Terry Bradshaw struggled with anxiety attacks and extreme emotions; now, he’s sharing his story of surviving depression

Terry Bradshaw spent years dealing with anxiety attacks and sharp emotional swings without fully understanding what was happening. The former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, now 78, was diagnosed with clinical depression in the late 1990s, after retiring from football. He is speaking openly about that experience in his new memoir, Looking for Terry, released on October 13. Bradshaw wants readers to understand that depression is an illness, not a personal failing. His account also sheds light on why asking for help was so difficult, especially for a high-profile male athlete.Terry Bradshaw opens up about years of anxiety and depressionBradshaw says his emotional struggles began long before he received a diagnosis. Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, he believes he had undiagnosed ADHD. Anxiety attacks followed, and the pressure of playing quarterback for the Steelers brought emotional highs and lows that he initially accepted as normal.“You didn’t talk about it,” he tells PEOPLE.That silence became harder to maintain as his career grew. Bradshaw was one of the NFL's biggest names, and admitting that he needed help meant confronting the idea that showing vulnerability could make him look weak.“Finally saying, ‘Hey, I’m really f----d up. I need to get some help,’ ” was one of the “hardest things” Terry ever did.He eventually sought support from a therapist, a psychiatrist and a pastor. His formal depression diagnosis came in the late 1990s, after his playing career had ended and his broadcasting work was gaining momentum.Bradshaw's experience challenges the assumption that success makes personal struggles easier to manage. He had won four Super Bowls and built a second career on television, yet neither achievement kept depression away.“It is an ugly disease,” he tells PEOPLE, stressing the importance of having a “good support group.”His memoir, Looking for Terry, also covers his football career, life beyond the NFL and recent back-to-back cancer diagnoses. Bradshaw hopes sharing these experiences will help readers recognise that personal struggles can exist alongside professional success.How Tammy Bradshaw helped him change his outlookBradshaw credits his wife, Tammy, with helping him understand his condition and speak about it without shame. The couple met in the early 2000s and married in 2014. Tammy, a former radiation therapist, helped him see depression as something he did not choose and should not blame himself for.“This is not a choice. This isn’t the consequence of something you’ve done. It’s not your fault.”That understanding has changed how the couple handles difficult days. Bradshaw says he can now tell his wife when he is struggling, rather than trying to conceal what he feels.“She just gets me out of it. She gets my mind off of it. She frees me up. We do something. We talk about it.”Tammy can often recognise when he is having a hard time just by looking at him. The couple even has a name for those moments: “Roy.” When Bradshaw feels low, they acknowledge that “Roy” has come to visit.“I may be emotional about it, but I’m totally comfortable with telling her,” he says. “Men think that’s a weakness. I got past it being a weakness. It’s a sickness.”For Bradshaw, that distinction is central to the message he wants readers to take from his story. “There’s nothing wrong with admitting you’ve got issues,” he says.Life on the couple's 155-acre Texas ranch, purchased in 2023, has also brought him peace through horse breeding. Yet Bradshaw is not presenting his story as a struggle he has permanently left behind. Instead, he wants people dealing with depression to speak with loved ones and seek professional help.“Tammy says I’m an open book,” he says. “I like being an open book.”His reflection on the journey is simple: “I’m proud of myself for making it through and surviving.”Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.