Chloe Kelly's Journey: Environmental Shifts Aid Mental Health Recovery

Key Quotes

"I went to see a specialist and she was amazing and she told me that I had alopecia that was a tough time because you care about your appearance a lot you care about yeah when I step onto the pitch how I look and I remember my first game at Arsenal in the morning of the game trying to cover my bald patches on either side of my head and I was like wow I'm out of an environment where it's made me feel so low but now I can see how it did affect me and yeah it wasn't a nice place."

Chloe Kelly explains that receiving an alopecia diagnosis was difficult because her appearance is important to her, especially as a professional athlete. Kelly highlights how this physical manifestation of her struggles impacted her confidence when playing, even leading her to try and conceal the condition. This quote demonstrates the profound connection between mental health, physical well-being, and self-perception for Kelly.

"I was riddled with anxiety. I didn't really want to go out a lot. Any opportunity I'd be like, 'Scott, can you go even go to the shops, go to Tesco?' So, I think that was tough for me. And seeing myself, because I'm, I think I'm quite outgoing and and things like that, but I think that's when you come away from sport and you're like, this is affecting my mental health."

Chloe Kelly describes the severity of her anxiety, which led to social withdrawal and reliance on her partner for basic errands. Kelly reflects on how this anxiety impacted her typically outgoing personality, realizing the detrimental effect it was having on her mental health beyond her sport. This quote underscores the isolating nature of severe anxiety and its ability to alter one's core disposition.

"I remember my mom coming up to Liverpool where I lived at the time and she'd come up for a few days and she's like, 'No, I can't leave you. You're not, you're not in a good place.' And that for me, I was like, wow, like my mom's noticing it now. And I didn't want to speak up. I remember just going in the dark. I loved sitting in the dark. And I was like, this isn't okay."

Chloe Kelly recounts a moment where her mother recognized her distress, highlighting the visibility of her struggles even when she tried to hide them. Kelly expresses her initial reluctance to acknowledge or speak about her poor mental state, finding comfort in isolation and darkness. This quote illustrates the importance of external observation and the difficulty of self-recognition when experiencing mental health challenges.

"I remember my psychiatrist at the time, it was like, we would log days where, yeah, it was a great day and we did this one where it was, 'What did I do today? Why? And like, what, how did that make me feel? What does this say about me?' And I think that allowed me to then be like, 'No, I did this well today.' And it's not because I was trying my best to get out of the anxiety. It wasn't like I was doing it from a bad point of view. It was just trying to break, you're trying to cope."

Chloe Kelly details the therapeutic process of journaling with her psychiatrist to understand her daily experiences and feelings. Kelly explains how this structured reflection helped her identify positive actions and reframe her coping mechanisms as attempts to manage anxiety rather than failures. This quote emphasizes the value of professional guidance and self-reflection in navigating mental health struggles.

"I think speaking up and speaking out. I think when I do feel a little bit groggy and a little bit down, then I'll speak up and just nip it in the bud. And also, I think for me, just surround yourself with good people. And I spend a lot of time with my family now. I'm back down south, so that makes me really happy."

Chloe Kelly identifies speaking up and surrounding herself with supportive people as key strategies for maintaining her well-being. Kelly explains that proactively addressing feelings of being "groggy" or "down" helps prevent them from escalating. This quote highlights the dual importance of open communication and a strong personal support system in managing mental health.

"I think any woman in a dark place, not just in sport, but in in life, I think to see just around the corner from such a tough moment for me was a Champions League win and a Euro win and enjoying life and really really happy, not just putting on a brave face to be happy, actual genuine happiness. So I think I think that's a learning for me to show any woman or any male that just around a corner from such a dark time was these incredible moments. So stick with it and and speak up for what you believe in."

Chloe Kelly offers a message of hope, suggesting that significant positive experiences can follow periods of intense struggle. Kelly emphasizes that genuine happiness is attainable and encourages others to persevere through dark times, advocating for speaking up for one's beliefs. This quote serves as an inspirational takeaway, illustrating that recovery and joy are possible after profound difficulties.