10 WWE superstars who battled depression

Kurt Angle overcame

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Not long ago, I came across a book called ‘Sunbathing in the Rain’ which had a tagline that said, ‘A cheerful book about depression’. For me, it was hard to comprehend that depression was a serious, crippling problem that is sometimes impossible to deal with. This view, however, soon turned upside down when I learned more about the illness.Around 350 million people around the world suffer from depression. And several professional wrestlers belong to that list too. A string of superstars have had to battle with depression in their lives, and here we look at the most prominent of them:

#10 Hulk Hogan

Hogan had a battle with depression after his divorce

Hulk Hogan is one of the reasons why WWE is so big today. He was instrumental in making it mainstream, and he will always be respected for that.

But even the larger-than-life Hogan was not immune to inner demons. After he divorced his wife Linda, he fell into the dark dungeons of depression; at one point it got so bad that he decided to commit suicide.

If it was not for his friend Laila Ali, Hogan would have gone ahead and ended his life. Hogan eventually recovered and is leading a better life these days.

#9 Ryback

The Big Guy’s initial run was ruined due to depression

Ryback is enjoyed considerable success in the WWE. He was constantly featured in the WWE programming, which is always a good thing for a wrestler.

In an interview with Chris Jericho, Ryback revealed that he suffered from depression in the early stages of his career. He also claimed that depression was one of the reasons why he struggled during his first run in the company; at one point he took some time off from wrestling just to drink alcohol.

The Big Guy then came across ‘The Secret’, and he credits the book for saving him from depression.

#8 Kurt Angle

Angle was addicted to alcohol

Arguably one of the greatest in-ring technicians in the business, Kurt Angle has an impressive resume to his name. But one thing that is usually not listed under his achievements is his successful battle against depression.

Angle was actually addicted to alcohol and entered rehab to cope with that. However, he later realized that he was in depression, and alcohol was just his excuse to escape it.

This realization helped him conquer his demons, and he managed to get out of the abyss before too much damage was inflicted on his career or his life. The Olympic medallist now performs in the ring part-time, as his body cannot handle a full-time schedule.

#7 Goldust

He locked himself in a room for 3 days

Goldust is currently one of the most respected names in the wrestling business. But this was not the case all the time.

Goldust has had his battles with his demons over the years. He used to spend all the money he got from wrestling on drugs and alcohol, and he even used to knock himself out before some of his matches.

At one point, Goldust locked himself inside a room for three straight days. This was the point when he realized that he needed to go into rehab. He did just that and when he came out, he started living a clean life.

#6 Jake Roberts

DDP changed his life

Have you ever had a feeling of utter hopelessness, just waiting for your life to end? Roberts was in such a state for most of his life.

During his prime, Roberts was a highly rated wrestler. His in-ring psychology and ability to talk on the microphone made him a special talent in the business, and he seemed destined to reach huge heights if not for his addictions.

Roberts received some well-timed help from fellow wrestler and friend Diamond Dallas Page. Roberts managed to build a better life under DDP, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of fame last year.

In his own words, Roberts owes his life to DDP.

#5 Eddie Gurrero

Eddie’s life was impacted heavily by depression

No matter how many years pass by, the memory of Eddie Guerrero scaling that top rope and performing a frog splash will always be fresh in our minds.

Before Eddie’s tragic death, he had a long struggle with depression, which he talked about at length in his autobiography ‘Cheating Death, Stealing Life’.

Eddie underwent various bouts of substance abuse during this time. Although he eventually kicked the habit, the damage that he suffered while he was in a state of depression haunted him for the rest of his life – and was one of the reasons for his heart failure.

If he hadn’t passed away, the WWE would have been in completely different shape right now.

#4 Marc Mero

Mero delivered an emotional speech about his mother

Long-time wrestling fans would recognize Marc Mero as the ex-husband of Sable. For a non-wrestling fan, Mero would be the wrestler who gave a moving speech about his mother, which went viral and garnered more than 12 million hits on the internet.

After dropping out from wrestling, Mero went through depression and even overdosed on drugs a few times. His mother did try to turn him away from the evils of intoxication, but Mero constantly ignored her.

It all changed one day when he heard the news about his mother’s death; that incident turned around Mero’s life. He fought back and got himself cleaned up.

#3 Shawn Michaels

HBK was not immune either

The life of Shawn Michaels can be split into two parts – pre-depression and post-depression.

During the former, he used to be a pain in the rear for everyone around him. He was talented in the ring but as a person, he was termed a failure by a majority of business insiders. In 1998, Shawn had to take time off due to a back injury and he eventually fell into the clutches of depression.

He started taking prescription drugs at an alarming rate, which made the situation worse. Michaels, however, managed to turn things around and later started believing in God. He became a born-again Christian and soon returned to his normal life as a completely different man.

#2 Bret Hart

So many things contributed to his depression

Bret Hart has seen it all. He had a lengthy career in the wrestling business and was always considered a top-class performer. But Hart’s life was not devoid of tragedies. Things went downhill for him after the Montreal Screwjob, which eventually pushed him into depression.

Hart's forgettable WCW run was followed by the sudden death of his brother Owen. To make matters worse, he was involved in a bike accident in 2002, which caused him a stroke. All these things contributed to Hart going into depression – a dark and disturbing phase of his life which took a toll on his body and mind.

However, he picked himself up later and managed to iron out the problems for good.

#1 The Rock

A truly inspirational story

We know Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as a legend in the professional wrestling business and a bankable superstar in Hollywood. But what most people don't know is that before all these success stories, Johnson was a victim of depression.

At one point in his life, The Rock didn't know what to do with himself, and used to spend days on end locked inside his house.

In an interview that was featured in OWN, The Rock opened up about all of his struggles and how he managed to get out of them. His story of rising from the ashes is powerful enough to inspire millions, and you can read about all of the details here: The Life story of The Rock - From homeless to World Icon.