‘I was so ashamed of who I became as a human being’ - Robin Uthappa recalls mental health struggle

Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa recently opened up discussions on mental health and how it affected him in 2011. Recently, former cricketers David Johnson and Graham Thorpe tragically passed away after suffering from depression for years. Giving their examples, Uthappa opened up on the importance of mental health.

The 38-year-old shared that he was ashamed of himself in 2011 and didn’t know what to do next. Uthappa stated that on those days, one should always focus on existing that day and not think far ahead. He added that sometimes people fail to find the l"ight at the end of the tunnel", but explained that it is important to take the next step and not think much about the tunnel. 

“We are going to be talking about depression and suicide. We recently heard about Graham Thorpe and David Johnson from India. VB Chandra Sekhar sir who was the rock of CSK. I have been there as well. It's not a pretty journey. It's debilitating. You feel like you are burden to people you love. It's challenging. You feel like you are worth less,” Uthappa said in a video on his YouTube channel.

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“In 2011, I was so ashamed of who I became as a human being. It's absolutely ok to not know what you have to do next. Sometimes existing for that one day, is what you have to do next. Often you don't need light at the end of the tunnel. You need the light only till the next step,” he added.

Uthappa also shared his story of dealing with depression and that he was seeking answers all throughout.

“We have heard about multiple people who have ended their lives due to depression. I personally have been their as well. It's heavy, that's how it feels. I have often felt when I was going through clinical depression, to be burden. I was seeking answers,” he said.