Angela Lee says she gives herself time to ‘decompress’ each time after talking about mental health: “It's necessary”

After opening up about her own struggles with mental health, former atomweight MMA queen Angela Lee knows the importance of taking time to decompress and compose herself in between interviews.

Last month, Lee revealed that a 2017 automobile accident was an attempt to take her own life amid the mounting pressure of being a world champion. The admission came nine months after the tragic loss of her little sister and budding MMA prospect, Victoria Lee.

Since then, Angela Lee has been making the rounds and sharing her story through various media outlets. Appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Lee admitted that each interview takes a toll.

“That's what comes with this realm of things of what we're doing with the nonprofit, and with mental health, and with someone who has been through it and someone whose family has been affected by it. It's a topic that it's hard to talk about but I know that it's necessary."

“So each time that I do have a talk I make sure to take time after that to decompress and try to regulate myself because there is a lot that comes with each interview.”

Returning to the Circle at ONE Fight Night 14, Angela Lee made the emotional announcement that she would be walking away from mixed martial arts, laying down her atomweight MMA world title in the center of the cage. With her heart no longer in the fight game, the ‘Unstoppable’ champion will focus on her work with FightStory, a non-profit mental health organization established by Lee in honor of her late sister.

FightStory inspires fighters from all walks of life to share their stories of struggle, triumph, and tragedy. To learn more about the organization and how you can join the fight, visit FightStory.org.