Bundesliga professional Niklas Schmidt from Werder Bremen spoke in an interview with the “Spiegel” about his depression and warned against social media. Schmidt had already revealed in January that he had psychological problems.
Shortly after his first Bundesliga goal against Borussia Dortmund in August 2022, he fell into a hole. The 25-year-old said he no longer felt like going out or seeing other people. “After training, I just wanted to sleep.” His girlfriend almost had to force him to go to training on this subject.
His girlfriend was also instrumental in recognizing his depression in the first place, Schmidt said. He himself didn’t even notice until she stood before him crying and said, “You’ve changed a lot. I’m worried.” Schmidt said he didn’t want to think about what would have happened without her.
Meanwhile, his depression was so severe that he wondered why he should live, Schmidt said. His girlfriend noticed and told him to get help. In October 2022, he went to Werder coach Ole Werner and then said: “I can’t do it anymore.” He was not afraid of being chosen. Sport was “totally irrelevant” to him at the time.
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He also spoke to the team about his illness. In the team kitchen he said he was sorry and couldn’t anymore. “Then I shed tears.” Each player then came up to him, hugged him and talked him down.
Schmidt then failed the game in Freiburg on October 22, 2022. In his team’s next three games he was in the squad, but was not used. He celebrated his comeback with ten minutes of action on November 12, 2022 against RB Leipzig. Nowadays he goes to the psychologist once a week, he told the “Spiegel”. That helps him a lot.
He advises those affected: “Stay away from social media!” Instagram or TikTok are “comparison portals” and drive people crazy. “What is this beauty and pressure to perform?” If someone has a big nose, he just has a big nose, Schmidt said.
He also encourages people to talk to others about their problems. “You’re really cool when you can talk about your problems, when you’re honest, when you cry in front of your friends.” (ram/t online)
source: watson
I’m Maxine Reitz, a journalist and news writer at 24 Instant News. I specialize in health-related topics and have written hundreds of articles on the subject. My work has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Healthline. As an experienced professional in the industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to develop compelling stories that engage readers.
