By Gemma Askham — 2021
Former professional athletes describe the unique experience.
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Michael Phelps, the most decorated athlete in Olympic history with 28 medals, has acknowledged that after the 2012 games, his longtime depression was so overwhelming he thought about killing himself.
Often, disabled people have their disability treated, but they don’t have their emotional or spiritual needs addressed.
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The mind-altering drug has been shown to help people suffering from anxiety and depression. But how it helps, who it will serve, and who will profit are open questions.
Look more closely and you’ll see.
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In the documentary “The Weight of Gold,” Phelps presents a stark picture of the mental wear and tear Olympians endure.
Osaka’s mental health challenges are nothing new in her isolating sport. What is new is the acceptance she’ll face—and the paths back—if she takes a prolonged break.
In the past few weeks, my journey took an unexpected path but one that has taught me so much and helped me grow. I learned a couple of key lessons.
Through the size of her platform, however, and her decision to choose well-being over pursuit of a Grand Slam title, Osaka offers the promise of bringing mental health awareness—both inside and outside of sports—to an entirely new level.
It is a common perception that athletes, by virtue of their athletic endeavors, are somehow immune to depression and other mood disorders. Though there is not enough research yet to definitively refute this belief, it is very likely that this is not true.
Experts I spoke with for this story pointed to a couple of reasons professional athletes are particularly susceptible to mental health issues.