Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe reveals he suffered from depression at the peak of his career
Ian Thorpe has revealed he suffered from "crippling depression" during the peak of his career.
Last Updated: 15/10/12 11:03am
The five-time Olympic champion, who failed to qualify for London 2012 at the Australian trials in March, wrote in his new autobiography 'This Is Me: The Autobiography' that he considered suicide and turned to alcohol in a bid to get through the darkest times.
"It was the only way I could get to sleep," revealed Thorpe in an extract from his book.
"It didn't happen every night, but there were numerous occasions, particularly between 2002 and 2004 as I trained to defend my Olympic titles in Athens, that I abused myself this way - always alone and in a mist of disgrace."
Thorpe, 30, said he was able to hide the effects of alcohol from team-mates and coaches and continued to enjoy one of the best periods of his career, but said he felt the need to stay silent about his depression, believing it was a "character flaw".
"Not even my family is aware that I've spent a lot of my life battling what I can only describe as a crippling depression," he wrote.
"Now I realise it's time to be open. I need to talk to them about it...I know how Mum will react; she'll cry and ask me why I didn't tell her and then she'll tell me how proud she is.
"Dad is different. I'm not sure how he'll react. I know it'll take time for him to come to terms with it and how it fits in with his religious beliefs."
