Michael Phelps vs. Depression and Anxiety

Mental health has always been a struggle amongst people. It is a serious topic that is talked about repeatedly. On the contrary, the mental health issues within men, indicatively depression, are not as widely covered. As serious of a topic as it is, it gets talked about more with women since they are candid about it. Men fear talking about the issue because they will be seen as weak and get told to; man up instead of getting the help they truly need. Studies show that men are more successful when it comes to suicide (Gebbia, 2020), yet, they get overlooked when they try to discuss their struggles with mental health. Specifically, this paper will analyze how Michael Phelps overcame his depression. Michael Phelps is a notorious Olympic athlete in America. Something many people may not know is how he battled depression and managed to be as successful as he is today. Phelps is seen as an inspiration too many and proves to everyone that conquering depression is doable.

When we hear the name Michael Phelps our initial thought is not do you mean the guy that fought through depression? Instead, we say do you mean the Olympic swimmer? We are so quick to identify someone by their accomplishments and unknowingly aid in overlooking their toils. By the age of 31, Phelps collected a total of 28 medals as an Olympic swimmer. Out of the 28 achieved medals: 23 were gold, 3 were silver, and only 2 were bronze. These numbers may seem minuscule, but they are the exact opposite. His accomplishments are so incredible it has become unlikely anyone will top him, at least not anytime soon. Over the years, millions of people have watched Phelps swim and even cheered him on. With every win, Phelps gave the biggest smile and was abundantly overjoyed. As an outsider looking in, we viewed Phelps as an extraordinary being who was skillful in his craft. Many people did not stop and wonder if he was struggling in any way, shape, or form. Nobody cared until Phelps chose to speak out about these issues.

In the face of, depression Phelps; has managed to break records for years on end. Athletes, like many celebrities, tend to put on a façade to the public. Celebrities and athletes get pressurized to believe they must conceal their problems. This very reason is what made Phelps shroud his depression and anxiety. In an interview, Phelps stated, “As an athlete, I learned that we're supposed to be these big macho people that don't have any problems, and we're not supposed to show weakness, but that's so wrong. I'm so thankful that I can ask for help now,” (Gordon, 2018) he elucidated. Phelps has always been in the spotlight and never had the chance to fully delve into his emotions and figure out who he was. In 2012, after the Olympics, the decorated swimmer did not want to be alive anymore. Shortly after, in 2014, Phelps was apprehended for his second DUI, and he was banned for six months by USA Swimming. He was so down, and he would not come out of his room for four days (Rhinehart, 2018). Phelps struggled with suicidal thoughts and anxiety. Then one day decided to open up he; checked into The Meadow, an addiction and trauma treatment center, which went on to change his life forever.

In an attempt to encourage others to seek out therapy Phelps quickly became the face of Talkspace, an online therapy program. Their mission is too: provide more people with easy access to professional therapists that can in turn, help those in need to live a happier and healthier life (Talkspace, 2012). “I didn’t want to see a therapist in the beginning, but once I did I found that I felt better and I was healthier, I was learning so much more about myself that I didn’t know,” (Holmes, 2018), Phelps explained. Unveiling these issues to the public helps eradicate the negative tones towards mental health issues and therapy. Most people that suffer from mental health issues such as; depression and anxiety are ashamed of them; Phelps wants to get rid of that stereotypical feeling. His success has often masked his endeavors painting him to be a perfect man, not in need of therapy which, is far from the truth.

Along with depression, Phelps had to quell anxiety. To some peoples, surprise anxiety and depression tend to go hand-in-hand with one another. These two issues are closely linked to many people, like Michael Phelps, who live with both conditions. “There are times when I struggle with identity because, for so many people, all they see me as is a swimmer,” he says of the passing judgments he receives. “Honestly, that’s when a lion breath does come into play.” (Robinson et al., 2018) A lion breath, as Phelps describes it to his son, is; when you inhale as deeply as if he were trying to suck all the oxygen out of the universe, then let out the breath in one extravagant exhale. As simple as a tactic, this may be Phelps reasoning for using it is much deeper than imagined. Similarly to the younger generations, Phelps grew up in an environment where he learned; to persistently push himself no matter what. Phelps goes on to explain, “Because my life was always go, go, go, go, on to the next thing,” he says, “I never had a chance to take a breath. So I don’t really know how to do it, I guess.” (Robinson et al., 2018).

Overall, it can be, said that depression and anxiety are not to be, taken lightly. These issues should be taken into substantial account no matter who the person is and how happy they may look. Michael Phelps is an idol too many due to his multitude of feats. Along with his medals, Phelps should be seen as an inspiration solely based on the fact that he did one of the toughest things to do: ask for help. He put his pride to the side and sought out help to better himself for the future. What Phelps has done is a breathtaking thing not many can do or even say they have done. These battles are everlasting and are not one and done; he fought past mental health and set an outstanding; precedent for future generations. Celebrities are humans and should be treated; as such. Phelps realized that and is now a mental health advocate for the masses. He has done phenomenal; things and will continue to shock the world regardless of mental health issues that have accumulated over the years for him.

References:

Gebbia, R. (2020, July 29). Suicide statistics. https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/.

Gordon, S. (2018, October 30). Michael Phelps champions the fight against depression. Medical Xpress - medical research advances and health news. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-michael-phelps-champions-depression.html.

Holmes, L. (2018, August 17). Michael Phelps Opens Up About How Therapy Improved His Life. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/michael-phelps-therapy-depression_n_5b76d935e4b018b93e934214.

Rhinehart, R. (2018, August 27). MICHAEL PHELPS SPEAKS OUT ABOUT DEPRESSION. Ignite Teen Treatment. https://igniteteentreatment.com/michael-phelps-speaks-depression/.

Robinson, K., Sullivan, K., Parch, L. A., Slade, M., & Treiman, S. (2018). Michael Phelps on How to Handle Stress: Everyday Health. EverydayHealth.com. https://www.everydayhealth.com/stress/michael-phelps-favorite-de-stress-technique-anyone-can-do-it/.

Talkspace, -. (2012). Frequently Asked Questions. Talkspace. https://help.talkspace.com/hc/en-us.