Ryan Garcia is a rising star within the sport of Boxing as he maintains his undefeated record and looks to cement his name with the greats one day. But with all the success he's had and the notoriety that comes with it, Garcia began to suffer from bouts of depression as his mental health began to take a turn for the worse.
The first public acknowledgment of his mental health came just last April when the young boxer announced that he would be withdrawing from his scheduled fight against Javier Fortuna, citing the need to focus "on his mental; health and well-being." Garcia stated that he began acting out of character in a destructive action, with heavy drinking being the main culprit. "When I was deep in it, I didn't think I was gonna live," Garcia said in an interview with "Inside Boxing Live." "I was so depressive, and I went to bad habits. So I started drinking, and I never drink, ever."
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Garcia further elaborated on this dark moment in his life, stating that he "was getting drunk all the time" and "wanted to kill myself at one point." Then, Garcia became fully aware of his actions and how they began to impact his well-being and figured something wasn't right. Luckily, Garcia pinpointed the origin of his depressive thoughts and tracked them back to his inability to manage stressful events happening within his life correctly. The 23-year-old boxer sorted his thoughts and knew it was time to get help. "It was so bad, so intense, that I thought maybe I just rather not be here,'" Garcia said. "I didn't understand what was going on. I needed professional help." Garcia got the help he needed and will be strapping up his gloves for a bout on April 9th against Emmanuel Tagoe.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.