WHAT WE TREAT

Elite Athlete Support

At Paracelsus Recovery, we understand that being a pro athlete brings with it many challenges, whether you’re recently retired, approaching retirement or at the top of your game. Our multidisciplinary treatment programmes prioritise your health, helping you transition into life effectively and with ease after your career.

How we can help you

Data shows that over 45% of former elite athletes struggle with depression, anxiety or substance abuse issues after retirement. Athletes are not necessarily more prone to mental health issues than the general population. However, the high-pressure and demanding nature of competitive sports can contribute to stress, anxiety and depression. Athletes may also face unique challenges related to injury, performance and identity that can impact their mental health.

For instance, a sudden injury or the onset of chronic pain, especially at the peak of a career, can have a devastating impact on our mental health. The uncertainty of recovery, the fear of losing the ability to perform at the highest level, and the possibility of an early end to a lifelong passion can create immense psychological strain. For many, competing through pain or being sidelined indefinitely brings a loss of identity, purpose, and stability, leading to feelings of isolation, frustration, and even hopelessness. These are difficult emotions to process and often set the stage for mental health issues.

At Paracelsus Recovery, we want to help you either make that transition and/or manage these emotional ‘setbacks.’ By focussing on restoring and optimising physical, emotional, mental and cellular health, our unique programmes support both present and former elite athletes to overcome various mental health and addiction issues and safeguard their health for years to come.

Our team of world-class medical sports-medicine specialists can also help you recover from physical health issues, whether it’s managing chronic pain, healing from injuries, or addressing the long-term effects of physical strain. By integrating cutting-edge medical care with holistic therapies, we ensure that your body heals alongside your mind.

There are many interrelated factors that impact mental health; it always depends on the individual’s unique genetics, background and personality. However, in our experience, common mental health issues include:

Dependencies:

The pressure to perform: The immense pressure put on pro athletes to perform in an almost superhuman manner causes many of them to push their bodies to their limits. Combine that with the normalisation of performance-enhancing drugs, and you find people feeling like they need to do or take anything so long as they can perform.

Exercise dependence: High-achieving athletes are more than 30% more likely to meet the criteria for exercise dependence. As a result, we often see athletes develop chronic and severe substance abuse issues in their retirement as a replacement for that original exercise addiction, particularly in the case of early retirement.

Opioid dependency: Usually, the individual starts taking over-the-counter painkillers for a relatively minor health issue. However, because of that pressure to keep going and training, they cannot give their bodies enough time to heal. As a result, the issue worsens and becomes chronic, requiring stronger prescription medication. At this point, a dependency can start to form. This is compounded by the anxiety that comes with regular drug tests, career risks, worsened health and the feeling that they cannot perform without the substance. As a result, opioid dependency is a common issue amongst pro athletes.

Mental health conditions:

Eating disorders, anxiety and burnout: Studies show that eating disorders, anxiety and burnout are far more common in pro sports than most people think. These issues are not only highly co-occurring with substance abuse; our lack of understanding about their pervasiveness can worsen the problem.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): ADHD is very common among athletes, yet it remains relatively unknown and undiagnosed. An estimated 8-10% of all pro athletes have ADHD, compared to 4% of the general population.

Identity crisis in retirement:

Navigating retirement: Studies show that 45% of pro athletes will struggle with mental health issues once they retire, while another 50% will feel like they’ve lost control of their lives. Many underlying factors are at play, ranging from chronic stress, burnout, health issues brought on during one’s career (e.g., chronic pain) and the loss of purpose and identity.

Identity foreclosure: In our experience, pro-athletes are extra-vulnerable to a phenomenon known as ‘identity foreclosure’ once they retire. This refers to athletes typically having to commit to their profession in early adolescence, and then going on to live in a highly stressful environment for the next 20 years, where everything in their life is focused on this one part of their identity. As they climb the ladder, they will also become accustomed to a certain level of success, notoriety and purpose that will go through a shift when they reach retirement.

Through our combination of medical, psychological and personal care, we are proud to be the only clinic in the world that addresses co-occurring conditions and every possible root-cause of mental health issues and addictions.

bespoke treatment

How we help elite athletes

We can’t predict exactly what your four-week stay will involve, as every treatment plan is individually tailored to your specific needs. Whether you’re managing a physical injury, struggling with the transition into retirement, facing performance anxiety, burnout, or the immense mental strain of elite competition, our bespoke approach is designed to support you at every stage of your recovery.

At Paracelsus Recovery, we specialise in a 360° approach to athlete health. While we provide world-class mental health care, resilience training, and emotional support, we also address the physical aspects comprehensively. Our treatment is backed by functional medicine and nutrition, which can have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, alongside expert-led pain management and rehabilitation.

Our in-house specialists, including Dr. Anna Erat, a leading sports medicine expert, work closely with neurologists, orthopaedists, physiotherapists, and pain specialists to ensure that your body heals alongside your mind. Whether you need support recovering from an injury, optimising physical resilience, or managing chronic pain, we provide a fully integrated approach to keep you performing at your best, both physically and mentally.

See below for more details.

Our approach considers the whole person: mind, body and soul

For professional athletes, we take a comprehensive 360-degree approach to treatment that goes beyond recovery and focuses on supporting your overall well-being as you transition out of competition. Our programme combines biochemical restoration, intensive therapy, and complementary therapies tailored to the unique demands and pressures faced by athletes. We understand that the challenges you face aren’t just physical but also deeply emotional and psychological, both during your career and as you move into retirement.

Each treatment plan begins with thorough and personalised testing to assess your physical health, mental state, and any underlying factors that could be impacting your well-being. We provide a holistic approach that integrates cutting-edge medical treatments to restore biochemical balance, alongside intensive psychotherapy to help you manage stress, anxiety, and the emotional toll of retirement. Complementary therapies, such as mindfulness training, nutrition coaching, and sleep management, are also part of the comprehensive support we offer.

Our goal is not only to help you recover physically but also to ensure you have the emotional balance, mental clarity, and resilience needed to thrive in the next phase of your life, whether that’s in a new career, personal pursuits, or simply finding a sense of peace and purpose after the intensity of professional sport.

our approach

Serene wellness environment for elite athlete recovery

Personalised treatment support for professional athletes

Clinical treatment programme for athlete mental health

Luxury recovery environment at Paracelsus Recovery

15+ team members, all dedicated to your health and well-being

During your stay at our treatment facility, a team of 15+ experts will be dedicated solely to you and your health. This includes a personal psychiatrist, medical doctor, client relations team, and a live-in therapist who will be available for emotional support and therapeutic assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Meet the t eam

Comprehensive programmes as unique as you are

We tailor our comprehensive and intensive treatment programmes to meet your needs. What all of our programmes have in common is that they are steeped in our core values of pragmatism and empathy.

We can provide mental health and addiction treatment for elite athletes at our discrete athlete support clinic in Zurich.

Four-week residential treatment

Seven-day executive detox