Earlier this week, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson spoke with The Express about his ongoing battle with depression. When he was just 15-years-old, the A-list actor watched his mother try to kill herself by walking into freeway traffic after they had been evicted from their apartment. The experience left him shaken and over the years, career disappointments and failed romances would cause Johnson to feel like a shell of himself. He admitted that he’s tried to hold in and ignore his feelings for most of his life.
“I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere,” Johnson said. “I was crying constantly.”
Johnson told The Express that the only way he was able to survive his bouts of depression was by opening up and letting others in. And Johnson encouraged others to show support to anyone close to them who is having mental health problems.
“We’ve always got to do our best to pay attention when other people are in pain,” Johnson explained. “We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.”
The interview was immediately praised online, with countless fans thanking Johnson for opening up about his battle with depression in such an honest and vulnerable way. Johnson eventually took to Twitter to thank everyone who had responded positively to the interview, writing that “we all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up.”
Got tons of responses to this. Thank you. We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 2, 2018
Johnson specifically encouraged men to be honest about their feelings, acknowledging that “dudes have a tendency to keep it in.” Research has shown been that most men find it difficult to open up about their mental health, so hopefully, Johnson’s message can help destigmatize the issue and help more men get the help they need.
