Depression can affect anyone, no matter how wealthy or successful they may be— a fact showcased by Olympic medalist Nick Goepper’s confession that he battled depression and contemplated suicide. Learn more about Goepper’s struggle with depression and find out how he dealt with it.
Failure Leads to Depression
At the last Olympics, Nick Goepper didn’t do as well as he hoped. He finished seventh, which for a devoted skier and dedicated athlete was extremely disappointing. After all the hours he put in, he felt that he hadn’t shown his best skills, and that knowledge was devastating.
Fighting the oncoming wave of darkness and depression, Goepper tried to distract himself. He read books, went off-roading, and worked on his truck.
It didn’t work, and Goepper turned to excessive drinking as a distraction. He says in an interview with the Washington Post that he really started to question himself, his own motivations and his reason for existence, eventually asking himself whats the point in living. He also began to have episodes that he calls “deep drops.” During one of these drops, he planned to drink an entire bottle of vodka in one sitting, which could have been lethal. Fortunately, Goepper’s parents intervened and signed him up for rehab.
Rehab Offers a New Chance for Recovery
Thanks to the intervention of his parents and the team at the rehab center, Goepper gradually regained his mental balance. Those 60 days at the Texas facility were ” a fantastic, life-changing experience,” according to the athlete. “I just feel very fortunate that my family and my situation I was able to take advantage of that resource.”
Goepper began journaling and found “a supportive community of people” who helped him talk through his emotions and find support and healing. Instead of focusing on his status or athleticism, his support group focused on him as a person, including the things that made him special beyond his ability to ski.
A Fresh Start Leads to Success
Since he first entered rehab, Goepper hasn’t drunk a drop of alcohol. For him, that’s the new normal— a healthier lifestyle made possible by the improvement in his mental health. Thanks to his new outlook, he was in a good place to perform at the recent Olympics in Korea, and he scored a silver medal. Following the games, he said his plan was to stay focused and humble and to get back on track.
No matter where you are in your life, whether in school, in your career, or in your relationships, you may feel that you have failed or messed up. That sense of failure can lead to depression. Instead of compensating with alcohol or some other coping mechanism, seek help from a trained psychiatrist in Singapore, someone who can help you deal with the emotions in a healthy way. The earlier you address the depression, the smoother the recovery process may be. Call Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic today and put yourself back on track for good mental health in Singapore!
Article by Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic
