“I won’t ever be cured”- When Michael Phelps opened about his long standing battle with mental illness

The Swimming Legend Michael Phelps once opened up about his mental illness and mentioned that mental health is something that has to be taken care of every day. He brought up his personal experience, stating that despite receiving treatment and 2016 Olympic success, he wasn’t all better.

Since retiring from swimming in 2016, Michael Phelps has become a strong advocate for mental health. He publicly supported Olympic gymnast Simone Biles when she withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Games to prioritise her mental well-being. In a 2020 interview with ESPN, Phelps emphasised that struggles like depression, anxiety, and PTSD aren’t conditions that can be permanently cured; they require ongoing care and attention.

“I've gotten help, and I ended my career on a high note, so the nice neat story is to put me back on a pedestal. But here's the reality: I won't ever be 'cured.' This will never go away. It's something where I've had to accept it, learn to deal with it, and make it a priority in my life. And yes, that's a hell of a lot easier said than done,” he said.

Phelps has faced post-Olympic depression after the 2004 Olympic Games, but he initially didn’t seek help. He once shared that he saw vulnerability as a weakness. Over time, his perspective changed, and he began to understand that vulnerability means change and started to accept it.

In 2014, Phelps checked into a treatment centre and took 45 days of therapy. The sessions made him mentally stronger and helped him to gain a new outlook on life.

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Michael Phelps reflects on his World Records being broken over the years.

Leon Marchand of Team France is congratulated by Michael Phelps during the 2023 World Aquatics Championships - Source: Getty

While attending the World Aquatics Championships in 2023, Michael Phelps reflected on many of his world records being surpassed. He shared that he has held world records in the 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, and three relay events.

“I had the opportunity to watch a lot of my World Records fall over the years. [At one point I had half of them:] 200 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM, 400IM and three relays.. When Kristof Milak broke the 200 fly world record in 2019, that shook me more than anything else – because I didn’t think that one would be broken for a while,” Phelps said via worldaquatics.com

Phelps also mentioned Leon Marchand, the French swimmer coached by Phelps’ former coach Bob Bowman, who broke his 400m individual medley world record in 2023 with a time of 4:02.