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The Rock Started a Conversation About Depression You’ll Want to Send to the Men in Your Life

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Editor's Note

If you experience suicidal thoughts, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.

Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson might embody every aspect of stereotypical masculinity. He’s strong, athletic, accomplished — a man who seems to have it all. But perhaps the strongest thing about Johnson is his willingness to talk about his experiences with depression, which he shared on Sunday in an interview with Express.

“I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly,” Johnson told the UK-based publication.

Johnson first opened up about experiencing depression in 2015 on Oprah’s “Master Class” series. Then earlier this year, he posted a photo on Instagram about a difficult childhood memory he had to face while shooting the comedy “Ballers” — a time his mom had tried to kill herself in front of him by walking into oncoming traffic.

His latest interview, which he shared on his Twitter, highlights just how much his history of speaking about mental health has affected others, especially men. He wrote:

Got tons of responses to this. Thank you. We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates. Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone.

His tweet invited more men to share their stories and discuss the importance of opening up about depression.

Men die by suicide 3.53 times more often than women — and depression in men tends to manifest differently. According to HeadsUpGuys, a resource for men with depression, men often don’t acknowledge feelings of sadness, hopelessness or guilt, but instead, “can become irritable and aggressive, work compulsively, isolate themselves from friends and family, drink more than normal and engage in high-risk activities.”

Thanks to The Rock for starting a difficult, but important conversation. And to all the men out there silently struggling, we want you to know you’re not alone.

Image via Wikimedia Commons/Eva Rinaldi

Originally published: April 2, 2018
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