The outcry over the tennis star shows it’s OK to admit having a mental illness, but only on your own time
The Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has spoken about suffering “long bouts of depression” since 2018, the year of her first US Open win.
When you’re suffering from depression, the medical advice is to check in with your therapist, take walks, eat well, sleep properly and avoid distressing situations. At no point is the advice to front the international media in a combative press conference format designed to elicit extreme emotional responses from you.
Decreasing stigmatisation means people can apparently publicly admit to having mental illnesses – but, apparently, only on their own time