Michael Phelps' wife reacts to her husband claiming he still goes through 'depression and anxiety'

Michael Phelps graced Jimmy Fallon's show on May 10, to talk about swimming, career and mental health. As a snippet of The Tonight Show surfaced where Phelps was seen talking about navigating mental health issues, his wife chimed in to encourage speaking up on those times.

The greatest Olympian of all time has 23 Olympic gold medals adorning his wall of fame. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps finished on top with eight medals of color, including six gold and two bronze. This feat made him the second athlete alongside gymnast Alexander Dityatin to have achieved this feat. Though the 2004 Olympics was his first Olympic stint, the following days were plagued with post-Olympic depression and anxiety.

After a short break, he returned to training for the upcoming Olympics. However, his depression showed up often and hindered his day-to-day life. After days of contemplating, he considered therapy and registered at an in-patient treatment center in 2014. That was the first step Michael Phelps took towards getting better, which has turned into mental health advocacy now.

At The Tonight Show, Phelps shared how he has been an active mental health advocate, working for himself and others around him. The Tonight Show's Instagram page posted a reel of Phelps confidently talking about his daily struggles and how his friends have played a pivotal role in his journey.

His wife, Nicole Phelps, shared the reel on her Instagram stories with a heartwarming note, which reads:

"Open Up & Reach Out"

Nicole Phelps supports Michael Phelps in his mental health journey

In the original reel, Phelps was seen saying:

"When I'm going through my ups and downs, I still go through depression and anxiety, sometimes daily. Like I'm going through a little rollercoaster right now myself. But, you know, in those moments, I have a couple of friends who'll reach out to me or I'll reach out to them."

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Michael Phelps was a changed person when he walked out of the therapy center

2022 U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Hall Of Fame Ceremony

Michael Phelps was on the verge of ending his life in 2014 but came back to normalcy after spending 45 days at the in-patient treatment center. He said (via Healthline):

"I started feeling like a person…I guess I could love myself and like who I saw. 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 has been working as an advocate to motivate people globally with his stories and help them navigate mental health struggles.