Andrew Johns

• Johns was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during his playing career. He disclosed the diagnosis publicly in 2007, after his retirement from rugby league, while discussing his mental health and illicit drug use. [3][1]

• Johns has described marked shifts in mood during his playing career. He said there were times when he felt able to “take the world on” and was at his creative best, while on other days he would arrive at training and not want to speak to anyone. [1]
• He also described struggling with depression for several years and having an alcohol problem. He said he sometimes used recreational drugs to escape the pressure he experienced during his career. [1]
• In his autobiography, Johns disclosed that during the fallout from his 2007 drug arrest he came close to suicide, including consciously thinking about taking his own life while alone at home. [3]

• Johns has said that after seeking professional help he was prescribed medication for bipolar disorder. He later acknowledged that during his playing career he sometimes stopped taking it because he missed the elevated moods it reduced. [4]
• He has since said that medication prescribed for epilepsy also serves as his bipolar medication. [4]

• Johns has said that he now copes “a lot better” with bipolar disorder than he did earlier in his life. He has described surfing, swimming and yoga as particularly helpful for his wellbeing, alongside medication. [4]

• Johns has used his public disclosure to encourage more open discussion of mental illness. In 2008, he took part in a six-day walk from Newcastle to Sydney to raise awareness of depression and bipolar disorder and support research through the Black Dog Institute. [5]
• He said he hoped speaking publicly would encourage young people in particular to talk with family and friends when they were struggling. [6]

“I thought I was weak, I thought I was a failure. It was tough.”

— Andrew Johns [4]