West Ham's Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‚'disliking football'

[wils]

"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/05/16/west-ham-michail-antonio-therapy-disliking-football/ Antonio reveals how off-pitch problems left him ‘mentally drained’ and hoping he would get injured so he didn’t have to play West Ham striker Michail Antonio has revealed he is having therapy after falling out of love with football. The 34-year-old, who was called up for England early in his career but now represents Jamaica, has opened up about how the end of his marriage and childhood trauma left him with mental health struggles and unable to celebrate West Ham’s Europa Conference League final victory last season. Speaking on the High Performance Podcast to presenter Jake Humphrey and author Damian Hughes, Antonio has revealed how off-pitch problems left him “mentally drained” and hoping he would get injured so he didn’t have to play. “I just started disliking the game. I began therapy because I was really struggling,” Antonio said. “I was going through my divorce and stuff, and I honestly couldn’t get my head around it. After we won (the Europa Conference League), the whole team went out, the gaffer went out, got steaming, a couple of boys didn’t sleep for two days, just got drunk for two days – I was asleep on the coach and went back to the hotel. “I was just mentally drained because of everything that was going on outside of my football and then I went back to the hotel and went to sleep while everyone was out partying.” Antonio’s issues spiralled around Dec 2022 when he realised that he was no longer enjoying football. While playing with Jamaica offered him something of an escape, he hoped injury would strike to prevent him having to return to the Premier League – only for a medial ligament injury to bring a reality check that he was unlikely to get a new contract unless he stepped up his game. To compound matters, Antonio also split up with wife Debbie Whittle after they married in 2017. Antonio sought the help of the club’s medical staff while West Ham and the Professional Footballers’ Association were also able to offer specialist counsellors, but Antonio branched out to find his own therapist. “I started therapy because I was really struggling. And how I grew up, it was never a thing,” he said. “I thought therapy was for crazy people. But therapy changed my life. At first it was awkward, I’m not going to lie. You’re sat in the room, someone was there and goes, ‘How are you?’ “And your natural response is ‘Fine’. So he’s like, ‘So why are you here?’ I was like, ‘To be honest, like, football, I’m struggling with football, I split up with my missus’.” He added: “My life was a bit turned upside-down because obviously I’m splitting up with my missus, my wife, and also, I’m not performing on the pitch and things are just not going well for me. “And then I’m a person where I’d never cry. And as I was talking to him, I just burst into tears. It was uncontrollable. That gave me some type of relief. And then like my chest felt like clear.” Antonio also explained how childhood experiences had shaped his mistrust of people after he was betrayed by those he thought were close to him. “There were certain things that happened in my childhood,” he said. “Let’s just say I struggled to make friendships when I was in primary school. There was no one that was, I would say, my best friend until I was like 12 and then that person kind of left. “When I was 14, I thought these people were my friends, these guys end up stealing a bike. The people got caught with the bikes. “They grouped up and said ‘Michail did it’. I’ve been friends with them for three years, going to school every day with them, so it just made me mistrust people.”"

[wils]

"Alfs wrote..""Talking therapy has changed countless lives, and helped an enormous amount of people."" There's no doubt in my mind that that's true. And your description of therapy's aim seems reasonable enough. With regards to the criticism of therapy in Lasch's book, I think he is taking aim at a culture of therapy rather than therapy itself. His point is that post-war society, and for him he was taking aim at American society but it's fair to say that it applies to us here too, had developed a therapeutic culture where people had become inward looking and pathologised unhappiness. Being sad or depressed was no longer one's own responsibility solved by a bout introspection but seen as an illness. No doubt for some it is physiological illness with chemical causes, but, Lasch was arguing that he saw therapy becoming a cultural artefact that was both a consequence and a driver of a narcissistic culture. I know my wife had been pushed into therapy at a young age and she worked it out for herself that she was being pathologised and pigeon holed and ended the sessions herself. I wouldn't say that's the right thing to do for everyone but it's a different perspective on it. Another quote from Lasch, ""people today hunger not for personal salvation, ...but for the feeling, the momentary illusion, of personal well-being, health, and psychic security.” Perhaps, for some of us at least, the answer to our misery is something a bit deeper than therapy."

[Alfs]

"Come On You Irons 5:34 Thu May 16 My God, your ignorance is staggering! Talking therapy has changed countless lives, and helped an enormous amount of people. And being wealthy doesn't stop you having severe mental health problems. Many incredibly successful people have taken their own lives."

[Massive Attack]

1 of my favourite Hammers in the modern era. Love the bones of the man. Archetypal West Ham player in every sense and for me a West Ham legend.

[Gary Strodders shank]

Now this has been plastered all over the front page of the Sun it I wouldn't surprise me if there was some other story sold to them about him in the coming days. I'm not saying he has been up to no good just if there is something juicy out there the opportunists will cash in Incidentally there was a double page article about Jack Sullivan in the City AM yesterday. Nothing salacious just a bit of a charm offensive complimenting his old man and talking about his business interests and aspirations.

