Michael Jamieson, 32, retired from competitive swimming in 2016. He broke his own British record to finish second in the 200m breaststroke in the 2012 Olympics, but missed out on a medal at the 2013 World Championships following a series of shoulder injuries.
Overtraining in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games led to Jamieson’s heart being restarted.
He failed to qualify for the World Championships in 2015, and he also missed out on selection for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, the swimmer said it was common for many elite athletes to over-analyse their day-to-day performance.
He explained: “A poor training performance on one particular day can put you in a negative mood state for quite a long time.
“I was just becoming far too analytical of my performance, expecting far too much of myself on a day-to day basis in training.
“I think that kind of habitual negative thought starts to grow arms and legs until it becomes extremely difficult to reverse that without the help of professionals.”
He added: “I just always felt a huge deal of responsibility to do the best possible job I could and I just went really too far with that.”
Jamieson said he revealed his depression in an interview with The Sunday Times because he knew many other elite athletes who also suffered with the condition.
“I became aware that there was a lot of athletes that had similar issues,” he said.
“I think it’s important that other athletes are comfortable to come forward, particularly the ones that aren’t quite able to get to the top level. I would argue that they’re more vulnerable to that sort of thing.”
What is depression?
Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days, says the NHS.
It explains: “Most people go through periods of feeling down, but when you’re depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just a few days.
“Some people think depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition. They’re wrong – it is a real illness with real symptoms. Depression is not a sign of weakness or something you can “snap out of” by ‘pulling yourself together’.
“The good news is that with the right treatment and support, most people with depression can make a full recovery.”
What are the symptoms of depression?
The health body says depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms.
It explains: “[Symptoms] range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.
“There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and various aches and pains.
“The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living.
“Most people experience feelings of stress, anxiety or low mood during difficult times. A low mood may improve after a short period of time, rather than being a sign of depression.”
If you think you may be depressed, see a GP.
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