The person I chose to write this paper about may come as a surprise to many because they do not associate him with mental illness. It is Michael Phelps, competitive swimmer and most highly decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals (23 of them gold). Phelps was only 15 when he made his Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000. Although he didn't medal the first time around, the teenager put the world on notice when he finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly final. He would go on to win eight medals in Athens, eight in Beijing, six in London, and six in Rio just last year. However, one of the sources of his drive to win comes from a rather unexpected place: his mental disorder. In his childhood, Phelps was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
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He recalls not being able to pay attention and his teacher telling his mother how he would never be able to focus on anything. In elementary school, Phelps was an attention seeker and he used to talk without thinking it though. However, nothing was done because Phelps was the youngest and sole boy of three. Thus, his mother Debbie thought her son’s energy levels was typical behavior for a boy. As he continued through school in Baltimore, Maryland, Debbie would continue to receive reports from teachers about his diminishing ability to stay on task. It was at age nine that Phelps’ pediatrician recommended he be tested and, low and behold, the future swimmer was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin, a stimulant drug. At first, Phelps took it with no problem and started to pay more attention. His mother and sisters were protective and oversaw how he was behaving and what he was eating. Then middle school hit and Phelps had to take the pill twice a day. That meant he got called down to the nurse everyday as an early teen to take his medication, which is not something any 12 year old wants to do, as it was embarrassing. Phelps tell that he was the “scrawny kid” who “got picked on a lot” and “felt stigmatized.” With that, he wanted to stop taking Ritalin, and he did so with the help of his doctors and mother. Around this time, Phelps’ mother enrolled him with the local swim club, where he flourished...eventually. In the beginning, he had a lot of trouble controlling his emotions like when he ripped his goggle off angrily and threw them onto the pool deck for coming in second. Also, he “hated getting his face wet,” according to his mother. In time, Phelps learned to control his outbursts through his mom’s help and removing himself from the situation for a bit. He was incredibly able to transform his nervous energy into record-breaking times. Swimming made Phelps feel free. Nowadays, Phelps is talking more about his ADHD to help
He recalls not being able to pay attention and his teacher telling his mother how he would never be able to focus on anything. In elementary school, Phelps was an attention seeker and he used to talk without thinking it though. However, nothing was done because Phelps was the youngest and sole boy of three. Thus, his mother Debbie thought her son’s energy levels was typical behavior for a boy. As he continued through school in Baltimore, Maryland, Debbie would continue to receive reports from teachers about his diminishing ability to stay on task. It was at age nine that Phelps’ pediatrician recommended he be tested and, low and behold, the future swimmer was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin, a stimulant drug. At first, Phelps took it with no problem and started to pay more attention. His mother and sisters were protective and oversaw how he was behaving and what he was eating. Then middle school hit and Phelps had to take the pill twice a day. That meant he got called down to the nurse everyday as an early teen to take his medication, which is not something any 12 year old wants to do, as it was embarrassing. Phelps tell that he was the “scrawny kid” who “got picked on a lot” and “felt stigmatized.” With that, he wanted to stop taking Ritalin, and he did so with the help of his doctors and mother. Around this time, Phelps’ mother enrolled him with the local swim club, where he flourished...eventually. In the beginning, he had a lot of trouble controlling his emotions like when he ripped his goggle off angrily and threw them onto the pool deck for coming in second. Also, he “hated getting his face wet,” according to his mother. In time, Phelps learned to control his outbursts through his mom’s help and removing himself from the situation for a bit. He was incredibly able to transform his nervous energy into record-breaking times. Swimming made Phelps feel free. Nowadays, Phelps is talking more about his ADHD to help