HOW MICHAEL PHELPS FOUGHT MENTAL ILLNESS A DECORATED OLYMPIAN’S HARDEST BATTLE: DEPRESSION
If you’re under pressure to be a great role model, it can be stressful to make mistakes — even for the world’s most decorated Olympian.
It’s no surprise that physical activity is part of Phelps’ self-care routine — but, truthfully, Phelps never expected to swim again after retiring. “Swimming is the one place where I can go and I can be myself, and I can let my mind escape.” As a parent, being a good role model is especially important. “My kids see my struggles — sometimes daily,” Phelps said. “I try to give them any tools I can to help them get through their big, strong emotions.”
In 2014, after Michael Phelps was charged for a DUI and suspended from USA Swimming for six months, he felt his world crashing down. It wasn’t his first DUI, either. It was his second, during a “very dark spot” in his life. He told People magazine, “It was the lowest point that I have been to so far — I felt like I didn’t want to be alive. At that moment, I felt like the best thing for me to do was just to end my life because I was causing other people so much pain — myself included.” This was before Phelps became a father to three sons. Although, if he had ended his life, he never would have met them.
Of course, you don’t need to be depressed to try talk therapy. It’s a great emotional management tool, and you won’t be struggling alone. You’ll be in good company.
“That’s when I really decided that I needed help,” he said.
Phelps checked into a treatment center — but even after leaving the center, he continued to see a therapist. “Therapy saved my life,” Phelps said. “It helped me feel comfortable in my own skin, to be my authentic self.” Today, Phelps has become a mental health advocate and now lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with his wife Nicole Johnson and their three young sons. As an ambassador for Talkspace, a virtual therapy service app, he speaks openly to the public about his battle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
Brittney’s Life No More Tears
How Surgery Changed
Technical recruiter Brittney is only 28, but she has experienced eye trouble most of her life. “Ever since I was little, my eyelashes on my lower eyelids grew upward,” she says. “They were always in my eye, but it didn’t initially cause any hurt or discomfort.” That changed a few years ago. “I started experiencing a lot of irritation and watery eyes. I was carrying tissues and eye drops with me everywhere.” Before long, she was also experiencing sensitivity to light. She decided to see a doctor, who diagnosed her with a lower eyelid entropion, a condition where the lower eyelid turns inward. Her eyelashes were causing scratches and other damage to the surface of her eye. “It scared me,” Brittney admits. But when she first visited Dr. Scott, Brittney had more than normal pre- surgery jitters. “I tend to have an overgrowth of scar tissue and get keloids where there’s trauma to my skin,” she explains. “But Dr. Scott made me feel very comfortable. He offered to do a test incision on my upper eyelid under the crease to see how my skin would react to the procedure.” When the experiment went well, they decided to proceed.
Unfortunately, Brittney faced other hurdles on her journey. “My insurance didn’t want to cover the procedure,” she remembers. “But Dr. Scott advocated for me to my insurance company, and they approved my surgery. He went above and beyond — he really cares.” As for her recovery, Brittney says, “I healed perfectly with no scars, and I feel like I look younger.” The change has impacted her even more than expected. “I could never wear makeup around my eyes because I was dabbing them every 10–15 minutes,” she says. “I didn’t think it was a big deal until I could do it! I’ve rediscovered my love for beauty, skincare, and makeup. My quality of life has improved so much, and I’m super grateful.” Now she wants to spread the word. “Dr. Scott told me he has done this procedure hundreds and hundreds of times, but it’s very rare that someone is so young when he performs it,” Brittney says. “But I know I’m not the only person in their 20s who could be suffering from this condition, and I hope I can bring some light to it. I never knew what it felt like to not be in constant pain or discomfort. The only thing I wish I did differently was to find Dr. Scott and his team sooner.”
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