Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is known for his time in the WWE as a wrestler as well as for his time on the big screen, starring in hit films such as “Black Adam”, “Jungle Cruise”, and “Jumanji”.
The 51-year-old is often looked at as a big, strong individual, but he is letting his walls down and getting vulnerable with his fans about his past mental health struggles.
Dwayne Johnson Opens Up About Mental Health
The former WWE star and “Moana” actor is opening up with fans and talking about his past struggles with mental health.
Johnson recently appeared on the podcast “The Pivot”, where he said he has struggled with his mental health for years. In fact, he says it began years ago, but he never opened up about it because he didn’t feel he could find the words to express how he was feeling.
“I left school, but the interesting thing at the time is, 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,” Johnson told “The Pivot” hosts.
He went on to say he first recognized his mental health struggles after his college football career ended, and again after his divorce to his first wife Dany Garcia in 2008.
“I knew what it was at that time and luckily I had some friends that I could lean on and say, ‘Hey I’m feeling a little wobbly now. I got a little struggle happening’,” Johnson explained.
Leaning On Others
The “Jungle Cruise” actor said once he recognized his mental health stuggles, he was able to lean on close friends and seek professional help to help him cope with his mental health, and he hopes others who are struggling can do the same.
“I’ve worked hard over the years to gain the emotional tools to work through any mental pain that may come to test me. As men, we didn’t talk about it. We just kept our head down and worked through it. Not healthy, but it’s all we knew,” Johnson said.
According to National Institute of Menntal Health, men and women both experience depression and anxiety, however, diagnosing men can be a bit more difficult “because men who are depressed may appear to be angry or aggressive instead of sad, their families, friends, and even their doctors may not always recognize the anger or aggression as depression symptoms.
Additionally, “men are less likely than women to recognize, talk about, and seek treatment for depression”, making it harder to diagnose.
He continued, “If you’re going through your own version of mental wellness turning into mental hell-ness, the most important thing you can do is talk to somebody. Having the courage to talk to someone is your superpower.”
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Contact your primary care doctor or reach out to 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or the Disaster Distress Helpline.
