Dwayne Johnson Encourages Checking on Friends Who Are Going Through Bouts of 'Mental Hellness': 'I've Been There'

"Everybody is fighting demons and a lot of people keep it in," the actor said in honor of World Mental Health Day

Dwayne Johnson is doing a mental health check-in with his followers.

On Thursday, Oct. 10, the Red One star, 52, posted a video on Instagram in honor of World Mental Health Day and discussed how people should never be too busy to check in with their loved ones.

“Everybody is fighting demons and a lot of people keep it in. A lot of people don’t talk about it and I learned that, in many cases, the hard way over the years,” he said. “So when I check in with my friends I don’t check in and say, ‘Hey what’s wrong?’ I check in and say, ‘How’s your heart? How are you feeling?’ And you’d be surprised what that means to people.”

“I know what it’s like to struggle with mental health. I know what it’s like to spiral… I’ve been there,” he said, noting that he calls it bouts of “mental hellness.”

Johnson then explained that a few weeks ago, he was struggling. He recalled waking up on a beautiful day and “seeing and feeling gray.” He said that though he’s used to being alone as an only child, the “consistent loneliness” caught up to him and by the end of the day, he was reaching out to his friends for support.

“So just a reminder to check in on your friends,” he stressed. “Check in on your loved ones because when you don’t… I’ve lost friends over the years who decided to check out and just couldn't handle the stress and the pressure of life. The mental hellness all became too much for them.”

Related: Dwayne Johnson Shares What He Learned from His Battles with Depression: 'It Can't Be Fixed If You Keep That Pain Inside'

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“It’s the power of checking in and how important that is,” he ended the video. “Check in on your friends, loved ones, even strangers. And just as important — if not more importantly — check in on yourself. If you need help, reach out to people. It doesn’t make you weak...That’s your superpower.”

Johnson has been transparent about his mental health journey over the years, including facing depression multiple times in his life.

"I've worked hard over the years to gain the emotional tools to work through any mental pain that may come to test me. But years ago I didn't know what mental health struggle was," he said in May 2023 on The Pivot podcast.

The actor said the "saving grace" for his mental health has been his daughters — Tiana, 6, Jasmine, 8, and Simone, 23 — and being a "girl dad."

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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