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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made incredible moves to destigmatize mental illness by discussing his own troubles with depression in an interview with Express Magazine. The article opens up with a quote from Johnson, saying: “I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly.” Dwayne Johnson then goes on to describe a traumatic experience in his life that triggered much of his thought about mental health, and his own difficult experiences — his mother’s suicide attempt when he was 15.
“She got out of the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic. Big rigs and cars were swerving out of the way I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road. What’s crazy about that suicide attempt is that to this day, she has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn’t.”
Dwayne Johnson then added: “We both healed but we’ve always got to do our best to pay attention when other people are in pain. We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.” Dwayne Johnson additionally addressed fans who open up to him about their depression, saying: “I hear you. I’ve battled that beast more than once.”
That someone whose masculinity and celebrity is as legendary as Dwayne Johnson’s opens up about a subject as often and unfairly stigmatized as depression is incredible, and we hope it goes on to make even a small change in how we discuss and approach the subject.
What did you think of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s interview? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.
