>>> WE ARE SO EXCITED. WE’RE BACK WITH TODAY’S TALKER.
MICHAEL PHELPS IS KNOWN AS THE
GREATEST SWIMMER, GREATEST
OLYMPIAN OF ALL TIME.
28 MEDALS OVERALL.
23 OF THEM GOLD.
HE RACED HIS WAY INTO THE RECORD
BOOKS.
BOOKS. >> HE DID.
RECENTLY HE REVEALED EVEN AT THE
TOP OF HIS CAREER HE WAS
STRUGGLING WITH DEPRESSION.
HE’S NOT ALONE.
AN ESTIMATED 1 IN 5 ADULTS ARE
AFFECTED BY HEALTH ISSUES.
THE NUMBERS ARE SIMILAR FOR
TEENAGERS.
TEENAGERS. >> MICHAEL IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT
HIS PERSONAL JOURNEY AND WHAT
HE’S DOING TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS
TO SEEK HELP.
MICHAEL, WELCOME.
MICHAEL, WELCOME. >> THANK YOU.
>> WE’RE SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE WERE DIGGING INTO OUR
ARCHIVES.
ARCHIVES. YOU’VE GROWN UP HERE.
2004 YOU WON THE OLYMPICS.
YOU WERE OUT HERE, THIS YOUNG
GUY.
GUY. YOU WERE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS.
LOOKED LIKE A LITTLE KID.
WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT THAT KID,
BECAUSE WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD BACK THEN,
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT YOUNG
BOY, WHAT DO YOU SEE?
>> FOR ME, LIKE, I THINK LOOKING
BACK AT MY CAREER, I THINK I WAS
PROBABLY HIDING A BUNCH OR
COMPARTMENTALIZING A LOT OF
STUFF I WAS GOING THROUGH.
I THINK I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT THAT
WE WEREN’T ALLOWED OR SUPPOSED
TO SHOW WEAKNESS OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT EVER BECAUSE OF BEING
AN ATHLETE.
AN ATHLETE. YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE STRONG AND
PUSH THROUGH ANYTHING.
I THINK MY STRUGGLES CARRIED
THROUGH ANY CAREER.
I HID THEM WELL.
GOING INTO THE LAST OLYMPICS, I
WAS READY TO OPEN UP AND LET
EVERYTHING COME OUT.
FOR ME THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS
VERY IMPORTANT, AND THERE ARE SO
MANY PEOPLE THAT STRUGGLE FROM
VERY SIMILAR THINGS THAT I GO
THROUGH AND STILL GO THROUGH.
>> IF YOU PROVE ANYTHING, IT’S
THAT YOU CAN BE EXCEEDINGLY HIGH
FUNCTIONING.
FUNCTIONING. I MEAN, THINK OF HOW YOU DID,
FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE OLYMPICS,
AND STILL HAVE THESE PRIVATE
STRUGGLES.
STRUGGLES. >> IT’S -- IT’S WILD TO THINK
ABOUT, BUT IT IS TRUE.
YOU CAN PUSH THROUGH ANYTHING.
FOR ME AT TIMES IT PROBABLY WAS
A LITTLE SCARY AND CHALLENGING
TO GO THROUGH, BUT I FOUND A WAY
TO GET THROUGH IT, AND I’M NOW
ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES THAT I
HAVE.
HAVE. AND I’M OPENLY TALKING ABOUT
THEM.
THEM. I’M STILL STRUGGLING WEEKLY OR
FROM TIME TO TIME I’LL HAVE BAD
DAYS WHERE I DO GO INTO A
DEPRESSION STATE OR --
>> I THINK TO UNDERSTAND HOW
YOU’VE HEALED WE HAVE TO I GUESS
UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU WERE.
YOU TALK ABOUT OCTOBER, 2014
WHEN YOU WERE REALLY ON YOUR
KNEES.
KNEES. LIKE, YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T LEAVE
YOUR HOUSE FOR FIVE DAYS.
YOU WERE GOING THROUGH BASIC
HELL.
HELL. YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT ENDING
IT.
IT. WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THAT TIME?
>> WELL, I JUST -- FOR ME, LIKE,
I WAS SO DOWN ON MYSELF.
I DIDN’T HAVE ANY SELF LOVE.
AND HONESTLY, I DIDN’T WANT TO
BE ALIVE.
BE ALIVE. IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY
CRAZY TIME FOR ME.
AND I DIDN’T WANT TO SEE
ANYBODY, BECAUSE FOR ME I SAW
MYSELF AS LETTING SO MANY PEOPLE
DOWN AND ME, MYSELF, IN
PARTICULAR.
PARTICULAR. AND THAT’S HARD TO CARRY.
AND I THINK OVER THOSE THREE OR
FOUR DAYS WHERE I DIDN’T WANT TO
LEAVE MY ROOM.
I DIDN’T WANT TO TALK TO
ANYBODY, I FINALLY REALIZED THAT
I CAN ASK FOR HELP, AND IT’S
OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.
AND FOR ME THAT’S WHAT CHANGED
MY LIFE.
MY LIFE. I NEVER ASKED FOR HELP, REALLY
EVER IN MY CAREER.
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I REALLY
DID THAT, AND I WAS -- LIKE YOU
SAID, IT WAS BASICALLY ON MY
KNEES CRYING FOR HELP.
