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https://headsupguys.org/22-male-athletes-speaking-depression/

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Fame and fortune don't make you immune to depression. Like cancer, diabetes, or other health problems, depression can happen to anyone. Though rarely talked about in the world of sports, professional athletes are now sharing their stories of battling depression, shining a light on a prevalent and important health issue in sports and beyond.

Asking for help with anything can be difficult, the good news is that help is available. Learn how to reach out or support a friend.

For more information and resources for athletes on mental health, check out UBCAthletesHub.ca.

1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

"I found that with depression one of the most important things you could realize is that you're not alone. You're not the first to go through it... I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and [say], 'Hey, it's going to be okay.'"

Actor, producer and professional wrestler, US
One of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time
"How a Bout of Depression Led to Dwayne Johnson's Career Defining Moment" (Video)

2. Terry Bradshaw

"I thought maybe I could help people with awareness, help men get the strength and courage... I have run into people who have made fun of me, some of my colleagues. I've had people try to make light of it. Depression is not something you make light of. It's serious."

NFL quarterback and sports announcer 4x Super Bowl Champion, 2x Super Bowl MVP
"Depression-awareness campaign aids Bradshaw too"

3. Joey Votto

"I'm seeing a couple of doctors and speaking to people and letting people know what I'm dealing with, how difficult the grieving process is."
(On depression after the sudden passing of his father)
MLB first basemen, CanadaNational League MVP, Canadian Athlete of the Year

"Joey Votto Makes His Personal Demons Public"
4. Ian Thorpe
"Talking and trusting close friends continues to help. So that's the why I am sharing this, because if anybody reads what I have written and it strikes a chord, I hope it encourages them - encourages you - to talk to someone." Middle-distance runner, UKQualified for 1500m finals in Beijing 2008 Olympics

"Depression: sharing my story" "We're out of our comfort zones with depression. I certainly was and whenever I have bad days now I speak to someone to get it off my chest. I have no shame telling that and that's why I'm here today."
"It's like a weight is pressing down on you. There are days when you just can't get out of bed. You cannot face the world. You tell yourself simple things like: 'Just get to the kitchen and get a glass of water.' But not being able to do something so basic is frightening."

5. Andy Baddeley
"Getting help [for depression], for someone like me who saw getting help as a weakness, was a big step. I did an awareness campaign and that first step was really difficult for me. I thought people were going to think I was mad."
6. Ricky Hatton

Multiple world titles at light-welterweight, one at welterweight
"Ricky Hatton: 'I tried to kill myself several times'"
"I wasn't doing the things that I should have been doing to maintain my mental well-being and once you start getting into a spiral of secrecy and masking your emotions and running away then it is exactly that; you spiral down and it's incredibly difficult to stop." Professional footballer, defender, UKFormer Chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association

"Clarke Carlisle on Depression" "But that fall, when the new season started, I went through the same dark cycle that I witnessed firsthand with Monty [friend and teammate who died by suicide]. I went in with my eyes completely open, but I just couldn't stop it. I started isolating myself. I felt like I didn't have a purpose. I fell into a deep and dark depression."
7. John Kirwan
"But once I got through it, I had some techniques. Set little goals for yourself and build from the positives. Little things like get up, eat breakfast, go to this class, start a book, go shopping for something, as small as those things seem, when it was at its worst point you don't even think of doing stuff like that. But once I got things turned around, it kind of started rolling on its own and it kind of had a snowball effect but in a positive way."
Rugby union coach and player, New Zealand
One of the highest try scorers in international rugby union history
"Depression: Top sports stars not immune"
"This is the biggest fight of my life ... I could put all my opponents in one ring and battle all of them, but this monster is going to be the toughest fight of my life."
8. Clarke Carlisle

9. Dan Carcillo
"I want to be the most confident, strong person I can be for my son but at some point I might falter and that's fine. Men must realize there's no shame in feeling vulnerable or putting yourself out there because everyone's going to be vulnerable at some point."
10. Greg Stiemsma

11. Oscar de la Hoya
"Knowing that there are people that will face the struggle with me is why I get up and get moving. I have to make the first step; no one can do it for me."
Professional boxer, Mexico/US
10x world titles in six different weight classes
"Depression, Addiction a One-Two Punch for Oscar de la Hoya"

