Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the biggest Hollywood stars who opened up about their battle with depression.
“Depression doesn’t discriminate, and I thought that was an important part of the narrative if I was going to share a little bit of my story of the past,” he said.
“Regardless of who you are or what you do for a living or where you come from, it doesn’t discriminate, we all kind of go through it. If I could share a little bit of it and if I could help somebody, I’m happy to do it.” He said on ITV’s Lorraine when talking about his lifetime battle with mental illness.
“The Rock” noted that the existing stigma around depression has to finally change, especially when it comes to men. He believes that there is a DNA wiring in men that doesn’t allow them to talk when they are scared or vulnerable.
“It’s kind of like what’s been deemed as ‘toxic masculinity.’ You’ve got to talk about it and you’re not alone. I was an only child and I kept that bottled in, deep, deep. It wasn’t good, so [I am] happy to share my story.”
In 2018, he opened up about the history of his family with mental illness in a detailed and lengthy Instagram post, talking about his mother’s attempt for suicide when he was 15.
“Struggle and pain is real,” he wrote. “We’ve all been there on some level or another.”
The Skyscraper star then shared his on-going battles on Twitter.
“We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates,” he wrote. “Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone.”
“The Rock” has also shared how he deals with depression and sadness. He exercises.
“My knee-jerk reaction to sadness is some sort of action,”. “I like to go do something. For me, the going to do something, it sounds boring and cliché, but it is what it is with me, I gotta hit the gym.”
And he is dealing with his mental illness well. Because studies have shown that getting active is one of the best ways for dealing with depression because it encourages the production of the hormone oxytocin which is called the hormone of happiness and pleasure.
Share Dwayne’s story with your friends and inspire them to raise their voice and speak up about their mental illnesses and health issues.
Depression is real. Let’s all fight it together.
