“I Was Punishing Myself”: After Hitting ‘Rock Bottom’, 31 YO Bodybuilder Admits Taking Extreme Steps Before Achieving Success

No amount of hard work would ever pay off if an athlete is not in the right mindset. An equal build of the body and the mind is highly sought for attaining the greatest heights in any field. An athlete struggling with mental health issues, Mike Addison recently shared his journey to self-discovery and healing, in an interview with The Bolton News. 

The British athlete elucidated the ups and downs of his path to attaining success in the sport of bodybuilding. He admitted that the stress associated with it spiraled his mental health, leading up to him attempting suicide more than once. 

Mike Addison rose up from a dark place

According to the interview, the 31-year-old athlete recently championed the 2023 National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA) North West. However, only four years ago, he was struggling with crippling anxiety and stress, owing to the competitive aspects of the sport. The Stretford native, who moved to Bolton competed in 2019, after which he suffered acute depression. 

This resulted in him contemplating taking his own life multiple times. “I think the bodybuilding, it’s such a hard ordeal and my anxiety developed from the pressure it brings,” he spoke. He opened up on his battles, saying his mindset turned “negative” and “dismissive” because of his target of competing well on stage. 

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Addison further added in the interview, “I made five attempts on my life, but it was God’s will, he wants to keep me here for a reason…I was punishing myself. I got second place in the competition, you’d think that was an achievement, but when you’re not mentally well, you don’t have that sense of pride or accomplishment.” Fortunately, life eventually took a positive turn for the athlete after receiving therapy and consultation. 

How Mike Addison overcame it all

After disclosing that the champion could hardly go to sleep without popping in diazepam tablets, he knew he needed help, per sources. Moreover, juggling his job and training, with the stress of winning, brought him insomnia and anxiety. His personal relationships worsened, to the point where he was kicked out of his house. “Everyone didn’t know how to care for me,” he said. 

Finally hitting his back on the wall, Addison turned things around. He decided to speak to a therapist and address his mental health. “I’m now strong enough to approach people and ask them for advice…I’ve discovered a future, one in which I’m loved and cared for,” he said. For him, it’s the “willingness to talk” to people about his feelings, that helped him come out of the dark phase of his life. 

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Continuing his athletic escapade, Addison reached out to his former coach who guided him through while keeping his mental health vulnerability in mind. He has now qualified for the NABBA British Championships, to be held in Bradford today.