Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has given a new interview where he has discussed his mental health issues after taking a break earlier in the season.
Araujo was granted a leave of absence after being sent off in Barcelona’s Champions League defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The defender has been asked about that game and says that after he was sent off he realised that he had been struggling with his mental health for some time and needed some help.
“In the moment, with the adrenaline rush, you
just go for it. You feel sad, but then, when the game is over, it all comes crashing down on you. I already felt like I wasn’t okay, that’s the truth, but out of habit you try to keep going, and sometimes you need help,“ he told Mundo Deportivo.
“I’d been dealing with anxiety for a year and a half that turned into depression, and I was playing like that. That doesn’t help, because on the field you don’t really feel like yourself. You know your worth and what you can contribute on the field, and when I wasn’t feeling well, I knew something was wrong. That day I realized that was it, that I needed to talk to professionals and the club so they could help me.”
Araujo visited Israel in search of some spiritual guidance during his time away from Barcelona and has revealed why he needed to take a break from football.
“Things have changed quite a bit because I’ve learned so much during this time. I think it was the right thing to do after that decision I made. I feel different and I’m happy about it, because I’m more at ease, happier. I can enjoy what I love to do, which is playing football, and that helps a lot,” he added.
“Well, it’s different… you see things from another perspective. I felt like the worst of the worst was over, and now I see things differently. The time I took off was for a reason, because in the end I was able to work through it with professionals, with my family, and spiritually, which is what I needed. So I think that did me a lot of good, and today I feel like a completely different person.
“The time I took off was for a reason, because in the end I was able to work through it with professionals, with my family, and spiritually, which is what I needed. So I think that did me a lot of good, and today I feel like a completely different person.”
Arauoj has since returned to action with Barcelona and scored his first goal since his comeback in the Copa del Rey win over Albacete.
