Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson thanks fans for support after opening up about his battle with depression
The superstar says he has struggled with depression for decades
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson took to Twitter to thank fans for their messages of support following an interview in which he spoke honestly about his decades-long battle with depression.
The Rampage star told the Express that his struggles with the affliction began when living in poverty as a child and have carried on into his adult life.
“I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere," he said. "I was crying constantly.”
He went on to explain that he had witnessed his mother attempt suicide at age 15 after they had been evicted from their home: "She got out of the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic,” he said. "I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road.”
In the hours after the interview was published, Johnson's Twitter feed was flush with messages of support, and he took to the social media platform on Monday to share his gratitude.
"Got tons of responses to this," he wrote. "Thank you. We all go through 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."
Many fans on Twitter were heartened to see The Rock opening up, and the star himself is aware of the importance of taking the stigma out of the disease.
“We’ve always got to do our best to pay attention when other people are in pain,” he said. “We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.”
