Elise Christie: British skater reveals battle with depression and anxiety
- Published
At the Winter Olympics, Christie fell in the 500m final and 1500m semi-finals, and was disqualified from the 1,000m heats
Former world champion Elise Christie has revealed she suffered depression and anxiety for two years.
The British short track speed skater, 28, claimed three world titles in 2017 but drew widespread attention during a disappointing 2018 Winter Olympics.
In an Instagram post,, external the Scot said she was now off antidepressants.
"I was on medication for two years," said Christie. "I felt I couldn't openly speak about it. I suffered for two years with depression and anxiety."
She added: "It prevented me being myself and unfortunately I ended up on antidepressants.
"I'm now really proud to say that I've officially managed to get myself off antidepressants and become more myself again.
"It's been amazing to feel happiness and sadness again, to not feel nothing."
In November, Christie told BBC Sport a period from 2017 into 2018 had been the worst year of her life.
Late in 2017, she found out her father had been diagnosed with cancer and she admitted she "wasn't coping well" going into the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
At the Games, she fell in the 500m final and 1500m semi-finals, and raced with an injured ankle in the 1,000m heats, where she was disqualified.
After the competition, she separated from her boyfriend - Hungarian skater Shaolin Sándor Liu - stating he "couldn't cope about how down I was about the Games".
Reflecting on the break up, she said she lost her "biggest support" at "her lowest point".
Christie is targeting a medal at the 2022 Winter Games and said the reason for sharing her mental health battle was because she hoped to continue "supporting the forward movement of being able to talk more openly".
She added: "There's a huge list of people I owe thanks to, especially during my toughest hours when I hid away from the world and locked everyone out, so many people that loved me and were there through it all!
"So a massive thank you to everyone that stood by me, and to those that didn't, you now don't deserve me at my best! Let's beat depression together."