For Ricky Hatton, depression is one of his biggest enemies. The retired boxing champ opened up about his struggles after retiring and admitted that he attempted to commit suicide.
Ricky Hatton Depression
The former world champion is not a stranger to alcohol and drug abuse. Ricky Hatton's depression also spiked after he had a financial row with his parents three years ago. In one interview, he stated that is never going to talk to his parents again.
After his retirement, Hatton mentioned how miserable he felt after leaving the ring. The British champ took to the bottle and would often take out the knife and ended up crying. Despite how fierce he is in the ring, Hatton admitted that depression is a difficult enemy
Sports Psychiatry
As reported in Mirror Online, Hatton wished that there was more support for professional boxers struggling with depression. He also mentioned that he tried to another depressed boxer, Tyson Fury, but his offer of help was rejected. This just means that Hatton is not alone and there are more professional athletes struggling with depression.
As noted in Psychiatry Advisor, there are preconceived notions that athletes are not prone to psychological disorders. Athletes often feel ashamed to seek for health because of the stigma. A new discipline known as Sports Psychiatry emerged to focus on the needs of athletes. Just like veterans, athletes require help from psychiatrists, a major need which has not been addressed for a long time.
Sports Psychiatry is an entirely new field since it follows the athlete throughout his or her life cycle. Psychiatrists focusing on this field to help athletes with performance problems and those who are struggling with depression after retirement. Since these professionals focus on the player, they are more capable of helping retired pro players. For retired players like Ricky Hatton, depression is a major concern, but now there are psychiatrists who can help him.
