Former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was at the height of success, but revealed that he, through the lows, has battled depression and thoughts of suicide.
Per Susan Scutti of msn.com, Phelps divulged his struggles with mental health issues at the Kennedy Forum conference in Chicago.
“Really, after every Olympics I think I fell into a major state of depression. I would say ’04 was probably the first depression spell I went through.”
Phelps went through seasons of depression and noted that the 2012 Olympics as his most difficult time.
I didn’t want to be in the sport anymore. I didn’t want to live anymore. I am extremely thankful that I did not take my life.
Michael Phelps often resorted to marijuana as a way to cope with the depression.
Michael Phelps is no different than everyone suffering from mental illness, depression and thoughts of suicide. If you or someone you love is suffering from depression, give us a call!
Thank you for posting this about Michael Phelps. For someone who had the swimming world at his feet, it was interesting to see that he struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, especially after every Olympics. For somebody who has exercised most of his life, this was interesting. I’m grateful he came forward to share this with the public. MM