12. Shea Emry
"I know I had the alcohol issues in the past, but you come to realize it's a lot deeper than that. It's depression and anxiety issues. I had to attack the way I was thinking. I re-trained my brain by being around Mairin and getting help. The foggy feeling I always had is now lifted."
Professional Canadian Football Player, Canada
All-star and 2x Grey Cup Champion, Founder and CEO of WellMen Project
"Argos linebacker Shea Emry tackling his depression head-on"
"I want to open that door for guys... It's hard for people in my field to respect mental health. We say that the game is 90 percent mental, but yet mental health doesn't get the respect of, like, an ACL [knee injury]." NBA power forward, US
15th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft
"The Battle Within Larry Sanders"
13. Andrew Jensen
"I remember sitting in my room for four or five days not wanting to be alive, not talking to anybody. That was a struggle for me ... I reached that point where I finally realized I couldn't do it alone"
Professional Golfer, CanadaAmbassador for the Bell Let's Talk campaign on mental health

"How I Manage the Darkness Of Depression as a Pro Athlete"
"I spent three months in the outpatient program at McLean, and in my time there, I learned the tools and skills to help me cope with my emotions. I learned different meditation techniques, and I spoke with doctors and counselors about what I was feeling to get a better understanding of where my emotions were coming from and how I could most effectively react and respond to them....Those three months changed my life."
14. David Freese

15. Larry Sanders
"A lot of people have to accept that psychological and physical injuries are at the same level of intensity. They can do the same level of damage to somebody's self confidence and their ability to perform." Sailor, CanadaRepresented Canada in 2008 Olympics

"Ex-Olympian spirals into depression, calls for more mental health education in sports"

16. Michael Phelps
"Being sectioned [receiving hospital inpatient mental health support] was the best thing that ever happened to me. Getting put in hospital meant I could stop, get myself sorted and come back stronger." (On depression and bipolar disorder)WBC World Heavyweight Champion

"'Depressed' Frank Bruno back in hospital after devastating relapse in fight against bipolar disorder"
17. Brandon Marshall

(On borderline personality disorder (BPD) and depression)
NFL wide receiver, US
6x All Star and Co-founder ofProject 375
"The Players' Tribune: The Stigma"

18. Oliver Bone
"I don't think you should keep it [depression] quiet... I'm not embarrassed or ashamed about what happened. I view it as an injury. If I'd have pulled a thigh muscle, it wouldn't even be a question."
19. Frank Bruno
"It's something I've struggled with for a very long time and have been quiet about. I had this sense beforehand that a lot of people have struggled with similar things, but I didn't quite understand the extent. I think it's really a very common thing especially amongst runners and maybe even more so with ultrarunners. "
20. Jack Green

"I know talking about mental health problems is a difficult subject matter to many people, but I hope me being honest about my illness offers others some support and helps people realize they are not alone."

21. Michael Yardy

22. Rob Krar

Ultrarunner, Canada
UltraRunning magazine, Male Ultrarunner of the Year (2013)
"Rob Krar Pre-2014 TNF EC 50 Mile Interview"
"Rob Krar on Depression" (Video)

For more information and resources for athletes on mental health, check out UBCAthletesHub.ca.

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22 Male Athletes Speaking Out about Depression | HeadsUpGuys

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Fame and fortune don't make you immune to depression. Like cancer, diabetes, or other health problems, depression can happen to anyone. Though rarely talked about in the world of sports, professional athletes are now sharing their stories of battling depression, shining a light on a prevalent and important health issue in sports and beyond.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyolson/2022/12/06/mind-reading-michael-phelps-on-the-watershed-article-about-his-mental-health-that-inspired-a-new-nft-series/amp/

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Mind Reading: Michael Phelps On The Watershed Article About His Mental Health That Inspired A New NFT Series

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It’s been 7 years since Michael Phelps publicly acknowledged the debilitating mental health issues that plagued his legendary career as a swimmer. Phelps revisits the Sports Illustrated cover story and shares why mental health is at the center of the new NFT collection he and SI are releasing.

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https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/05/joe-marler-rugby-union-i-was-in-denial-there-was-anything-wrong-with-me

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Joe Marler at home in East Sussex: 'I'm no mental health expert but I feel a lot better talking about it.' Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

On a hushed morning in East Sussex, Joe Marler looks around the kitchen which he smashed up in misery 18 months ago. Marler is one of the most engaging men in rugby but in March 2019, eight months before he played on anti-depressants in the World Cup final, the England prop succumbed to the darkness he had struggled with for years. Even his wife, Daisy, had no idea Marler was so depressed he often cried while driving to training at Harlequins.

For two hours today Marler has been warm and engaging, whether mimicking my South African accent with deadly accuracy or telling me riotous anecdotes about the surreal world of a rugby dressing room. Now, as we reach the crux of his story, it becomes clear that his kitchen breakdown was the catalyst which led to the psychiatric help that transformed his life.
Rugby union
Daisy drifts in and out of the kitchen as we talk, with her and Marler's third and youngest child, Felix, propped on her hip. The easy rapport between her and Marler is a reminder that a minor argument between them was not the reason that their kitchen ended up wrecked 18 months ago. Daisy was angry that Marler had not swerved to try to miss a squirrel in the road after they had dropped their children off at school.

