SYDNEY, Australia, January 30. ACCORDING to a litany of media reports in Australia, Australian superstar Ian Thorpe has been admitted to a Sydney hospital for depression and alcohol abuse.
The Herald Sun, one of the outlets reporting on the story, states that “Family members have revealed Thorpe was injured in a fall earlier this week before they sought medical help, and he was admitted to hospital on Wednesday night.”
The Herald Sun further reports that Thorpe’s setback has surprised many of his friends, but most are happy that Thorpe is taking steps to find a solution to his issues.
“Yes, it’s serious but there’s not a lot I can or want to add,” broadcaster Alan Jones told the Herald Sun, “Ian is a beautiful person but he has difficulty recognizing his problems.”
The five-time Olympic gold medalist first revealed his battles in his autobiography published in 2013.
“Not even my family is aware that I’ve spent a lot of my life battling what I can only describe as crippling depression,” he wrote.
Thorpe, however, has definitely been active lately, making plenty of public appearances. It seems as if the accident that sent him to the hospital has allowed him the chance to begin to work on some of his other issues regarding depression and alcohol abuse.