Leisel Jones reveals mental health battle and suicidal thoughts in raw account

Swimming champ Leisel Jones has shared a raw mental health update just weeks after opening up about her suicidal moment.

Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones has opened up about one of her darkest days in a raw account about her mental health struggles.

The swimming legend shared two photos of herself, including one in which she is in tears, alongside a caption revealing she had experienced one of her “worst days” and “wanted to end it all.”

“Stay until tomorrow. It’s one of my favourite sayings … I think I have been battling high functioning depression for a little while now and have just gone back to work with a psych,” she said.

“In the dark moments I promise myself to just stay until tomorrow and it’s amazing what the next day can bring.”

She said that after surviving the previous day’s low point, she was able to enjoy some unexpected peace.

Leisel Jones shared that she had experienced one of her darkest days.

The swimming legend has been open about her mental health struggles.

“Today was spectacular. I had some free time after work and went on an hour-long walk along the beach,” she said.

“No goals. No plans. Just enjoy the sunshine and the view. I was really missing my walking buddy @iammeagennay but walking by myself was enough. It changed my whole perspective on things.

“So if life has felt like a kick in the c**t lately, promise me you’ll stay until tomorrow.”

Last month, Jones recounted the terrifying moment she contemplated suicide and how 14 years later she is still working on her mental health.

“I’d really like to talk about the hope and the light at the end of the tunnel,’’ Jones said at the time.

“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.”

The 39-year-old said she moved to the Gold Coast from Brisbane six months ago and had “felt incredibly lonely” as she’s struggled to find her community.

Last month, Jones recounted the terrifying moment she contemplated suicide and how 14 years later she is still working on her mental health.

She detailed how in 2011 during a training camp in Spain she was saved when an unnamed coach knocked on her door.

After a glittering career, claiming three gold medals and nine overall, she said she failed to identify she was struggling.

“I did not care for my mental health whatsoever, because it was completely neglected and was not important, and even as a youngster, when I was coming up, I was told that we were not allowed to use psychologists, because psychologists were for weak athletes,” she said.

“So I was denied access to a psychologist as a 14 year-old girl who was going to her first Olympic Games. And that was devastating to me, because I really could have benefited talking about mental health, because I did not believe I was a weak athlete.

“I believed I was very strong, but I just did not have that connection with strong mental health and a strong body. So that internal connection between mind and body is so important.”

She encouraged others to recognise when they may need help and not be afraid to seek it.

“It’s a lot of hard work. You do have to work through it, but the first thing is recognising that you may have a problem and that you may want to work through it. It is incredibly brave to go and seek help,” she said.

“It’s all about taking that first step, getting in there, really digging deep. It’s gritty, it’s awful, and it sometimes feel like it’s a waste of time. But trust me, it’s so worth it, because there is hope out there.”

Originally published as Leisel Jones reveals mental health battle and suicidal thoughts in raw account