of my life now, and I haven’t had a significant panic attack in months. I’m also insanely lucky to say that my instructor just so happens to be a Clinical Psychologist.
Mental illness SUCKS, but it feels so great to say I finally found a tool against my anxiety & depression.
8. The first thing BJJ did for my mental health is helping me to learn how to cope with my claustrophobia.
Far more inportant is that it helps me to deal with my depressions. Rolling with my fellow superheavyweights has become my meditation.
If another 250lbs guy has his knee on my solar plexus, looking to break my limbs, tear my tendons and choke me unconcious, I am forced to stay right there in the moment and I don’t think about what was or what might be, but just what is.
Afterwards I always feel like somebody pushed the reboot button on my brain and I have a fresh OS to work with.
9. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder 2 years ago this month. Over those 2 years nothing helped. Lithium, therapy, marijuana helped at times but I would quickly fall back into depressive or manic episodes. I have been off medication since October 2015 and have been OK. Since starting Jiu Jitsu 3 weeks ago I can say my head is extremely clear and I know how to cope with the stress , anxiety and depression much better. Is it a cure? No, I will always have this disorder but its a step in the right direction for me.
10. When I started jiu jitsu I had a drinking problem, I hated my job, and was pretty depressed. I know jiu jitsu contributed a lot to changing my state of mind. It puts a lot of things into perspective, and gives you an axis point for your thinking. I’ve definitely become a more positive person, I have a job now that I can tolerate, and I’ll still have an occasional drink, but it’s not the four glasses of rye whiskey every night that it once was.