Lewis Hamilton has been praised by a leading mental health charity for speaking openly about battling depression.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion opened up on his mental health struggles in an interview with the Sunday Times Style magazine, revealing he was bullied as a child.
Hamilton, 39, said he started meditating during the coronavirus pandemic as he would “struggle to initially calm my mind”, linking those feelings back to his younger self.
“When I was in my twenties I had some really difficult phases. I mean, I’ve struggled with mental health through my life,” he said in a wide-ranging interview.
“Depression. From a very early age, when I was, like, 13. I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school. The bullying. I had no one to talk to.
“I spoke to one woman (a therapist), years ago, but that wasn’t really helpful. I would like to find someone today.
“You’re learning about things that have been passed down to you from your parents, noticing those patterns, how you react to things, how you can change those. So what might have angered me in the past doesn’t anger me today. I am so much more refined.”
Hamilton pinpointed the time when he realised he wanted to use his position to highlight injustice, revealing how he broke down after watching a video of the murder of George Floyd.
“If I felt there were wrongdoings I didn’t feel I could speak out,” added the Mercedes driver.
“The cork popped. It had me on my knees in tears, all this emotion came out. It was such a strange experience because I don’t remember crying since I was really young. I knew that I’d had enough, I really needed to speak out.
“There are people that are staying silent, people that feel voiceless and I have this platform. Winning championships is an amazing thing, but what are you doing with it? What are you doing with your time on this planet?”
Now one of Formula 1's elder statesmen, Hamilton is empowered to challenge any perceived wrongdoing and, as recently as last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, labelled comments made to Autosport by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem as having a "racist element".
In openly discussing his mental health, Hamilton is the latest sports star to normalise what has long been a taboo subject, especially among men in his age group.
“We are grateful to Lewis Hamilton for being so open and sharing his experience with depression, and the impact that racism has had on him over many years,” Joe Levenson, head of media at mental health charity Mind told Autosport.
“Speaking up and speaking out can help to normalise conversations and challenge the stigma that so often surrounds mental health. At Mind, we know that when public figures speak openly about their mental health, it can have a powerful impact.
“Our research has shown that one in five people have started a conversation about their mental health after hearing a celebrity or someone in the public eye share their experience.”
:: For more information about depression, please visit Mind’s website.