[Vexed]

Geezer's fucking embarrassing. A minge.

[Northern Sold]

Probably explains why he played like a useless cսnt last couple of seasons... fuck me... so he was ignored as a few years as a kid.. and he got the blame when some MATES ratted him out... yeah have a breakdown you fucking clown

[Sir Alf]

"Like I say, proper therapy should over time see people giving more than taking, having accountabilty/responsibility,’maiing amends, being honest, truthful and above all else humble since they are content with their life and who they are. It tends to get a lot easier to get to this point ( enlightenment the Buddhists wouod say) as you come nearer to the endvof your life :-). Most of us could do with a program of therapy. I know I’m gonna be a work in progress for the rest of my days but as Frank Spencer, that wise sage once said, “every day, in every way, Im getting better and better” or trying to :-)"

[goose]

says the poster who spends his time trying to convince people he's never met that he earns a 6 figure salary.

[Sir Alf]

"Most of us fans have needed therapy watching Moyesball the last 2 years as we had also grown to dislike football as a result :-) On the subject of therapy. It should ensure you take ownership and responsibility for your actions or behaviour or the consequences that have resulted. It does not usually mean a finite period of therapy either. Usually underlying trauma and self esteem issues ( often with behaviour that appears the opposite). Therapy for those child development issues ( usually the root ) should then be for life and instill humility, self awareness, kindness, truth and honesty at all times. Many ( perhaps most ) of us could do with it. :-)"

[Fauxstralian]

It was rumoured at the time that his marriage breakup was due to him getting 2 (TWO) women who werent his wife pregnant Understandably said wife was not impressed Though it shows that he CAN shoot straight when he wants to Hopefully he sorts out his life as can maybe do one more season as an impact sub If we start next season with him in the starting lineup we are in trouble

[Capitol Man]

To be fair to him Antonio has made me dislike football on a pretty regular basis as well - especially in one-on-ones with the keeper.

[Capitol Man]

To be fair to him Antonio has made me dislike football on a pretty regular basis as well - especially in one-on-ones with the keeper.

[wils]

"A good read on therapy or 'the culture of therapy' is Christopher's Lasch's, The Culture of Narcissism. He's quite disdainful of it... “Therapy labels as sickness what might otherwise be judged as weak or willful actions; it thus equips the patient to fight (or resign himself to) the disease, instead of irrationally finding fault with himself. Inappropriately extended beyond the consulting room, however, therapeutic morality encourages a permanent suspension of the moral sense. There is a close connection, in turn, between the erosion of moral responsibility and the waning of the capacity for self-help—in the categories used by John R. Seeley, between the elimination of culpability and the elimination of competence. ""What says 'you are not guilty' says also 'you cannot help yourself.' "" Therapy legitimates deviance as sickness, but it simultaneously pronounces the patient unfit to manage his own life and delivers him into the hands of a specialist.”"

[Jasnik]

Remember dressing up as a snowman and crashing your car is a cry for help.

[wd40]

"Just when you were thinking its all gone quite on people ranting on about their therapy and mental heath like we really give a toss about them, up it comes again retiring soon so a book on is way soon for sure drip drip till its in your book shop near you soon"

[Mr Anon]

"Come On You Irons 5:34 Thu May 16 Re: West Ham’s Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‘disliking football’ Exactly. Talking therapy might help to some degree but it's not going to magically change people's lives for the better. Take out the word ""magically"" and you'll realise what a moronic statement that is. It's meant to give you the fortitude and will to make your life better yourself, not do it for you"

[Manuel]

"AOI - Careful, it won't be long before someone comes along and says it doesn't make any difference if you're on 100 bags a week. What if your problems are financial, is a shrink going to put money in your account or pay your gas bill? Thought not."

[Any Old Iron]

"Cheer up Micky. Just think, if it wasn’t for football you’d have to work for a living. Some people just don’t seem to realise when they’re well off. Anyway, I blame Moyes. Who wouldn’t get pissed off having his turgid tactics imposed on them"

[Manuel]

"SnarestoneIron 5:02 Thu May 16 Where did I say it can't work? And what might not ''happen'' to me? if you mean get depressed then trust me I know a lot about that! I'm saying it isn't my bag, I would just suffer in silence rather than go and talk to a stranger and take my chances, certainly not saying I'm right, but that's just me, hence 'not my bag'' Understand?"

[SnarestoneIron]

"Manuel 1:48 Thu May 16 It may not be your bag, but clearly shows it can work. I've had struggles and just talking about it really does help. You may think it will never happen to you, I know I did, but it can happen to anybody."

[Texas Iron]

Very brave Michael… Thanks for some great MEMORIES…

[terry-h]

First time I saw Antonio was the FA Trophy final in 2010 when he was on loan at Southampton.(Pardew was manager). He assisted a couple of goals and scored with a left foot shot followed by a typical celebratory dance with his teammates. Five years later he signed for us.