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Bubba Wallace has certainly, undoubtedly, brought light to many dark areas in NASCAR as well as changed, or at least, made everyone reconsider certain accepted norms in the sport. One of them is the idea of a racecar driver being this tough person who will swallow just about every hardship in life with ease.

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The 23XI Racing driver opened up on his struggle and journey through depression a few years ago, something which attracted a lot of deserved praise to his name for re-contextualizing drivers as human beings with emotions.

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Wallace also revealed in a 2020 interview with Carlos Watson the reasons or factors that added fuel to his depression.

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“I’m an open book. You know, the whole depression thing, my girlfriend and I were going through a breakup at that time, the on-track performance was not there, trying to do everything I could, holding everything in,” he said. “It just finally got to a peak, to where if somebody asked, ‘How is Bubba Wallace doing today?'”

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“It all came out at once and I was just like, ‘Yeah I’m not good. I’m depressed. I’m not happy about anything. Nothing’s going right.'”

WATCH THIS STORY: Bubba Wallace’s Estranged Father Asked His Family “Who’s Chopping Onions” After Infamous Garage Pull Incident in 2020

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Bubba Wallace never considered depression “a sign of weakness”

In a revealing interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr. a few years ago, Bubba Wallace candidly opened up on the journey in which he had to accept his depression, the help he took, and what it did to him.

“I guess I’ve never looked at it as a sign of weakness or coming out and talking about any issue that I have,” Wallace said.

Speaking about taking help through therapy, Wallace described how he went to counseling, something which he initially found rather unnatural.

“I went and did that twice with a psychiatrist and psychologist and it was very weird, sitting there talking like this is what I’m feeling. ‘Well, why are you feeling this way?’ I don’t know, I just am,” he said of the therapy.

“They said you’ve got to give it time, it’s not going to go anywhere in two weeks.”

Also Read: “I Thought I Had Killed My Dad” – Bubba Wallace Once Disclosed a Devastating Moment in His Budding NASCAR Journey Where He Almost Killed His Father

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Shaharyar

2,079 Articles

Shaharyar is an experienced Senior NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. A journalist by heart and profession, he has been at the ‘wheel’ for nearly a decade after starting with Formula 1. He has penned over 1,700 articles on the sport. Shaharyar is known for his quick reporting on controversies and feuds in NASCAR and is one of the masterminds behind "NASCAR In and Out", a Reader-Connect Program of EssentiallySports that boasts a weekly reach of fifty thousand subscribers in the US. Shaharyar believes in the conversational style of journalism, where fans are at the heart of the conversation. As a big fan of Kyle Busch, he maintains a commitment to journalistic neutrality in his coverage. A graduate of journalism from a professional university, Shaharyar blends his love for storytelling with the fast-paced nature of the sport to deliver compelling content that resonates with his readers. Despite his admiration for Kyle Busch, Shaharyar is now turning his attention to Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson, whom he believes is a legend in the making. He is always looking to bring fresh perspectives and insights to his readers and engages in healthy debates and discussions about the latest developments in NASCAR. In his free time, Shaharyar enjoys watching soccer and taking long walks to unwind.

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