Australian test star Mitchell Johnson announced that he was dealing with depression. He said he was struggling to get out of a full-time cricket career.
Johnson, one of the top five Australian wicket takers in the ODI and T20I test formats, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in August 2018.
But Johnson announced Monday night that while touring South Africa in 2011 he “got to the point where I no longer enjoyed being a professional cricketer,” added that he “took it all personally “And didn’t like being judged all the time.
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Speak during a raw segment on channel 7 SAS AustraliaJohnson addressed mental health issues he believed started before he withdrew from the game.
“I’ve found it harder since I retired from cricket. Suddenly you don’t do that much anymore. You’re losing your purpose a little, ”he said.
“I probably struggle with confidence sometimes. I’m in this transition now that I haven’t played cricket for about two years. “
When asked if he found the transition difficult, Johnson said, “Yes, often. I found out that I had depression … but I think I had depression at a young age.
“It (cricket) kind of blocked things. It kind of hid the depression, but there were many times that you would come back to your room, be away from your family and start doing things.
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“During my cricket career, I really only dealt with that (depression). It’s just about actually moving forward now and taking it upon myself to be active with certain things to keep my thoughts going. “
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Johnson said the toughest times are often when he has too much time to spare.
“You have your moments when you struggle really badly with it and it can be difficult when you have a lot of time to think about things,” he said.
“You just have no control at all and your mind starts playing these pranks on you, you start thinking about the worst.”
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78.
For more information on depression, please contact beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or speak to your GP, a local doctor, or a trusted person.
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