Dwayne Johnson, known also as "The Rock" by fans worldwide, has spoken up about the secret battle that he went through for decades. In an interview with the Express, he revealed for the first time that in spite of his status as Hollywood's highest-paid star, he is not immune from depression which he calls as the "beast."
"I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly."
Dwayne Johnson
The American actor confessed that he came to a point where he cried all day and even simple activities such as going out became a real struggle.
At the age of 15, he witnessed his own mother's suicide attempt because of extreme poverty. He recalls grabbing his mom's shoulder away from the road as she walked into oncoming traffic. This event took place shortly after they were evicted from their apartment.
The "Jumanji" star is thankful that his mother doesn't have any recollection of the incident but recognizes the possibility of ending up in a situation similar to his mom's.
He has long healed from the mental wounds that depression has caused him but he talks about the importance of paying attention to our family, friends, and colleagues who are in pain.
“We both healed but we have 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."
Winning the Mental Battle
The 45-year old Hollywood producer and actor didn't let depression eat him up alive. The love and support from his family enabled him to pick up himself and live life to its optimum. It was far from easy especially after the breakup with his former girlfriend.
The stress and loneliness became worse when he was dropped from professional football.
"That was my absolute worst time," he said.
At that point, the 2000 Royal Rumble winner said he got to the lowest level of depression. He was absolutely depressed and devasted. However, he didn't give up. Determined to win the battle against depression, he began training for professional wrestling following the footsteps of his father, Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather, Peter Maivia.
Dwayne Johnson is now a living legacy in the world of professional wrestling. He is an eight-time WWF/WWE Champion, two times WWF Intercontinental Champion, two-time WCW/World Champion, and a five-time WWF Tag Team Champion. His autobiography, The Rock Says ... , is a New York Times Best Seller in 2000. Johnson is also a highly-paid actor in Hollywood and best known for his participation in the movie, Moana.