The squirrel escaped but Marler recalls that, because of the chemical imbalance in his brain, "I snapped. We got home and I just spiralled and lost control. I turned over the kitchen, punched in one of the doors. Then I got in the truck and drove off. I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing. But it was a massive turning point because it was the most ashamed I've ever been. I didn't recognise who I was any more. After 30 minutes I came back because I was running out on everything good in my life."

Marler tugs at his beard while he relives the upsetting memory. "Daisy was crying and I was worried she was scared," Marler recalls, "but we've spoken about it often since then. She says: 'I was never scared of you. I was just upset and wondering who you were and what you were doing.' She had no idea even during those times when she'd said: 'Any danger of you actually being here, when you're here?' I wasn't engaging because I was stuck in this fog. I didn't feel like I could tell her or anyone because I was in complete denial there was anything wrong with me. We didn't speak that night."
Eddie Jones names 12 uncapped players in England training squad
The next day Marler had to play for Harlequins against Saracens. "My hand was in agony so I texted the doc. When the doc saw me he said: '"How did you do this?' I said: 'Oh, I dropped a weight on it in the garage.' There was silence and then he went: 'Are Daisy and the kids all right?' I said: 'Yeah. Why?' He was like: 'You haven't dropped a weight on this.' I just melted. 'Fuck, how does he know?' I broke down and said: 'I don't know what's going on, mate. I feel awful. I'm a bad person.' He was like: 'Let's sort your hand out. We can use a jab to get you through the game. Then let's get you some help. We'll keep it confidential and get someone independent that doesn't know you.' I managed to get through the game."

How did he play? "I was bang average and after the game I cried my eyes out. The boys sat in the changing room, thinking: 'What do we do?' It goes back to that fake tough guy persona I'd built up. They were scared to come forward but my closer mates - Danny Care, Mike Brown, Chris Robshaw - eventually said: 'What's up, mate?' I was like: 'I'm fine. I'm fine.'"

Marler was the opposite of fine. He felt even worse than he had done in 2016 when, after another game against Saracens, he walked straight off the pitch, through the car park and got into his truck while still wearing his boots and sweat-soaked rugby kit. In his powerful new book, which is also very funny, Marler remembers crying all the way home.

Last year, he found the courage to speak to his wife. "I'd been worried about burdening Daisy because she's got enough shit on her plate. Daisy was like: 'As if it's a burden! That's the whole point of us being together - to support each other.'"
Dylan Hartley: 'Rugby normalises pain and injuries - it's the reality'
In the same way, there would be not much point to life without humour. "Fucking hell, we'd be crying 24 hours a day," Marler says dryly. "You'd get nothing done. Some of my friends have said: 'You've written this book, put in some funny rugby anecdotes, and then you've plonked in depression. Don't you think that's the wrong tone?' But why can't you laugh about depression? Why can't you use laughter as a tool to help cope?"

At first, he was dubious about talking to a psychiatrist. "Before I met him I thought I'd lie on a leopard-print bed and he'd be a German in glasses."

Marler has slipped into a German accent which sounds vaguely French. "He was half-French, half-German," he quips. "But it was just a nice room and the psychiatrist was called Humphrey. We sat in two chairs and chatted and he said: 'You're suffering with severe depression so we're going to treat you accordingly. I was like: 'Brilliant. We've got a plan.' Not knowing is the tough bit.

"He recommended that I go on antidepressants. I said: 'Humphrey, I don't need that. I want to be strong enough to fight this with my brain.' He's like: 'Joe, when you're ill, do you take antibiotics?' I said: 'Yeah.' So he said: "Antibiotics help fight the infection and then your body beats it. That's how you should look at the antidepressants. They're there as a chemical to help you whilst you're learning these different techniques and understanding more. He broke down Escitalopram, the drug I was on, and said: 'This is a cleaner drug with a smaller chance of side-effects. I was like: 'OK, we'll see how it goes.' I really was fine."

The England prop on the psychiatric help that transformed his life, and why Eddie Jones is the most supportive coach he has known

I didn't recognise who I was any more
Marler revels in memories of his World Cup experience in Japan and how the team decided to confront the New Zealand haka. Using a Cornish accent he gently ribs the reserve hooker, Luke Cowan-Dickie, who was more concerned with the precise spot where he was meant to stand when facing the All Blacks in a V rather than the World Cup semi-final itself.

