Depression Case Study: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Travis DixonAbnormal Psychology, Teaching Ideas

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's story is useful for understanding potential causes of depression.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been quite open about his bouts of depression over the years. He said his “…struggles with his mental health began years ago, but he didn’t always have the words to express how he was feeling.” 

Johnson’s first battle with depression was during his days at college when he was playing American football. Johnson wanted to be an NFL player, but in 1990 a massive shoulder injury that needed surgery put an end to that dream. Shortly afterwards his girlfriend broke up with him. The depression followed. He “…wasn’t going to any of the team meetings, wasn’t participating in anything, wasn’t working out.” His second bout of depression came after he divorced his first wife in 2008.

This article has a series of images of a young Dwayne Johnson with his parents (link).

Depression may run in Johnson’s family. When he was 15, he witnessed his mum trying to commit suicide. A few months after being kicked out of their apartment, his Mum, Ata, “…got out of the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic.” Big trucks and cars were swerving out of the way.

His teenage years were a tough time for the Rock. His family struggled financially. He moved around a lot and admits to being an angry and aggressive young man, often getting in fights and frequently being arrested. He even had to take anger management classes. His father, Rocky, was also known to be absent from his family’s life for long periods, leaving Dwayne and his mother to fend for themselves. The Rock recalls that his father’s absence was a source of pain for him, and he often felt abandoned as a child. File:Dwayne The Rock Johnson trees portrait 2009.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

His father, Rocky, also had a tough childhood. At 13, Rocky Johnson’s father died. When his mum (the Rock’s grandma) bought home a new boyfriend who got drunk and urinated on the family dinner table, Rocky knocked him unconscious with a shovel. He was kicked out of home and had to  fend for himself.

But The Rock recalls the “fun times” when his dad would “beat (his) ass in the gym and say “If you’re gonna throw up, go outside.. and if you’re gonna cry, then go home to your mother”. I hated it then, but I embrace it now. Made a man outta me,” says the Rock.

The Rock’s father and grandfather were wrestlers. To follow in their footsteps he probably thought he needed to bulk up, which may be why in his teenage years the Rock first started taking steroids. These have been found to affect brain functioning and neurotransmitter levels, including serotonin and dopamine. In particular, they reduce their effectiveness.

The Rock now encourages men to seek help and talk through their problems, as he recalls that in his youth, “As men, we didn’t talk about it. We just kept our head down and worked through it. Not healthy, but it’s all we knew,” said Johnson. He also recommends the gym. In a separate interview with Men’s Health, Johnson said that while experiencing depression, “[T]he gym became my best friend. You’re able to go to the gym to sweat out toxins and get a little bit more clarity when you walk out the door,” he said. “It doesn’t fix the problem, but it helps. And you know for us, as athletes, just any kind of sweat and getting it in will get that s*** out of you.”

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