Athletes and Depression
Recently, John Wall of the LA Clippers considered taking his life when he was dealing with a torn Achilles and the deaths of his mother and grandmother. He felt hopeless and depressed. But Wall is not alone in his feelings. Many athletes have these ups and downs, and they survive because of their friends, family members, and colleagues who can relate to their experiences. After the 2018 Olympic games, Chloe Kim returned home and threw her gold medal into the trash bin. In 2011, Serena Williams revealed that she had been battling depression since winning Wimbledon. “I cried all the time and was miserable to be around.” Despite their extraordinary physical accomplishments, these athletes face incredible and increasing mental challenges.
For Chloe Kim, you’d think she would be ecstatic, but she felt the complete opposite. “I hated life. I just wanted a day where I could be left alone.” Ex-NFL star Ricky Williams is proof that fame doesn’t dissolve depression. “I was 23, a millionaire and had everything, yet I was never more unhappy in my life. I felt extremely isolated from my friends and family because I couldn’t explain to them what I was feeling. I had no idea what was wrong with me.”
Simone Biles withdrawal from the gymnastics finals had a major impact on Kim. She says Biles’ decision to withdraw from competition in Tokyo rather than risk injury was a source of strength for her and other athletes. Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Amanda Beard opened about her battles with depression in her 2012 memoir “In the water they can’t see you cry,” revealing that she self-harmed as a way of coping, and struggled with anorexia, bulimia, and drug abuse. “Know that you’re not alone, there are millions of people across the nation and the world who are experiencing the same things that you are,” Beard said.
And finally, after two devastating defeats in the ring, WWE fighter and former UFC champion Ronda Rousey suffered from depression and contemplated suicide. “I did a whole lot of crying, isolating myself,” she said in a 2018 interview with The Guardian, adding that her husband Travis Browne helped her through a period of depression that lasted two years. Rousey’s advice is that “Time is a great teacher,” and she relies on the belief that “time passes, even bad times.”
Chloe Kim: On Her Own Terms
https://time.com/6140099/chloe-kim-2022-olympics-snowboarder/
NBA All-Star John Wall considered suicide after injury and mother’s death
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That was a very great article and it was very detail and it opened up a lot about depression and suicidal thoughts and no one is immune to it. Thanks for sharing
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