{"id":15463,"date":"2025-12-09T06:05:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T21:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/?p=15463"},"modified":"2025-12-09T10:18:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T01:18:12","slug":"depression-case-study-dwayne-the-rock-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/2025\/12\/09\/depression-case-study-dwayne-the-rock-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"Depression in the Real World: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson has been quite open about his bouts of depression over the years. He said his \u201c…struggles with his mental health began years ago, but he didn’t always have the words to express how he was feeling.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 \u201c…wasn\u2019t going to any of the team meetings, wasn\u2019t participating in anything, wasn\u2019t working out.\u201d His second bout of depression came after he divorced his first wife in 2008.<\/p>\n

This article has a series of images of a young Dwayne Johnson with his parents (link<\/a>).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Depression may run in Johnson\u2019s 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, \u201c…got out of the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic.\u201d Big trucks and cars were swerving out of the way.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

His father, Rocky, also had a tough childhood. At 13, Rocky Johnson\u2019s father died. When his mum (the Rock\u2019s 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\u00a0 fend for himself.<\/p>\n

But The Rock recalls the \u201cfun times\u201d when his dad would \u201cbeat (his) ass in the gym and say \u201cIf 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,\u201d says the Rock.<\/p>\n

The Rock\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

The Rock now encourages men to seek help and talk through their problems, as he recalls that in his youth, \u201cAs 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\u2019s Health, Johnson said that while experiencing depression, \u201c[T]he gym became my best friend. You\u2019re able to go to the gym to sweat out toxins and get a little bit more clarity when you walk out the door,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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REFERENCES<\/strong><\/p>\n