More seriously, he describes Eddie Jones, as the most supportive coach he has known despite the Australian's abrasive reputation. He also captures the blunt way that Jones transformed England in 2016. "Eddie said: 'You are all fucking cowards mate, you're too scared, you're too fucking nice. You're almost too English, afraid to offend anyone, including your teammates.' If you're not prepared to turn round in training to Jamie George and say: 'Mate that throw wasn't good enough', you'll never make progress. He shook the niceties out of us and showed us you can still be a tight-knit group, and unbelievable friends, but also with the ability to give and receive feedback that's going to improve you and the team."
Henry Slade: 'There was never any thought I wouldn't keep playing with diabetes'
Marler still laments how England lost the final, when their scrum was obliterated by the Springboks. In the warm-up, Marler felt the mood dip inexplicably. "But there've been many warm-ups for club and country that have been dog shit and we've gone and played unbelievably. It is so hard to put a finger on but we did not lose the World Cup final because, as Clive Woodward mentioned, me and Dan Cole had a laugh in a press conference before it. He said it was the wrong tone. But we had that tone when we beat New Zealand. That was how we worked as a team and enjoyed ourselves."

Was the early loss of a concussed Kyle Sinckler from the England front row a factor? "Kyle was in great form but Matt Proudfoot thinks differently."

Proudfoot was the Springbok scrum coach whom Jones has now enticed to work for England. Marler slips into a South African accent again. "He was like: 'Honestly mate, it wouldn't have mattered if Sinckler stayed on. We had this plan with the Beast [the Springbok prop Tendai Mtawaria] against Sinckler. The look the Beast had in his eyes that day, no one could've stopped him.' I still resent and dislike Matt intensely."

Marler laughs. "No, we get on really well. But I text him twice a week saying I'll never forgive you. I came on in the second half and I was up against Vincent Koch as they brought on their bomb squad, their more disruptive scrummagers. At my first scrum, we shoved them backwards and the referee penalised us. The damage had been done because our scrum had conceded five penalties and perception was everything. Our energy was sapped.

Joe Marler, with his hand wrapped, is tackled by Schalk Burger of Saracens in March 2019. Photograph: Henry Browne/Getty Images

"If I was just a fan I would've been surprised that the scrum can have such an impact. For years people have said get rid of the scrum. But that's why rugby is so unique. You can win a World Cup on the back of having the best scrum in the world."

The 30-year-old, who has 66 Test caps, has his leg in a brace. "I've got an injury called Morel- Lavallée. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? But it's weird one where a muscle floods the kneecap with fluid. Last Saturday they drained it, shoved in loads of glue and stitched it. I asked where they got the glue and they were like: 'It's not your local B&Q, mate.' They say it could take five weeks but I'll be fit when I'm fit. I'm long enough in the tooth for Eddie to know what I can and can't do. If you need me, you need me. If you don't, you don't. I'm at peace with that."

Marler also seems serene about his mental health. "I came back from the World Cup and said: 'I'm fixed! Hallelujah!' So I stopped taking the tablets and nosedived straightaway. After two weeks of spinning out, hitting a low again, I saw Humphrey. I went back on the antidepressants and, lo and behold, started to improve. It's been helpful to accept you can still do your job on antidepressants."
Will Carling: 'I didn't open the curtains for a year, I was so battered'
Does he worry about slipping back into depression? "There's always that danger, but I'm far more equipped to deal with it. I'm far more educated from both a biological and emotional point of view. I'm no mental health expert but I feel a lot better talking about it. Let's just talk about it more and, please, take the piss out of me more. That will help me move forward."

Marler is already moving forward as, in-between phoning a local garage to help replace my car's flat tyre, he describes reading his book for the audio version. "I did all the accents," he says before offering a detailed impression of each one. The kitchen rocks with laughter.

"It's a happy place again," Marler says, looking around the room he wrecked. "And you know mate, I've enjoyed today because I like engaging with people. I like talking and I like laughing."
Loose Head by Joe Marler is published by Ebury
Joe Marler and Billy Vunipola, dejected after England's Rugby World Cup 2019 final defeat against South Africa. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Joe Marler: 'I was in complete denial there was anything wrong with me'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On a hushed morning in East Sussex, Joe Marler looks around the kitchen which he smashed up in misery 18 months ago. Marler is one of the most engaging men in rugby but in March 2019, eight months before he played on anti-depressants in the World Cup final, the England prop succumbed to the darkness he had struggled with for years.

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Paul Gascoigne health: Football star on near-fatal health battles

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PAUL GASCOIGNE better known by his nickname “Gazza” is the former English professional footballer, who was once recognised as the most “naturally talented” footballer of his generation. However, off the pitch, Gascoigne has faced many health demons.