I’M LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN
WITH A THERAPIST AND CHAT AND
TALK AND OPEN UP.
AND IT’S CHALLENGING FOR PEOPLE
TO DO.
TO DO. I THINK IT’S -- FOR ME NOW BEING
ABLE TO WORK WITH TALK SPACE AND
TRAVELING AS MUCH AS I DO, TO
HAVE THE ACCESS ON MY PHONE
WHERE I CAN POP ON WHENEVER I
WANT 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A
WEEK AND GET THE HELP I NEED,
IT’S SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO
TEACH ME MORE AND MORE ABOUT
MYSELF.
MYSELF. AND I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING
THAT’S KIND OF FUN FOR ME MOVING
FORWARD, ESPECIALLY WITH TWO
KIDS.
KIDS. >> YOU MENTIONED HEAD SPACE.
YOU’RE A SHAREHOLDER, MEMBER OF
THE ADVISORY BOARD.
THIS IS A SERVICE PEOPLE CAN
CALL OR TEXT, EXCUSE ME, TALK
SPACE.
SPACE. WE HAD HEAD SPACE YESTERDAY.
NOW THIS IS TALK SPACE.
I CAN IMAGINE THERE ARE PEOPLE
WATCHING THIS WHO WILL RELATE TO
EVERYTHING YOU’VE SAID.
>> OF COURSE.
>> THEY HAVEN’T MADE THAT CALL
YET.
YET. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT’S ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE CALL WHEN YOU
FINALLY JUST SAY OKAY, I NEED
HELP?
HELP? >> IT’S KIND OF GETTING TO THAT
POINT WHERE YOU’RE READY TO
SURRENDER, AND ASK FOR HELP.
AND BREAK DOWN AND BE THAT
PERSON THAT IS GOING OUT THERE
AND GETTING THE HELP THAT YOU
NEED.
NEED. I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING
LIKE TALK SPACE WHERE WE LIVE ON
OUR PHONES.
OUR PHONES. RIGHT?
RIGHT? HOW EASY IS IT TO POP ON AND
TALK TO A THERAPIST, GET HELP?
IF YOU’RE GOING TO A THERAPIST,
YOU’RE MISSING WORK.
YOU’RE TAKING TIME AWAY FROM THE
KIDS.
KIDS. YOU’RE DOING THIS OR THAT.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S
JUST ACCESSIBLE.
JUST ACCESSIBLE. AND HONESTLY, BEING ABLE TO OPEN
UP THE CONVERSATION ABOUT IT IS
SOMETHING THAT’S SO IMPORTANT.
REALLY TRYING TO TAKE THE STIGMA
AWAY.
AWAY. ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS.
BEING ABLE TO OPEN IT UP TO
KIDS, AND IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF
THE STATS WHERE ONE IN FIVE KIDS
FROM 13 AND UP WILL HAVE SOME
KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS,
AND BY 24, 75% OF KIDS WILL HAVE
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. THE NUMBERS ARE SHOCKING.
AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
I THINK THIS IS -- FOR ME, IT’S
AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART
OF SOMETHING LIKE TALK SPACE.
IT’S ONLY HELPING ME.
I KNOW IT HAS THE POSSIBILITY TO
HELP SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE.
>> WE’RE SURROUNDED BY PICTURES
OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.
I WAS JUST THINKING BEING AT
THIS HEALTHY PLACE IN YOUR LIFE
MUST MAKE PARENTING KIND OF A
DREAM WITH THESE KIDS.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
>> IT’S AMAZING.
WATCHING BECKETTE BE EIGHT MONTH
AND CRAWL AROUND, THEY’RE
LEARNING THE SHARING PROCESS OF
IT ALL.
IT ALL. IT’S PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S REALLY
EXCITING.
EXCITING. THERE BOOM IS GETTING ABS IN
WITH ME.
WITH ME. >> WE FEEL LIKE WE’RE BOOMER’S
PARENTS TOO.
PARENTS TOO. HE WAS A BABY AT THE OLYMPICS IN
RIO, AND EVERYBODY FELL IN LOVE
WITH HIM.
WITH HIM. IS HE GOING TO BE A SWIMMER?
>> IF HE WANTS.
THE BIGGEST THING THAT I’VE
ALWAYS SAID IS -- YOU SEE HIS
KICK IS UNBELIEVABLE.
IT TRULY IS INSANE TO WATCH HOW
FEARLESS HE IS IN THE WATER, BUT
IF HE WANTS TO SWIM, COOL.
IF NOT, WHATEVER MAKES HIM
HAPPY.
HAPPY. I DON’T WANT HIM TO EVER FEEL
THE PRESSURE OF KIND OF LIVING
IN WHAT I’VE DONE IN MY SHADOW.
I WANT HIM TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF
JUST MAKE HIMSELF.
KIND OF LIVE WHATEVER HE WANTS
TO DO.
TO DO. >> DO YOU MISS IT, THE SWIMMING?
>> AT TIMES, BUT IT’S JUST
NOT -- I MEAN, I COULD NEVER SEE
MYSELF GETTING BACK IN.
I COULD, BUT WHY?
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? I DON’T WANT TO.
>> YOU HAVE NO MORE ROOM FOR
MEDALS.
MEDALS. THAT WE KNOW.
ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THAT TODDLER
STUFF IN THE HOUSE.
>> MICHAEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.