SEATTLE — The Mariners are gearing up for game five in the ALCS with the first pitch at 3:08 p.m. Friday.
They’re currently tied 2-2 with the Toronto Blue Jays; whoever wins the best-of-seven games will move on to the World Series.
Mental health professionals say such an intense season can be tough on fans’ emotions.
Mental Health Counselor Katherine Fort said it’s important to focus on keeping down anxiety when it comes to sports games.
This week, the Mariners fan experience really seems to be summed up as high highs and low lows.
Doctors say there are ways to make sure what happens on the field doesn’t impact your mental health too much.
Fans say even with the tough losses, they still have hope.
“I think they’re going to do it, this is the year,” one fan said.
“Just kind of sad, but we are going to get them back tomorrow,” another fan said.
Fort says some people could be counting on a Mariner’s win to boost a bad day, but when they lose, it creates a deeper issue.
“Especially the last couple of days where people maybe had an expectation of it going a certain way,” Fort said.
She tells us watching the games with other people is a healthier way to cope with the stress of being down points.
“When people are feeling down or depressed, isolation is a big part of that, any chance to join into something is really a great thing,” Fort said.
Although they’re leaving T-Mobile Park sad the last two nights, fans tell us they are ready for a rally.
“The Mariners are going to win the series. I was a little afraid, but the Mariners are going to win the series. It was a rough night, a rough night, we are allowed one,” one woman said.
Fort tells us, even as a diehard Mariner’s fan herself, it’s important to remember it’s all truly just a game.
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