Everyone can witness the physical strength of the Strongman competitors as they pull trucks, lift stones and deadlift massive weights. But the mental struggle to reach there is often gone unnoticed. Now the American Strongman contender Evan Singleton opens up about his suicide attempts after dealing with depression and anxiety.
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By god’s grace, Singleton was not successful in any of his attempts to end life. He went on to win the Giants Live World Open and Giants Live Arnold Strongman UK in 2021. He shares his journey of overcoming demons in a recent podcast
Evan Singleton confesses mental health issues
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Popularly known as T-Rex, Singleton appeared on the Straight Outta The Lair Podcast hosted by Flex Lewis. The episode was an emotional ride as Singleton reflects on his life struggles before success knocked on his door.
“I had to deal with a lot of depression and anxiety and it actually got to the point where on three separate occasions in my life I’ve tried to kill myself,” he confessed on the show. The 30-year-old was constantly subjected to bullying for being a fat kid which added to his depression and anxiety.
“I had thoughts about it when I was a kid okay but I never had the means to do it,” he says in regard to suicide in the podcast. However, he overcame such depressing thoughts and plunged into being successful at Strongman competitions.
He even confessed that he is grateful for such experiences. “I know what it feels like to be in like the Flames of hell but I know what it feels like to be on the other side,” he added. Earlier Eddie Hall also opened up about how his life was affected by mental health problems.
Eddie Hall lost his friends to Mental health issues
The modern age is rife with mental health problems. Earlier, Evan Singleton narrated his mental health struggles with 2017 World’s Strongest Man on the Feast With The Beast Podcast. Listening to Singleton’s story, an emotional Hall was in tears.
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Eddie’s emotions overwhelmed him, and he struggled to hold back tears. He took a moment to compose himself and then passionately expressed the significance of mental health. The Beast went on to share his plight. The 35-year-old lost three of his dear friends to depression in the past couple of years.
The stigma (around mental health) is so bad that people jump off bridges and hang themselves rather than seek help. The stigma around it is that men can’t open up. In the UK right now, one man every two hours takes his life.” he added reasoning out the rise of the death toll due to mental health crisis.
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More and more people are now openly discussing mental health issues and one can seek professional help to overcome such situations. What’s your take on this?
Watch This Story: Despite Giant 6’9 Frame, Strongman Legend Hafthor Bjornsson Flaunts Insane Stunt: “Some Say Big Men Can’t Stretch”