He may be known as The Rock in the world of wrestling, but 51-year-old Dwayne Johnson reveals there are some cracks in his armor. He recently opened up about his battle with multiple bouts of depression during an interview on the Pivot Podcast, which he shared on Instagram. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, Johnson’s reflections about his own challenges are a timely reminder that we are all vulnerable to the ravages of this illness.
“I’ve worked hard over the years to gain the emotional tools to work thru any mental pain that may come to test me,” the “Black Adam” star said on his post. “But years ago, I didn’t know what mental health struggle was. As men, we didn’t talk about it. We just kept our head down and worked thru it. Not healthy but that’s all we knew.”
According to Mental Health America, nearly one in five American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year. About 46% of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life, and half of those people will develop conditions by the age of 14. Unfortunately, statistics also show that more than half — 56% ─ of adults with mental illness did not receive any mental health treatment.
Men may be less likely to suffer mental health issues, says the National Institute of Mental Health, however, men are more likely to die from suicide than women.
According to TODAY, Johnson first experienced depression as a University of Miami college student when he no longer felt motivated to attend the university.
“I was ready to leave,” he said. “I didn’t take any midterms and I just left. But the interesting thing at that time is I just didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what mental health was. I didn’t know what depression was. I just knew I didn’t want to be there.”
He struggled with depression again later in life but over the years managed to find support systems with friends and family so he could discuss his feelings and share his journey with others.
“If you’re going thru your own version of mental wellness turning into mental hell-ness, the most important thing you can do is talk to somebody,” Johnson said on Instagram. “It can’t be fixed if you keep it inside. Having the courage to talk to someone is your superpower. I lost two friends to suicide. Talk to someone.”
Johnson implores viewers in a 2015 YouTube video to, ‘Hold onto that fundamental quality of faith. Have faith that on the other side of your pain is something good.”
The National Institute for Mental Health says if you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Click here for more mental health resources.