On his podcast, Mike Tyson shared with psychologist Sean McFarland that he felt he was close to death. However, this is not the first time he has shown signs of psychological instability.
“I looked in the mirror and saw little dots on my face. I said ‘Wow, this proves that my deadline is near, it must not be much longer,'” Mike Tyson said.
The former boxing champion said this during a conversation about “Mike”, the film recounting his own life and career. Besides implying that death was approaching, Mike Tyson admitted that he was like a scared child and could not control his violent behavior, that he was going through the most difficult match of his life. life. That’s when he got stuck with himself.
“I, Mike Tyson, am afraid of everything. Does that make any sense? All I know is to attack. No one understands how much I hate myself ,” Mike shared.
When the host said that the attitude of always attacking is something the world’s top athletes often have, Tyson immediately objected, saying that neither success nor money could help him find a sense of security.
“Success – that’s why I tore my life apart. I put myself down as much as I encouraged myself to stand up. When you have money in your account, come the month you receive a check and just live comfortably for the rest of your life, is that safe? Does that help you be immune to disease, avoid traffic accidents or one day come up with the idea of jumping off a bridge? I don’t know if money can protect us from those things ,” the 56-year-old boxer said.
A rough and violent childhood
In the past, Mike Tyson repeatedly committed violent acts. He did not have a peaceful childhood. Mike Tyson’s father left when he was born, while his mother was an alcoholic and often beat her children. Therefore, Mike Tyson grew up with street fights.
“ My mother loves me too, but she is very violent. She wasn’t attached to anyone, didn’t work much and didn’t hesitate to hit me with anything. My mother was a heavy drinker, had many boyfriends and many other things. Sometimes she brought her boyfriend home to drink with her, then I searched their pockets and stole some money ,” Mike Tyson recalled on his podcast.
Later, Mike Tyson studied boxing and became close with coach Cus D’Amato. Tyson viewed D’Amato as an adoptive father, so this coach’s death in 1985 greatly affected his spirit and somewhat caused him to lose control.
Mike Tyson was once accused of threatening his ex-wife, Robin Givens, had trouble with drugs and had to go to jail for rape. In addition, he was once accused of attacking others during an argument in a traffic accident, and even tried to bribe zoo staff to fight with a gorilla.
Last April, Mike Tyson got into a fight with a passenger on a plane. In a video posted by news agency TMZ, the 56-year-old former boxer repeatedly punched a fan in the face because he felt disturbed.
Mental decline
But right now, “Steel Mike” is having many psychological problems. He was hospitalized because of depression, loss of behavioral control and inability to control anger. In the October 2021 podcast, Mike Tyson admitted that he often cried out of fear before each match. Later, the former American boxer repeatedly mentioned his fear and had to apply special treatment methods.
“I don’t understand much, but my mind is like a torture chamber. I have to control it to make my life more stable ,” Mike Tyson said.
Mike Tyson’s life actually declined in the early 2000s. He had to file for bankruptcy in 2003 and suffered a great mental shock when his daughter Exodus passed away. In 2020, Mike Tyson said on famous MC Ellen DeGeneres’s talk show The Ellen Show that he was a vegetarian, but he later admitted it was a lie. In fact, he was an alcoholic and drug addict.
Doctor Sean McFarland admitted that Mike Tyson is in a bad phase and does not care about his health. He even had to go with Mike Tyson to crowded places to help this boxer reduce stress.
“Mike once told me ‘My head explodes when I walk into a restaurant, it’s like people are shouting bad words.’ So Mike and I decided to make an unspoken contract with each other every time we go to the cinema, restaurant or anywhere. He would pat me when he felt scared or overwhelmed by emotions ,” said Dr. McFarland.
It seems that after years of playing the role of “the worst man on the planet”, Mike Tyson is gradually letting go of his scandalous life, but the former boxing champion is suffering from mental wounds when he returns. old.