"Depression was taking over" - WWE Superstar Sasha Banks opens up on suffering from mental illness 

Sasha Banks has been wrestling for WWE for over eight years at this point. She has established herself as one the most recognizable figures in the history of the promotion. She has achieved countless feats during her time for the company. But the Boss recently opened up on some of the mental health struggles she has faced during her career.

Banks is a six-time world champion on the WWE main roster. She is the reigning SmackDown Women's Champion, and she is also a two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion.

WWE uploaded a sneak peek of an upcoming episode of Stone Cold Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions. In the preview, Banks discussed why she took a break from WWE. She explained that she was battling severe depression at the time.

"Depression. Depression was taking over. My mind was taking over. My thoughts were taking over. This place was being bigger than me, and I really really lost myself because, for a good seven years, I didn't even hear my real name. I didn't hear Mercedes anymore. All I heard was Sasha Banks. And travelling on the road, we only get one to two days off. So I'm home. Not even seeing what my real hair looks like. All I see is purple hair every single day. There were so many things that I let it control me . . . I was looking in the mirror, and I was looking in my eyes, and I lost all the light in it. I couldn't even look at myself, I didn't even know who the hell I was. How I was going into work, how angry I was, how sad I was. It was not the person that I dreamt to be . . . It hit the fan and I wanted to make sure that I didn't lose myself."

Get ready for an exciting weekend on @WWENetwork including #WWEChamber, #BrokenSkullSessions with @SteveAustinBSR & @SashaBanksWWE and more!https://t.co/xpYKXPtqf7

— WWE (@WWE) February 20, 2021

In 2019, Banks took a four-month hiatus from WWE before she returned to the company. The Boss has reached new heights, as she was named the 2020 Wrestler of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

Sasha Banks is currently the reigning WWE SmackDown Women's Champion

Sasha Banks with the SmackDown Women's Championship

Sasha Banks is a five-time RAW Women's Champion, but the SmackDown Women's Championship always seemed to escape her until last year.

At the WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, Banks defeated Bayley to win the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, and she has held onto the title ever since. She is set to head into WrestleMania as the SmackDown Women's Champion. The Boss could face the Women's Royal Rumble winner, Biance Belair at the Showcase of the Immortals.

👀#SmackDown @BiancaBelairWWE @SashaBanksWWE @CarmellaWWE @ReginaldWWE pic.twitter.com/WVYthrWcKL

— WWE (@WWE) February 6, 2021

Banks and Belair will challenge for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship on Sunday. The charismatic duo will face Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler at WWE Elimination Chamber.