The whole image WWE Superstars have to present to the world is one of being a tough guy who doesn't let anything affect them. Working in the pro-wrestling world where your whole livelihood depends on your image, it's of little surprise that wrestlers hide their problems and their issues.
This holds especially true for mental issues. With the unfair stigma attached to people who suffer from mental disorders, it is little surprise that a lot of wrestlers prefer to keep these disorders in the dark rather than get them treated which only ends up landing them into even more trouble. The Chris Benoit case being the most obvious example.
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But, there are those who decided to take a stand and fight against these mental disorders the stigma that comes with being someone who suffers from these problems. So, without any further ado, here are 5 WWE Superstars who have fought mental disorders:
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#5 Hulk Hogan – Major Depressive Disorder
To the untrained eye, Hulk Hogan was the personification of a pro-wrestler and had everything going for him until he threw it all away. After all, Hogan made a name for himself in the 80s and the 90s as the most successful WWE and WCW wrestler to ever step foot into the squared circle and his legendary presence is still felt to this day.
But, Hogan's personal life hasn't been as smooth as his professional career as a litany of issues piled up and drove Hogan to excessive drinking. He was eventually diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder – a mental illness that is crippling to those who experience it.
Hogan made a concentrated effort to better his life, and he even opened up to Oprah about his about his issues and gave a touching account of the demons which have been haunting him. I sincerely hope that Hogan is able to get better and that we eventually see him restored to his place in the WWE Hall of Fame.
#4 Mark Henry – Dyslexia
Mark Henry has experienced great success in his life – both with his immense wrestling career which has spanned a decade and a half as well as his exploits as The World's Strongest Man. But, before this success, Henry also experienced crushing loss in his life.
His father passed away when a young Mark Henry was just 12-years-old and then his fledgeling football career ended due to a recurring wrist injury. He was then diagnosed with Dyslexia – a mental issue which makes it extremely difficult to read and learn.
Henry took it all in his stride, though, as he overcame all of his issues by devoting himself to build his physical attributes which eventually gave him a life to look back upon with pride both as a professional wrestler and a strongman. Well done, Mr Henry.
#3 "The Macho Man" Randy Savage – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
A legendary figure in the world of professional wrestling, the late great "Macho Man” Randy savage was a popular figure right from his debut in the early 1980s up until his death in 2011.
In a case of using your weakness as an advantage, Savage used his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in order to become one of the best wrestlers the world has ever seen. OCD is a mental condition where things have to be just right and can cause the patient great mental anguish when things aren't just perfect.
Savage used this in order to meticulously plan his matches beforehand and ensured top quality matches every time he stepped foot into the ring. There is a reason his matches against Hulk Hogan are still regarded so highly.
Randy Savage is a great example of how to embrace your problems and tackle them head on in order to make the best of your situation. There are also strong rumours that John Cena himself suffers from OCD but this has never officially confirmed.
#2 The Rock – Major Depressive Disorder
When you think of The Rock, the words that come to mind are star, wrestler, legend, but never the word depressed. But, this is exactly what The Rock was back before he started his pro-wrestling career.
After a successful college football career, The Rock didn't make it to the NFL nor did he make it to the lesser-known Canadian Football League. This left the future People's Champ in a terrible state – suffering from depression and broke with just $7 in his pocket.
But instead of letting it keep him down, Dwayne Johnson set his mind to becoming a professional wrestler and ended up as one of the best to ever step into a WWE ring and then leveraged that into an incredible acting career that has made him the world's highest-paid actor in the world today.
#1 Vince McMahon – Dyslexia
Imagine that. The man who runs the most successful wrestling promotion in the world suffers from dyslexia. When a mental disorder affects your reading and learning, most people would look at other avenues in life. Not, Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
Vince took it on as a challenge and did not let his dyslexia stop him from taking over his father's company at the age of 37 and he certainly didn't stop him from building a multi-million dollar empire in the decades that followed.
No matter your opinion of the man, nobody can deny that what Vince has done is bloody impressive.
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