Before making his way into the movie industry, Dwayne Johnson also excelled in many other athletic activities. Even before dominating the world of WWF (presently WWE), the Black Adam star was a professional football player. The actor was an ardent lover of the sport before his career came to an untimely ending due to a grave injury.
A career-ending injury is undoubtedly one of the biggest nightmares to any athlete. It also led The Rock to move into a serious phase of depression. According to Dwayne Johnson in a very recent interview, he was completely broken after his dreams were crushed. It was also one of the saddest moments of his life when he lost all hope.
The end of his football career was a huge blow to Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson known to his admirers as The Rock enjoyed an amazing football career in his college days. But unfortunately, it was very short-lived after the 51-year-old suffered a grave shoulder injury that forced him to leave the sport midway.
According to The Rock, he suffered a very severe shoulder injury that required complete surgery along with a torn Achilles heel and knee surgeries. This forced the Fast & Furious star into his first phase of depression. Speaking to The Pivot Podcast, Johnson admitted that he didn’t have much idea about depression or mental health, but felt something terribly out of place.
“[I] didn’t want to go to school, I was ready to leave, I left school, I didn’t take any midterms. At that time … 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.”
Eventually, Dwayne Johnson was able to come back stronger and made a name for himself in the wrestling arena before ultimately turning into one of the biggest Hollywood stars. But situations turned South for the Jumanji favorite once again after the divorce from his first wife Dany Garcia in 2008- “Years later, and went through it again when I got a divorce… Didn’t know what it was.”
After his football career, it was the second time when the actor’s mental health nosedived once again. Johnson felt a serious decline in his mental health thrice in his whole life. While he couldn’t get much help during the time of his injury and divorce, he understood the importance of help during his third time.
What helped Dwayne Johnson in tackling his depression?
It was around 2017 when Dwayne Johnson felt his mental health going down once again. But fortunately, this father-to-three didn’t have to suffer long this time and got help from his close ones.
“[I] knew what it was at that time. And luckily, at that time, I had some friends who I could lean on and say, ‘You know, I’m feeling a little wobbly now. Got a little struggle happening. I’m seeing a little grey and not the blue.'”
The 6ft 5in muscle monster urged his fans to speak up and talk to close friends and relatives for help instead of going through it alone. He gave his example of how his three daughters helped his mental health a lot.
The Seven Bucks Productions owner took to his social media to admit that most men don’t tend to share their issues and go through it alone which is one of the worst things. Dwayne Johnson made it clear that suffering in silence only worsens the situation. The Rock is a role model to many and has repeatedly addressed how speaking up is one of the most important weapons to tackle depression.
Source: The Pivot Podcast
