For Immediate Release From The Guardian!
'Overwhelmed' Michael Phelps says Covid-19 has taken toll on his mental health
Olympic champion has been open about his depression Phelps says family and addressing emotions have been vital.
Michael Phelps has admitted that the Covid-19 pandemic is taking a toll on his mental health.
The 23-time Olympic swimming champion has spoken in the past about his struggles with depression and said that being under lockdown during the pandemic has been a struggle.
“The pandemic has been a challenge I never expected,” he told ESPN in an article published on Monday. “All the uncertainty. Being cooped up in a house. And the questions. So many questions. When is it going to end? What will life look like when this is over? Am I doing everything I can to be safe? Is my family safe? It drives me insane. I’m used to traveling, competing, meeting people. This is just craziness. My emotions are all over the place. I’m always on edge. I’m always defensive.”
Phelps said that he has argued with his wife during lockdown and has felt “worthless” at times. “This is the most overwhelmed I’ve ever felt in my life. That’s why I have times where I don’t want to be me. I wish I could just be ‘Johnny Johnson,’ some random person,” he said.
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He also said that the narrative about him admitting to his problems and then living a problem-free life was false.
“The thing is – and people who live with mental health issues all know this – it never goes away,” he said. “You have good days and bad. But there’s never a finish line. I’ve done so many interviews after [the 2016 Olympics] where the story was the same: Michael Phelps opened up about depression, went into a treatment program, won gold in his last Olympics and now is all better. I wish that were the truth.”
The 34-year-old said his wife, Nicole, and three children help him deal with his mental health. “There are moments, those times where I’m stuck in my own head, I don’t
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/may...
Posted By: agnes levine
Tuesday, May 19th 2020 at 6:35AM
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