One Plus One: Matthew Mitcham

This week on One Plus One presenter Jane Hutchen speaks with Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham during ABC Mental As week, revealing that he still works at keeping his depression and addiction to alcohol & drugs at bay with ongoing therapy and group programs.

“Even though I don’t think I struggle as much (now),” he tells Hutcheon, “those meetings are full of pearls of wisdom that help you not just with trying to live with your alcohol or addiction, but with life. You are sharing the wisdom of people who have lived many more years than you have.”

He’s found new happiness performing his cabaret act, which was launched earlier this year. The cabaret shares the same name as his tell-all book Twists and Turns.

The cabaret has helped him to share his story and connect with people, he says.

“The more you talk about stuff, the more it breaks down the stigma around mental health and around substance abuse and I think we need to talk about it more,” says Mitcham.

“So many people don’t feel strong enough to reach out just because of the stigma around this stuff.”

Matthew Mitcham rose to fame at the age of 18 after winning gold at the Beijing Olympics in the 10metre platform diving.

He trained as an elite athlete after being ‘discovered’ at the age of 11, but throughout his teens he struggled with depression and took a range of hard drugs to mask the depression.

He also talks about coming to terms with being gay.

Friday, 10 October at 10am on ABC and 8.30pm on ABC News 24.