Lewis Hamilton discusses his ongoing battle with mental health, highlighting his struggles with depression.
Lewis Hamilton revealed that he has struggled with mental health issues for most of his life due to bullying at school and then the pressures of racing.
The 39-year-old driver is one of the most decorated Formula 1 racers in history, having won more races (105) than anyone else, and also holds the records for the most pole positions (104) and podiums (201).
But despite his career successes, the seven-time world champion says he has experienced “really tough phases” since his teens, admitting to having “battled mental health issues throughout his life.”
Hamilton also encountered racism growing up in Stevenage, telling the Sunday Times: “When I was 20, I went through really tough phases. I mean, I’ve battled mental health issues throughout my life.”
“Depression, from a young age, when I was 13. It was the pressure of racing and difficulties at school. Bullying. I had no one to talk to.”
Racism too, which he has spoken about before.
“I didn’t understand it. My parents never explained what was happening. My dad just told me, ‘Keep your head down, say nothing, just beat them on the track, that’s all you can do.’ You learn things that were passed down by your parents, you notice these patterns, how you react to things, how you can change them.”
Ayrton Senna’s death also deeply affected him.
“I was with my father, we were working on the kart when it happened. I remember moving forward to hide from him and cried, tears streaming. I couldn’t cry in front of my father; he wasn’t the kind of guy who would have understood.”
After a period of introspection during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Hamilton began waking up at 5 AM to meditate before going running.
“At first, I struggled to calm my mind. But it’s a very good way to connect with myself, my inner feelings, to understand what I can do.”
The newspaper then asked if he had ever seen a therapist.
“I spoke to a woman years ago, but it didn’t really help me. I would like to find someone today.”
“But there are issues I’ve been able to resolve within myself. Things that would have made me angry in the past don’t anger me anymore. I am so much more refined.”
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Hamilton Reveals Mental Struggles and Depression Hamilton Reveals Mental Struggles and Depression
