"This was the lowest of the low points" – When Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone recalled being prescribed ‘sleeping pills’ during COVID-19 pandemic

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once recalled that she was struggling with mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic and was prescribed sleeping pills and antidepressants by a psychologist at the time. However, she likely didn't follow the prescription and believed her problems were more spiritual than mental.

McLaughlin-Levrone is widely regarded as one of the greatest 400m hurdlers in history. She has broken the world record in the event a staggering six times, and she has four Olympic titles and three World titles to her name.

However, the 25-year-old didn't find much success at the start of her professional career in 2019, and when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived the following year, she began struggling with 'anxiety, fear, and loneliness'. Recalling her struggles in her 2024 memoir Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear To Faith, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wrote:

"With no clue where to turn or what to do about my anxiety, fear, and loneliness, I called a psychologist I found online. Our first appointment, a Zoom call, lasted forty-five minutes. I don’t remember everything we went over. I know we talked about how much I struggled to move on from my past and be present in the now," Sydney wrote.

The four-time Olympic champion said she was shocked by the remedy offered by the psychologist - sleeping pills and antidepressants.

"At the end of the call, the psychologist’s remedy for my anguish came in the most unexpected form: sleeping pills and antidepressants. I remember going to the pharmacy, picking up the pills, driving back to my apartment, and holding the two bottles in my hand. I could not believe this was what it had come to. This was her answer for me."

"Of all the tough times and disappointments I’d experienced during the past five years, this was the lowest of the low points. There has to be a better way to deal with my problems, I thought. Medicine can’t be the only answer. I want to fix my problems, not mask them," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone added.

Sydney eventually found the solution to her struggles by the end of the pandemic and came out as a different self and as a different runner. She broke the 400m hurdles world record for the first time the following year and also won her maiden gold medal later in Tokyo.

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"I don't think I would have done anything if it wasn't for God" - Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone after the Paris Olympics

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 - Source: Getty

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was at her relentless best in the 2024 season. After running a new world record of 50.65s at the U.S. Olympic Trials, she lowered it to 50.37s at the Paris Olympics to defend her 400m hurdles Olympic gold.

She also clocked the third fastest leg in 4x400m relay history and credited God for her success at the Games.

“I think God has done so much through me not only on the track but just being able to reach people. And I think that's what he's given me the platform to do and I don't think I would have done anything on that stage at the Olympics if it wasn't for him," Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said on the Jennifer Hudson Show.

McLaughlin-Levrone has yet to race this season, but she will be seen in action in the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track, which starts on April 4 in Kingston, Jamaica. She will also look for a second 400m hurdles world title later in the season at the Tokyo World Championships.