Nathan Aspinall candid about ongoing battle with dartitis: "It’s the equivalent of a panic attack on stage"

Nathan Aspinall has opened up about his ongoing struggle with dartitis, a mental condition that can seriously affect throwing darts. Despite these problems, "The Asp" has had strong performances this year, with quarterfinal finishes at both the PDC World Darts Championship and Winmau World Masters.

To help overcome his dartitis, Aspinall works with a hypnotherapist twice a week. In the podcast Tops & Tales with Huw Ware, the current No. 11 in the world opened up about how the condition affects his game and what steps he is taking to combat it.

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Aspinall recalls a Premier League Darts match against Peter Wright in which he gave up a 4-0 lead and eventually lost 6-4. “I just completely capitulated, couldn’t throw my darts. But I’m handling it really, really well today. I’m working with a hypnotherapy gentleman called Chris O’Connor twice a week to try and get rid of it," he says. “And it is making a hell of a difference in three months. It’s unbelievable. The way that he explains it is, when I’m on that stage about to throw it, I’m having a panic attack. So that is the equivalent of a panic attack on stage. You’re that scared. Your heart’s going like that. You don’t want to miss. And then all of a sudden, you’re like, I can’t throw it.”

The two-time Major winner admits that the condition is misunderstood by some and that he even receives criticism as a result. "You imagine every time I’m stopping on the oche here. And this is why another reason I come out, because you get abused about, ‘Oh, he’s got dartitis. Don’t put him in anything, right?’" Aspinall explains.

Aspinall describes how overwhelming the condition can be during a match. “You imagine having, say, in a game of darts, and it happens 20 times. In fact, I’ve had 20 panic attacks in the space of 20 minutes. It’s horrific. Once it starts, it starts. There’s nothing you can do.”

To deal with the pressure, Aspinall has developed several strategies. “It’s the reason why when I walk to the oche, I kind of put my foot on the top of the oche, roll forward and then step back. So it gives me that one more second to try and calm myself down," he reveals. “A lot of the time I stand at the back now, give myself two or three seconds on important shots. It’s about keeping yourself calm and breathing, not panicking. Like I say, not panicking. You know, it’s easier said than done. People say, ‘Don’t panic.’”

Despite the challenges, the former UK Open champion remains optimistic about the future. “I’m working hard on it, but it is absolutely horrific. And I think I’m near the end of it," concludes the Asp. “A lot of it comes as well from the pressure, like I say, the social media side of things.”

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