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Elise Christie felt ‘broken’ by anxiety and depression

By Press Association Sport staff
Elise Christie
Elise Christie is a three-time world champion and has won 10 European gold medals (David Davies/PA)

British short track speed skater Elise Christie has revealed she felt “broken” during her battle with anxiety and depression.

The Scottish three-time world champion suffered high-profile short track failures at the 2018 Winter Olympics and subsequently split up with her boyfriend, Hungarian skater Shaolin Sandor Liu.

Following the Sochi Games in 2014, Christie received death threats and abuse online, resulting in the onset of anxiety and later depression.

“It was quite debilitating. I was in bed a lot. I was struggling to keep up with normal life. I couldn’t get things done,” she told BBC Sport.

“I hit a massive low when I got injured in the last Olympic season and I just ended up broken.”

Christie said her recovery was aided by taking antidepressants, which she has now stopped.

The 28-year-old also says she is no longer scared and is “excited” about skating and life, and hopes that by opening up about her mental health issues she can help others.

“People are scared to say they’re on medication. I don’t know why but I was the same,” Christie said.

View this post on Instagram

So this post might come as a surprise to many, but as a huge supporter in raising awareness of mental health, especially in sport and supporting the forward movement of being able to talk more openly, there’s something I feel that’s important to share. During the time I was on medication for two years I felt I couldn’t openly speak about it, I suffered for two years with depression and anxiety, it prevented me being myself and unfortunately I ended up on anti-depressants. I’m now really proud to say that I’ve officially managed to get myself off anti-depressants and become more myself again! It’s been amazing to feel happiness and sadness again, to not feel nothing…. there’s a huge list of people I’m owe thanks to, especially during my toughest hours when I hid away from the world and locked everyone out… so many people that loved me and were there through it all! So a massive thank you to everyone that stood by me, and to those that didn’t you now don’t deserve me at my best ! Let’s beat depression together ❤️ #mentalhealthawareness #depression #anxiety #mentaltoughness

A post shared by E l i s e C h r i s t i e 🖤 (@elisechristielikescake) on Apr 25, 2019 at 7:10am PDT

“But people are on them because they need it. I couldn’t function without them at that point.

“It’s fine to be on the medication. I felt at times I was never going to get off them or feel better.

“But I just knew when I was ready to come off the medication, because I was ready to accept the emotions and accept that I was going to feel up and down at points.”

She added: “I want to show people it’s OK to feel that way and that it’s OK to use medication.

“Some people feel weak to admit it. But depression is an illness, not just sadness, and I want people to think it is OK to speak about it.

“I’m going to feel sad emotions but I told myself I was going to try to focus on the good emotions. And now here I am.

“I’m excited about skating; I’m excited about life. I’m not scared any more.”