Professional Athletes Who Talk About Mental Illness
Mental Health Doesn't Discriminate: 10 Athletes Who Have Talked About Their Mental Illness
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Even the most decorated Olympian of all time struggles with his mental health. Phelps, 34, talks a great deal about using therapy, and in a Talkspace commercial, he specifies that he didn't want to be alive back in 2014. He had all of these accolades and, despite them, he spiraling.
The swimmer, who was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, told POPSUGAR in a 2019 interview that he never wanted to communicate with a therapist in the past. Eventually, though, he knew he needed to.
"I'm still here," Phelps said. "I'm still on this planet, so that's a major change in how [therapy] has impacted my life." Therapy not only has guided him out of suicidal thoughts, but has also helped him with anxiety and depression.
Phelps recently talked about how keeping a routine, getting a good amount of sleep, and going on walks are tools he uses to manage his mental health, too, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, he admitted, has been difficult for him, but he's pushing onward.