Ian Thorpe: My Secret Battle
Alcohol, suicide & searching for love, Ian Thorpe opens up to WHO
Ian Thorpe: My Secret Battle November 2, 2012 After baring his soul in his new autobiography, This Is Me, iconic Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe has opened up to WHO about his battle with the dark depression that threatened his life. Admitting he had suicidal thoughts at the height of his illness in 2006, Thorpe reveals how he fell into a dangerous cycle of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol to numb his sadness. “There was a period where I was trying to mask the feeling of the depression, to dull my mind down,” Thorpe admitted. “But of course you wake up the next day feeling worse about yourself. If you’re drinking to numb your thoughts, it’s not healthy. So I decided I had to address it and have an understanding of why I felt like I had to do that.” Now on anti-depressant medication and receiving regular therapy, the Olympic champion has broken his silence on his crippling depression and is in “the best space I’ve been in for a while.” While he admits that challenging days are not quite a thing of the past, “most days are good. I’m in a place now where I feel happy.”
Despite not qualifying for the London Olympics, Thorpe remains committed to his training, with his sights set on the 2013 world championships in Barcelona. He’s also set on finding love, revealing he’d “really like a little family.” As for his dream woman? “My mind goes straight to Mila Kunis!” To read Ian Thorpe's full interview with WHO Magazine, be sure to pick up this week's WHO, on sale now!