Therapy changed my life – Antonio
Published:Tuesday | May 21, 2024 | 12:08 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
REGGAE Boy and West Ham striker Michail Antonio has opened up about his struggles with mental illness. While he is known for his toughness on the field of play, off the field, Antonio’s passion for the game was being tested, and while speaking on a recent ‘High Performance Podcast’, Antonio shared how therapy changed his life.
“I started therapy because I was really struggling. How I grew up, I thought therapy was for crazy people who can’t control themselves. However, therapy changed my life. I was struggling, I couldn’t focus, and football was always my get-away from anything that was happening in my life,” he stated.
The 34-year-old revealed that going through the process of a divorce along with a goal-scoring drought were the two main factors that weighed heavily on his mind. He added that there was a point in time where he wanted to get injured so that he would be away from the sport he loved.
“My life was turned upside down because I was splitting up with my wife, I wasn’t performing on the pitch, and things weren’t going as well for me. Then I spoke to him (therapist), and while I talking to him, I just burst into tears, and I’m not going to lie, that gave me some type of relief. I wanted to get injured to get some time off. I don’t know how long I want, but I want time off away from football,” he revealed.
In what should have been the highest point in his West Ham career, having won the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League on the back of a 2-1 victory over Italian club Fiorentina, Antonio shared that while it was the club’s first major trophy in more than 40 years, he didn’t partake in the celebrations.
“I was just mentally drained because of everything that was going on outside of football. I just went back to the hotel to sleep while everyone was partying,” he shared.
Sports psychologist Dr Jason Hamilton praised Antonio for his move and believes the stigma around speaking on the struggles around mental health has been broken as top athletes around the globe have also opted to share their stories, which is making it easier for other stars to share their challenges.
“The one constant in life is change. There used to be a time where people had a stigma on mental health and speaking to a psychologist, and when the big sports stars are coming out and sharing their stories of disappointment and fear of failure, people are feeling more inclined to be open and be truthful,” he stated.
Hamilton firmly believes that entering the field of play with the fear of failure on one’s mind is a recipe for disaster.
“If you’re constantly worrying that you’re going to fail then it’s highly probable that you’re not going to do well,” Hamilton said..