Johnny Manziel

• Manziel publicly disclosed in a 2018 Good Morning America interview that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder about a year earlier. [1]

• Manziel has described periods of severe depression after his NFL career deteriorated, including isolating himself and dwelling on the consequences of his actions. He has said that he used alcohol heavily during this period and later described it as a way of self-medicating while depressed. [1]
• In the 2023 documentary Untold: Johnny Football, Manziel disclosed that he had planned to take his own life after a prolonged period of substance use and personal decline. He said he bought a gun for that purpose, but when he tried to use it, it did not fire. [4]

• Manziel has said that after his bipolar disorder diagnosis he began taking medication and made his mental health a priority. In 2018, he said he was taking medication in an effort to avoid returning to the severe depression he had previously experienced. [1]
• Later that year, Manziel disclosed that he was taking lithium for bipolar disorder after an increased dose caused a reaction that led to a hospital visit. [5]

• In 2018, Manziel said people close to him had noticed a “drastic change” after he began prioritizing his mental health, while acknowledging that whether the change would last remained to be seen. By 2024, he was publicly describing himself as sober. [6][1]

• Manziel has increasingly spoken publicly about mental health and his own mistakes. By 2024, he was speaking to people in recovery about his experiences with depression, addiction and mental health. [7]
• He has encouraged people who feel overwhelmed to step away from social media, talk to people they trust, and seek help rather than trying to handle everything alone. [8]

“Finding out that diagnosis and accepting that diagnosis, taking my medicine, is like someone that had diabetes and is taking their medicine every day.”

— Johnny Manziel [9]