"I don't want the kids to see me like that" - When Michael Phelps opened up about removing himself from children due to mental health issues

Michael Phelps once revealed he would run away from his kids and hide in his room while dealing with mental health issues. The American swimmer is married to wife Nicole Johnson, and the couple have four sons.

Phelps opened up about his depression at several junctures of his career including the 2016 Rio Olympics, claiming that he had been dealing with the issues since the end of the London Games in 2012. He was charged with a DUI arrest in 2014 and would undergo a month-long treatment plan.

However, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist still struggles sometimes and once claimed that he "won't ever be 'cured'". Phelps admitted to being depressed during the COVID-19 pandemic in an interaction with ESPN and revealed that he would hide himself in his room whenever his mental issues aggravated.

"But when things get really bad, I literally give myself a timeout. I just have to remove myself. I don't want the kids to see me like that. So I'll go to my room for a few minutes or the office or my closet. Just a quiet setting to think and be calm by myself. To reset, in a way," he wrote

Phelps said sometimes his oldest son Boomer would become the cure of his struggles through a hug.

"There are moments, those times where I'm stuck in my own head, I don't think it can get any worse, and Boomer, my 4-year-old, will walk up to me, give me a hug and just tell me he loves me. When you absolutely least expect it. It's literally the greatest thing in the world," Michael Phelps added.

The 39-year-old welcomed Boomer a month before tying the knot with Nicole in 2016, and Boomer (then just three months old) was in attendance at the Rio Olympics when Phelps finished his glorious career with five gold medals.

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"I wasn't okay with that" - Michael Phelps' wife on swimmer writing down his thoughts on bathroom mirror

Michael Phelps with wife Nicole during the Los Angeles Chargers v Baltimore Ravens - Source: Getty

One of the ways Michael Phelps found to cope with depression was by writing down his thoughts. However, he used to do it on the mirror in his bathroom initially, and his wife Nicole wasn't happy about it.

"I wasn't okay with that," Nicole told People. "I was like, 'It's not fair to me because I can't comprehend why you're writing that about yourself. That's not how I see you.' That was my boundary and he's totally respected that."

Phelps claimed he used to write negative feelings and names about himself but now does it in a journal.

"I look at quotes for motivation but sometimes I write down negative messages, things that aren't always friendly, names I'm calling myself or what I'm going through mentally," he told People.

Phelps has been a longtime advocate of mental health, and his Michael Phelps Foundation offers wellness programming to youth worldwide.