Freddie Flintoff says he 'cut back on drink' to help with his depression
- Published
Former England cricket captain Freddie Flintoff says he's cut out drinking to help with his depression.
The 37-year-old made the comments on the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
He said: "One, I genuinely thought I'd had enough of it. It catches up with me in the morning.
"And two, I suffer with depression and it doesn't help at all. I just hit rock bottom afterwards. So you're far better without it."
Flintoff retired from professional cricket in September 2010 but came out of retirement last year to play for Lancashire in the T20 Blast.
He's been in Australia for the past few months playing for Brisbane Heat in the Twenty20 Big Bash but is now in South Africa, where I'm A Celebrity Australia is filmed.
If you're depressed or think you might be, there's more on what to do at BBC Advice
He says he still goes out but has only drunk alcohol once in the past year.
"You try and drink to change how you feel, it's just a bad [thing]," he says.
"Life's so much easier with not having any [alcohol]. The things that tend to go wrong are drink-fuelled.
"I did a documentary on depression in sport but it was more sort of a boxer talking about it and it makes it easier for other people to talk about."
The documentary Flintoff is speaking about is The Hidden Side of Sport, which aired on the BBC in 2012.
It featured boxer Ricky Hatton, former footballer Vinnie Jones and snooker player Graham Dott opening up about their depression and the effect it had on their careers.
Former Brady Bunch actress Maureen McCormick told Flintoff she also suffered from depression
Flintoff says he finally realised he was suffering from depression while making the programme.
"I never knew what it was and I've always never said anything," he says.
"And then speaking to other people I identified with how I felt, and I could sort it out, treat it.
"I couldn't expect my mates to talk if I wasn't going to say anything about it."
On the pitch while playing cricket, Flintoff was always a larger than life character but he says he only realised why he had to hide his feelings behind bravado after finding out he suffered from depression.
Freddie Flintoff celebrates after taking a wicket in England's successful Ashes series in 2009
"I don't think there was one moment [I realised I had depression]," he admits.
"It was when I spoke to people, you'd talk about their experiences and how they felt. And I'd say, 'That's exactly how I felt or can feel.'
"You know when you feel a little bit down, you physically can't get up. Or you can't get off your bed. It's hard to explain, you have the weight of the world on your shoulders - fear, guilt, all sorts - for no apparent reason."
Flintoff's depression led to controversy during his England career.
He was sacked as England vice-captain in 2007 and banned for one game for breaching team discipline.
It was after he got drunk and got into difficulties after taking a pedal boat out to sea after a World Cup defeat in St Lucia.
He was also disciplined in 2009 for missing the England team bus for a visit to World War I sites in Belgium the night after a squad dinner, where the players had gone for a bonding session.
Flintoff says he now knows what to do when he feels down.
"I see it now like, if I have a bad ear, I'll see a doctor. If I get an injury I'll see a physio. If I'm struggling with my head, I'll see someone."
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