Rising boxer Ryan Garcia has been in the spotlight due to concerns about his mental health. The boxing community is closely monitoring his well-being after a series of unusual incidents.
Ryan Garcia and his mental health struggles
Garcia’s struggles with mental health have been evident. In 2022, he canceled a fight to seek treatment for his mental well-being. Following his first loss against Gervonta Davis, his downward spiral began. During the press tour for his fight with Devin Haney, Garcia exhibited erratic behavior, which raised further concerns.
Despite these challenges, Garcia has shown resilience. In a symbolic act, he signed a “contract” on a Bible, committing to mental and physical well-being. However, the boxing world remains cautiously optimistic, hoping that Garcia receives the support he needs to navigate his mental health journey.
Ryan Garcia has discussed how he has been through rough patches regarding his mental health, a couple of times in the past. The first time was when he was just about to turn pro, at the age of 17. He was depressed and felt anxious.
‘KingRy’ recalled how he used to take NyQuil and had bizarre views about having cancer. However, he got out of his depression when he got into the first serious relationship of his life, and in a way, love saved him.
The second time was when he was about to face Luke Campbell in 2021 and at that time Ryan Garcia was on a spiritual journey. However, delving deep into his thoughts got him in a spiral loop of depression.
He stated on Mary’s Place:
“I was so depressed, to the point where I wanted to kill myself. Yeah I was on, I remember the moment I was driving in a car I had a bunch of pills that they gave me, and I was going to put it all in my mouth it’s like I’m done, there’s no way. I couldn’t remember anything I lost my train of thought every 10 seconds I was like forgetful Tom from ’50 First Dates’.”
He further discussed how things gradually changed for him and revealed that he is still on a journey of healing and improvement.