Dwayne Johnson recently got candid about the bouts of depression he’s gone through throughout his life, dating back to when he was in college.
During a performance on The spindle podcastthe Black Adam The actor explained that he first felt depressed while attending the University of Miami, and injured his shoulder, which prevented him from playing on the football team.
“I didn’t want to go to school,” he said. “I was ready to leave. I left school. I didn’t do any midterms and just left. But the interesting thing at the 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, didn’t go to any of the team meetings, didn’t participate in anything.
The Vaiana Voice Star explained that he was unable to train due to his injury, which as an athlete made what he was going through even more difficult.
“Years later I went through it again when I got divorced. I didn’t know what it was,’ he continued. “Years later, around 2017 or so, it kind of went on. I knew what it was then, and luckily at the time I had some friends that I could lean on and say, ‘You know, I’m feeling a little shaky right now. I’m having a little struggle. I see a little gray and not the blue.’”
The actor said his “savior” during his bouts of depression was his three daughters and “being a girl dad,” sharing: “You look at them and you realize, ‘Well, I mean, really, this is what it’s all about .’”
Johnson also said he tries to apply gratitude in his life and find the good things that have helped him through his mental health struggles.
In an Instagram post promoting the podcast episode, the Red notice star further extensively on his depression and how he’s been given emotional tools over the years to help him cope, re-emphasizing that for many years he didn’t know what mental health issues were.
“As men, we didn’t talk about it. We just kept our heads down and worked through it. Not healthy, but that’s all we knew,” he wrote. “If you are going through your own version of mental wellbeing and turning into hell, the most important thing you can do is talk to someone. It can’t be helped if you keep that pain inside. Having the courage to talk to someone is your superpower. I lost two friends to suicide. Talk to someone. No matter how you feel, you are never alone.”
