Michael Phelps on the importance of therapy

Michael Phelps’ name is sure to come to mind whenever the topic of swimming arises. The 23-time Olympic gold medallist has seen success in every aquatic endeavor he has taken on.

In his career, Phelps has done more for the sport than most organizations and continues to do so even after his retirement. However, his most incredible feat probably comes from his on-field work in advocating for a world with better mental health.

Earlier this year, talking to Healthline, Phelps discussed his struggles with mental health throughout his career. Perhaps the most important takeaway from his interview was how important it is to seek help through therapeutic means if one is battling mental illness.

In 2014, when things became really bad for Phelps, he checked into a mental health center, where he stayed for 45 days. He continued his treatment after leaving the facility and started feeling better:

"I started feeling like a person…I guess I could love myself and like who I saw."

A smiling Michael Phelps spotted at the PGA Championship 2018 [Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images]

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Michael Phelps on seeing himself "as a swimmer"

Phelps has talked extensively about his struggles with his identity as a person; a persona enmeshed with his illustrious career.

This type of tunnel vision is often seen in people who work hard in a fast-paced competitive environment.

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Michael Phelps claimed that he often felt like he was just a swimmer for the longest time, judging himself as a swimmer and nothing else. Speaking about his turnaround in 2014, he continued:

"I think for a long time I looked at myself as a swimmer and not a human, so being able to learn more about me, how I worked, why I work that way through treatment and through unpacking all the extra crap that I had inside of me."

Michael Phelps: Olympics: Day 3, 2016 [Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images]

Phelps admitted that while his therapy has clearly helped him, the therapeutic process is an ongoing one to ensure he stays mentally fit. Continuing his conversation with Healthline, he spoke about the journey ahead:

"My depression and my anxiety is never going to just disappear...it makes me. It is a part of me. It’s always going to be a part of me... I can’t expect to have every answer today, but I also have to give myself forgiveness because I’m still learning, and at times that is hard.”

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Depression, Anxiety, and Help

The overall deterioration of mental health is a rampant problem in the modern world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every six adults will experience a depressive episode at some point in their life.

In a review article published in The New England Journal of Medicine, after going through the available research, the authors concluded that a combination of psychosocial and genetic factors are associated with the onset of depression and anxiety disorders.

The most important things to know are the types of treatments available. Currently, therapeutic measures such as counseling seem to yield the best results in terms of helping people have better mental well-being.

As Michael Phelps' statements suggest, therapeutic measures are indeed vital in improving mental health and perhaps even learning to live with them.