When you think of Olympic gold medalists, you think of success--and with that, happiness.
A lifestyle of victories and workouts--endorphins flooding and fresh air--coupled with exotic travel. It sounds great.
But is it?

In a recent study of elite athletes, German researchers found that 15 percent suffered from depression. Pros who reported higher levels of stress and self-pity scored even higher on a depression test.
Surprised? Consider Steven Holcomb, driver for the U.S. bobsled team: Near the start of his career, Holcomb developed serious vision issues. Despite not even being able distinguish someone's face, he drove the sled by feeling bumps and turns on the track. His four-man sled even placed sixth at the 2006 Olympics. But success only made keeping up the ruse harder: "I wanted to keep my vision issues a secret," he told MensHealth.com. "There was a lot of pressure because I'm the driver and, well, I couldn't drive. Bobsledding is an enormous part of my life." The pressure ultimately caused him to slip into a deep depression. He attempted suicide.
Lindsey Vonn--five-time world champion and arguably one of the best female skiers in American history--has also opened up about struggling with the disease after her Olympic debut in 2002. Her symptoms persisted even after a gold medal in 2010.
Why it happens
It's easy to think sports stars are immune to mood disorders: A study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that the higher you set your ambitions, the happier you'll be when you succeed. Plus, a slew of research shows that exercise helps alleviate depressive symptoms.
But using sweat as a prescription can make it harder when you stop moving. In fact, the high from exercise is comparable to that of drugs, a study from Tufts University found. An exercise hiatus--like the end to a two-week Olympic bender--can prompt anxiety and depression, the same study found.
Unique athletic stressors--like the external and internal pressure to succeed--may exacerbate a competitor's symptoms too, explains Chris Carr, Ph.D., of St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis. "Since so much of an athlete's identity is tied to sport and success, losing either can heighten their risk for clinical depression," explains Michelle Joshua, Ph.D., an approved sports psychologist by the US Olympic Committee.
What it means for you
The pros aren't the only ones who identify with their achievements: We can all become hyper-focused on work, family, hobbies, or athletic goals, and often unconsciously bank our happiness on success, Joshua explains.
Even if you're happily closing a chapter of your life--acheiving a PR in a race, moving on to a new job--make sure to always have another goal to set your sights on, Joshua advises. Make progress points along the road--like improving specific skills or impressing your boss at the big monthly meetings. "Goals that relate to the journey instead of the outcome can keep you accountable," says Carr. Plus, if you over-commit to one expectation and fail to meet it, it can seem like your world is crumbling. Achieving smaller benchmarks gives you a sense of success, he adds--even if the end goal doesn't turn out how you planned.