“It took so much exhaustion for my body that I couldn't enjoy what I had done"- Noah Lyles on dealing with mental health issues
Noah Lyles recently revealed the healing process he embarked on to overcome his mental health struggles. The 26-year-old 100m and 200m world champion has battled depression and several health conditions that affected his mental health. However, Lyles explained that he dealt with his struggles by making sound choices in his life.
Noah Lyles has often used his platform to create awareness about mental health wellness. As per his recent statement, the athlete shared that his struggle with his mental health began at a young age when he suffered from chronic asthma.
Moreover, by the age of nine, Noah Lyles learned he had ADHD and dyslexia during his school years. Besides being a sick child from the start, he was also bullied by children for his inability to study like normal children.
However, after school, he realized that his ADHD was a gift that he could use to excel in his career. But Lyles began taking therapy at the age of nine. In fact, he opted for several forms of therapy that included sports.
In his latest interview with the YouTube channel I AM ATHLETE, he said,
“Even now I have two therapists. So when you ask me how I'm doing now, I'm doing great.”
He also shared that the calm that he felt presently was not how it was when he won the 2019 World Championships. Noah Lyles's mental struggles escalated after he won the gold medal in the 200m race that year.
He said in the interview,
“It's not how I felt at my other World Championships because when I came out I was depressed I was sad because the high was so high and to get to that moment, it took so much exhaustion for my body that I couldn't enjoy what I had done.”
Noah Lyles on creating boundaries to protect his mental peace
In his interview, Lyles revealed that he realized the reason behind his mental exhaustion after competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He said,
“It wasn't until after the Olympics, where I finally realized why this was happening,” Lyles said.
The athlete comprehended from his mental health struggle that he needed to create boundaries in both his professional and personal life.
So, he created a distance with his sponsors and also with the media. In this process, the athlete also learned a lot about himself. As he was able to understand himself better, it gave him a different perspective to deal with the world.