“I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school,” the decorated Formula 1 driver shared in a new interview
Lewis Hamilton is reflecting on his experiences with mental health over the years and how he feels he’s now “so much more refined” when it comes to understanding his emotions at 39.
The decorated Formula One driver revealed in a new interview with The Sunday Times, published on Sept. 28, that he had “some really difficult phases” in his twenties and has faced mental health concerns “through my life.”
As Hamilton explained, he specifically encountered depression “from an early age,” beginning around when he was 13.
“I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school. The bullying,” he said. “I had no one to talk to.”
While he’s been to therapy and has “spoke to one woman, years ago,” he said the experience “wasn’t really helpful” and that he’d “like to find someone today.” Hamilton also told The Times that he’s been on silent retreats and has read books about the topic like 1992’s The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman.
“You’re learning about things that have been passed down to you from your parents, noticing those patterns, how you react to things, how you can change those,” he said. “So what might have angered me in the past doesn’t anger me today. I am so much more refined.”