David Beckham Says He Still Feels 'Pain' and 'Guilt' Over Parts of His Career But Docuseries Was 'Therapeutic'

“After each interview I found myself needing time alone to decompress," Beckham wrote of his experience filming the documentary

Last year, David Beckham took over Netflix with his hit self-titled docuseries, and reflecting back now, the soccer legend says that the experience was “therapeutic.”

In a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, Beckham, 49, talked about how filming Beckham helped him work through mental health struggles and the backlash from the public allowed him to be fully open with filming Beckham, noting that “embracing this discomfort was a necessary part of the process.”

“After each interview I found myself needing time alone to decompress. Reflecting on both the highs and lows of my life and career was — at times — mentally and emotionally draining,” Beckham wrote.

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Related: David Beckham Says Making Beckham Documentary Was Therapeutic: 'It Made Me Get Over Certain Things'

Beckham revealed that it wasn’t until he began filming the docuseries that he realized how much he was holding inside in an attempt to appear stronger to the public and himself.

“I realized that I had pushed so many of these feelings and emotions aside for years. I had always been taught to hold everything in and put on a brave face. This was the first time I had truly confronted some pretty monumental moments in my life, and it was therapeutic,” he wrote.

Discussing the immense media scrutiny he and wife Victoria Beckham faced following the 1998 World Cup, Beckham said “one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is just how important it is that we take care of our mental health.” He added, “I hope anyone struggling today knows that they don’t have to carry the pressure alone.”

Related: What Happened to David Beckham During the England vs. Argentina World Cup Match in 1998?

Beckham also acknowledged that while making Beckham didn’t magically make all of his feelings disappear, it definitely gave him the “closure” he needed.

“I wouldn’t say that making this documentary gave me closure because I still feel pain from those moments. But it did allow me to forgive myself and let go of some of that guilt,” he wrote.

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