How Olympic Champions Struggle with Depression After Retirement

It seems depression is an inescapable part of human existence as people from all walks of life are likely to

face it at some point in their lives. The lucky ones may have gotten away, but some of them had to face

the ordeal associated with depression.

A few Olympians who had reached the pinnacle of success in their careers also had to taste the low of

their fading glory, giving way to depression and other mental conditions. Many of them struggled to come

to terms with mediocrity and normalcy after scaling the highest peak.

Reconciling to the fact that they are now way past their prime and are going to lead lives of obscurity sent

shivers down the spine. Financial constraints and other everyday woes endemic to the general population

further add to the misery. So it is not difficult to understand their plight, which triggers conditions like

depression.

Diann Roffe: Diann

Roffe-Steinrotter, a

former World Cup

alpine ski racer and

Olympic gold

medalist from the

United States, was

engulfed by

depression post

retirement in 1994.

“There is a big bucket

of melancholy

athletes can fall into.

... I really missed

being exceptional at

something,” she once

told the NBC News.

“Here I am struggling

with the masses to

make ends meet, get school done, seeking that exceptional feeling again. I really struggled.”

Probably, the pain of fading away from public memory is too harsh to bear. To rub salt into the wound,

financial hurdles can be the final nail in the coffin.

Ian Thorpe: Roffe is just one of the many on a long list of athletes who’d excelled in the greatest sports

extravaganza on this planet but had to struggle to lead a normal life after retirement. A motley of them

struggle with inner turmoil and have to deal with depression.

Thorpe, the five-time Olympic swimming champion from Australia, is a glaring example of how depression

can even percolate to the lives of such celebrities. So, the predicament of the general population can be

well understood when it comes to coping with depression. He astounded the whole world by revealing

his struggle with depression which he’d experienced ever since he was considered a teen prodigy.

Cathy Turner: The American short track speed skater who brought laurels to the country by winning gold

medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 1994 Winter Olympics (the only time when the quadrennial

games were held at a gap of two years since the beginning in 1924) is no different. She also felt the pangs

usually faced by most of the former athletes who grieve and sulk over their career endings.

Clinical psychologists explain such a development as a void in the lives of such athletes, who were the

cynosure of all eyes once upon a time, but suddenly they are off the pedestal. If the transition from the

glory to a normal life is not smooth or successful, the blues are inevitable for most of them.

Some of them tend to dwell in the past glories in a bid to hold on to their earlier image, which doesn’t

help at all. Holding on to the past deprives them of living life to the fullest in the present. Living in the past

brings more miseries.

Recovery roadmap

Facing the vicissitudes of life is natural and there is no escape to it. But one has to be well prepared and

be shock-proof to make the transition gradual and in a positive way. A fallout in this endeavor invariably

leads to depression and other serious mental problems.

If a loved one is struggling with depression and you are scouting for depression treatment centers in

California, you may contact the Depression Treatment Centers of California for a prompt response. Call

at our 24/7 helpline number 855-678-0400 to learn about the best depression treatment in California,

which would ensure long-term recovery.

For more information, please visit

www.depressiontreatmentcentersofcalifornia.com