Nathaniel Wooden has been open about how his psychological well being struggles have impacted his profession.
Now he’s simply as open about how anti-anxiety remedy has helped him maintain from going to what he known as a “darkish place,” and he hopes that message would possibly assist different individuals, too.
“I’ve suffered with OCD and anxiousness for so long as I can keep in mind,” Wooden instructed MMA Junkie Radio. “I do know I had it once I was a toddler, however I didn’t comprehend it on the time. I’ve been on my remedy now for, on and off, most likely 9 years. There was one time the place I might be on and off, and your darkish cloud days come.
“There was one time the place I used to be actually, actually, actually unhealthy for a stable month. After I went again on (Sertraline), I simply stated to myself I’m not coming off them – not for a very long time. … I’m nonetheless on it now. I’m nonetheless glad to take it. I’m nonetheless proud to say I’m taking it as a result of if doubtlessly coming off it can put me in a darkish place once more, then I’d somewhat simply keep on it.”
Wooden (20-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) on Saturday takes on Daniel Pineda (28-15 MMA, 5-6 UFC) in a featherweight bout to shut out the prelims at UFC 304 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) at Co-op Dwell in Manchester, England.
He’ll be attempting to interrupt again into the win column after an October 2023 choice loss in Abu Dhabi to Muhammad Naimov. That snapped a three-fight profitable streak of choices since he moved as much as featherweight from bantamweight.
Absent the meds, issues may be totally different for somebody who suffers with anxiousness and obsessive-compulsive dysfunction.
“I’ve intrusive ideas. I’ve a headache. Immediately, I’d suppose, ‘May or not it’s mind most cancers?’ So as a substitute of simply going, ‘I’m gonna transfer on, I’ll obsess over that – all day, doubtlessly all evening, with out realizing till I put myself in a very anxious state.
“… It’s a really unexplained sickness. Lots of people simply suppose (OCD) is about being tidy or it’s about washing your fingers. However there’s a lot extra to it that folks don’t perceive. Even I didn’t perceive it till I finally went and received medical assist and realized that it’s much more advanced than individuals suppose.”
Take a look at the total interview with Wooden within the video above.
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