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Kevin Painter, a former professional darts champion, has experienced dartitis, a mental condition whereby a player is unable to release a dart. Painter threw arrows almost daily for 40 years, taking home more than £900,000 in prize money throughout his career. “But earlier this year, he went to throw a dart and it physically would not leave his hand,” writes the BBC. He sought a cure for the condition, which has affected players of all levels and is triggered by anxiety and stress.
Players tend to view dartitis as a unique problem that requires special solutions, but professor of psychology at Middlesex University, Dr Linda Duffy, suggests it is merely another cognitive disorder. Duffy ranked as women’s world number one between 1982 and 1987 and has also experienced dartitis. She employs cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which challenges the player to overcome their condition’s effects. Duffy is unconvinced by hypnotherapy, despite it being the sole treatment offered as an option by the official hypnotherapy partner of the Professional Darts Players Association, Eccleston Park Hypnotherapy.
Jack Langston, a darts referee and online content creator, was similarly affected by dartitis at age 12. By the time he was 13, he had quit. Decades later, he made an impactful decision to play with his left hand, a modification that helped him overcome his disorder. This year, Langston was winning amateur tournaments just three months after the switch.
Painter has tried hypnotherapy to cure dartitis. He has improved by reducing his alcohol intake, said to be a common issue with dart players, but will continue treatment to ensure that the condition does not return. Painter remains upbeat, reflecting that such conversations as he has had with other sufferers would not have occurred if he had not fallen prey to the disorder
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