Australian Olympic great Leisel Jones breaks down in emotional video: ‘Depths of hell'
The three-time Olympic gold medallist recently posted a photo of herself on social media — with tears streaming down her face — saying she was 'battling high-functioning depression' and had just gone back to work with a psychologist.
She also revealed her favourite message to herself when 'the dark moments' arrived ... and that message is 'stay until tomorrow'.
'I promise myself to just stay until tomorrow and it's amazing what the next day can bring,' she said.
Sporting greats, fellow Olympians, and TV celebrities all rallied around Jones, with wonderful messages of support.
And Jones decided to address those people in a public video on Thursday, revealing she could not thank them personally due to an Instagram 'shadow-ban'.
'Just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who reached out to me about my latest post. It went a little bit crazier than expected,' Jones said in a self-filmed video.
'And just know that I have read all your messages, and when I go to comment back, I actually get shadow-banned because it looks like I'm spamming everyone, even though it's my own content. So I don't know why Instagram does that, but I try and write back, and it blocks me from doing that.
'But just know that I have read every single one of your messages. I cried every time I opened it, because everyone was so supportive and so lovely about it.
'And suicide is a real thing in our society, whether we like to admit it or not, and sometimes we just have really shitty days where you just feel like you don't want to do it anymore.
'So I wanted to be really honest about that, because on the Instagram my life looks like I have a whole lot of fun, which I do, but sometimes it's just not all roses.
'I think one of the biggest lessons that I took out of it is that my saying is really simple, 'Stay until tomorrow'.
'And I'm really glad and ... it is so heartwarming to see people who may have shared this with other people.
'It's a really nice, simple saying, and that's something that's really easy to remember, and it's just a good reminder to us when we're in the depths of hell and our brain is fighting against us and doesn't want to be here anymore, that sometimes staying until tomorrow is just the one step you can take today.
'And if that has helped you, I'm so glad that it can help you as well. And if you've been able to share that, I'm just super grateful.
'So of course, I'm getting teary because, yeah, this post, like, it's meant a lot. And just in terms of people reaching out and being so kind — to think I'm crying but there you go — it's been really appreciated so I thank you.'
Jones has a history of mental health struggles and last month opened up about a dark chapter in her life 14 years ago.
'I'd really like to talk about the hope and the light at the end of the tunnel,' Jones said.
'And I distinctly remember sitting down with my psychologist after 2011 when I had contemplated taking my own life.
'I remember Lisa saying to me, she said there is light at the end of the tunnel. I was like, who bloody blew it out because I can't see it, and I just feel like it's never getting any closer, but extraordinarily it does.
'And that light will always be there, but you just have to find it, and sometimes you do have to light it yourself.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
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The Age
an hour ago
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