Michael Phelps Recalls First Time Opening Up About His Mental Health Issues Bottled Up Since His First Olympics Trip

Michael Phelps may come across as a poised individual out for glory, but his issues with his intrusive thoughts and depression is one veneer not many are privy to. There is a golden adage -“Celebrity is as celebrity does” and the natural corollary is that anyone who seems happy on the outside is deemed the same on the inside as well. Well, looks can be deceiving. Being a professional athlete, Phelps has even opened up a Pandora’s box of mental health issues and how one can overcome them, seeing as he was in the same boat. He reflected on the same from an interview.

He reflected on his long-winded journey, starting when he experienced a bout of “post-Olympic depression” in 2004 that turned into a recurring pattern, casting a pall of gloom on his shining career. Ahead of mental health awareness month this year, Phelps decided to once again discuss his ongoing battle with depression

Michael Phelps’ candid confrontation of the voices in his head

Michael Phelps recently had a special interview with Kristen Welker on NBC’s YouTube channel for a Meet the Moment segment. It was for the Mental Health Awareness Month before the 2024 Paris Olympics. For years, Michael Phelps felt embarrassed and reluctant to discuss his mental health issues. However, he opened up about his own struggles with depression, saying, “When I look back at when I opened up in 2014 after coming out of treatment, it happened for a reason right at the right time at the right place.”

He first decided to open up during 2014 when he was shooting a piece for Sports Illustrated. He said, “Whatever the reporter asked me that day”. Phelps continued, “I don’t remember what the question was. but I guess it just made me feel calm and safe and it allowed me to open up and just show I was, I think at that point forward, I’ve never looked back.” He has often talked about how raising awareness about mental health is much more powerful than winning an Olympic gold medal, as it has the potential to save a life. During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Phelps realized that all was not well. However, he decided to ignore it. Eventually, he became so depressed, he even contemplated suicide.

He even turned to take marijuana to cope with his worsening mental health and career demands and even receiving two DUIs at one point. He told NBC, “you know, I think for me, you know, you saw you saw somebody, you know, I think throughout my career I was put up as this American icon, this perfect poster boy of EVERYTHING,” he added, “But I’m human.” This realization helped him open up despite the strong stigma around depression in the sports world. With his candor, he has become more than an inspiring athlete. People around the world look up to him as a beacon of hope. 

Active initiatives and advocacy efforts for championing mental health

Michael Phelps had emphasized on the importance of people confronting their physiological struggles, saying, it’s “OK to not be OK.” He has set an example for athletes to focus on their mental health, even inspiring Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles to open up about their own stories. He even appeared on his “mental health buddy” and NFL journalist, Jay Glazer’s podcast “Unbreakable” to share his experiences and his invaluable insight. He said, “I was prescribed Ambien from three different doctors monthly. I was happy I only had three pills left. It was the night of my DUI, my second one. I was like, ‘I’m just gonna take the rest of these and I hope I don’t wake up.’”

After waking up, he isolated himself for three days, refusing to interact or eat/drink. Phelps says he craved to change his life then, “​I was just like, f**k this, I gotta change. How can I change? At that very moment, like yeah, I could have been snapped in half, but that’s not who I am.” Michael Phelps expressed his belief that everything happens for a reason and that such moments are placed in our lives as challenges. He further added, “And I think that’s the proudest thing that I could ever look at.” These are moments that, according to him, gave him the opportunity to be who he is today. 

He has even set up a Michael Phelps foundation to guide young people through their mental health journeys. The foundation’s mental health initiative, “Open Up”  aims to save lives and help build healthier families. It provides emotional health education, allowing children to build mental strength. Phelps is also a big champion of therapy even if it is “scary as hell” and communicating emotions in a healthy way. He said in an interview, “We can’t do this by ourselves. We need help from everyone.” His foundation has also created “Raising Resilient Kids” which is a video series that helps parents tackle social and emotional needs of their children. He placed great importance on people not ignoring their mental health concerns and to face up to “hard stuff” they have gone through. So that they can begin to heal from it just as Phelps has.