In a first-person narrative published as told to ESPN’s Wayne Drehs Monday, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps gives an unfiltered look behind-the-scenes of his mental health struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article is Phelps’ response to getting asked the question “How are you?” every day.
“But how often do we just say “fine” or “good” and move on?,” Phelps says. “How often do we actually admit the truth — to ourselves as well as others?”
“You want to know my truth? How am I doing? How am I handling quarantine and the global pandemic? Put it this way: I’m still breathing.”
Phelps then acknowledges that he’s lucky to not have to worry about paying rent or “putting food on the table,” but that he’s having a hard time nonetheless.
Next, he says he’s speaking out because he wants people to know they’re not alone, and that his mental health journey didn’t end when he won gold in his last Olympics, as some people might think. “I wish that were the truth. I wish it were that easy. But honestly — and I mean this in the nicest way possible — that’s just ignorant,” he says.
In terms of challenges unique to the current situation, Phelps says being “cooped up in the house” with “so many questions” is particularly hard given that he’s used to traveling and interacting with people. He says it’s the “most overwhelmed [he’s] ever felt in [his] life,” and has times that he wishes he was a “random person.”
Phelps details what his daily schedule has been like, and how if he misses a day of working out, it’s “a disaster.” He discusses how he recently had a big fight with his wife Nicole, but that letting out emotions was helpful, and that he’s learned to give himself a “timeout” if things are really bad.
Phelps goes on to discuss Talkspace, the online therapy program for which serves on the board, and why it’s important for individuals to open up and learn the “tricks” that work for themselves.
“There are a ton of people fighting the exact same thing,” Phelps says. “It doesn’t matter what you went through, where you’ve come from or what you want to be. Nothing can hold you back.”
Thank you Micheal Phelps, you are a hero, a role model for may kids next and next…. generation. I wish you can help more all new young age groups in the U.S how to swim and compete to win same as you. thanks
Did Boomer pee in the endless pool again?
How an Epidemic affected the mental health of a retired multi gold medallist who has a nice big home with a garden & a pool & lives in a temperate climate .
He’s not retired from promoting Talkspace.
Great article! Good to know there are others.
“I had a blow up with Nicole, my wife. It wasn’t good. But at the same time, I was able to let out all those pent-up emotions. Sometimes you need that.”
I appreciate him being transparent and vulnerable, but that is subtly abusive.
That is jumping to a conclusion that is unfair to Michael and his family. This is a difficult time for everyone in one way or another and using the term blow up doesn’t have to mean more than voicing frustrations.
Exactly. I read that quote to mean he may have cried or was finally emotional and let out his feelings. That’s actually very healing and healthy.
‘HAD a big fight’ is healing & healthy for you ? Ok . Nicole has 3 (?) young children to attend to . Perhaps without help during cv19. And HE is giving her a hard time . Sheesh .
Michael also has 3 young children to attend to, neither parent cares for the children alone because they both do. Fathers take as much of a parenting role as mothers.
His words ‘ cooped up in the house ‘ ‘ used to travelling & interacting with ppl ‘. NOT about getting to spend some extra time with the family .. Presumably Nicole is not a people .
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“Blow up” seems to connote more than just voicing frustrations. Letting out “pent-up emotions” seems to be more than voicing frustrations. If he’s simply voicing frustrations then why does he consider what he did a bad thing?
If you’re writing an article with the purpose of helping others in the realm of mental health it would be beneficial to include what reconciliation looked like. Instead, he later promotes a binge behavior in context to blowing up on his wife. That’s the opposite of helping one’s mental health.
Judgemental a bit?
Cut him some slack. He’s a novice at handling mental illness and trying his best. I think the best quote in his article was that with mental illness, “there’s no finish line.”
“Life is hard, can’t buy happiness no matter what you do
Can’t get to heaven on roller skates — can’t take a taxi cab to Timbuktu”
Timbuk3
We’re not meant to be happy all the time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpRKIxf89SU
kudos MP. Agree, this aspect of his public image and his honesty, openness and support of those in need may be his longest lasting. Though its hard to top 8 gold… ha. Again, another swimmer Samantha Arsenault (Livingston) touched on this on her webpage.. its a hard time for everyone. But struggling does not mean the same as suffering. (Im paraphrasing but it hit home for me and I thought it was well said… and she is a swimmer!)
It’s humbling to see how olympic athletes deal with the same issues as ordinary people like me.