Randy Orton came back from a debilitating back injury during the 2023 Survivor Series Premium Live Event. It’s been a long time since he came back but now Orton has admitted that he still suffered from panic attacks and more even after coming back.
While speaking on What’s Your Story with Stephanie McMahon, Randy Orton talked about how he struggled with panic attacks. They got so bad it was hard for him to fly, sleep in hotel beds, or even get any rest at night. He said it was really tough, and while he could still live day to day, there was no way he could keep being a pro wrestler like that.
For about six months, he thought his career might be over. This shocked him because when he was younger, he always felt strong and like nothing could break him. But then he ended up in a dark place and started falling back into old bad habits.
“Like, we all are human. I was having panic attacks and it started to become hard to fly, hard to stay in another bed, and I’d be up all night. It was really rough. You can get by, but you’re not going to be a pro wrestler or a pro athlete that way. During that six months when I thought it was over, it was such a shock. When I was younger, I felt so mentally strong and tough, like nothing could shake me. Then I got to a dark place and started falling back into old habits.”
Orton said his wife and five kids helped him a lot. His wife saw what was going on and helped him get help. He started taking SSRIs, which are meds for depression and anxiety, and stayed on them for a few years. Now he’s been off them for about six months and finally feels like himself again. He even said he couldn’t believe he was talking about this.
There were times he wasn’t sure he could still do his job. Even after coming back to wrestling, his mind was always racing, thinking about the worst that could happen. At night, he couldn’t lay down in bed without his thoughts spinning. He’d start sweating, get up, and go walk around the yard taking deep breaths while everyone else was asleep.
“I’ve got a wife and five kids, and luckily I was able to stop it quickly. My wife saw it happening and I was put on some SSRIs—anti-depression, anti-anxiety medication. I’ve actually been off them for about six months now, and I feel like myself again, but I needed them for a few years. I can’t believe I’m even talking about this. I didn’t know if I could do this job anymore. Even after I came back, my mind was all over the place, playing out worst-case scenarios. I’d try to sleep at night but couldn’t lay down because my head would start racing. I’d get hot, have to get out of bed, and while everyone else was asleep, I’d be outside walking around the yard taking deep breaths.”
Things began to turn when Orton met a great doctor who gave him lots of information on managing panic attacks. Orton wasn’t sure the medication itself ever truly worked; he didn’t like it because it made him feel unlike himself, but he kept taking it, believing he needed it to keep panic attacks away. The attacks still came anyway. Right now, it’s been about six months since his last one.
The Viper pointed out this is the kind of stuff many people go through but rarely talk about, so he figured sharing might help. After his back fusion surgery, he returned to the road and has been back for about a year and a half. He still had some problems and let WWE’s medical staff know exactly what was up.
Orton was honest about it, explaining it happens sometimes, it’s not a huge deal, and he had it under control. He also told them he was taking Lexapro and Buspar for it and wanted to be upfront.
“Then I met an amazing doctor who gave me pages of info on how to handle panic attacks. I don’t know if the medication ever really worked—I didn’t like it because it didn’t feel like me—but I kept taking it because I thought I needed it to stop the panic attacks. I was still having them anyway. Honestly, it’s been about six months since I’ve had one.
This is stuff people deal with but don’t talk about, so maybe it’s good to talk about it. I started getting back on the road after my fusion surgery. I’ve been back about a year and a half now, maybe a little more. I was still having some issues, so I told our medical team. I kept it real—this happens sometimes, it’s not a big deal, I’ve got it handled. I let them know I was taking Lexapro and Buspar, and why.”
At one point, Randy Orton asked if it was weird that he was on those meds, but the doctors told him a lot of people take them, and that it was the same for many of the wrestlers they work with.
That made him feel less alone since those little things helped. When he finally stopped taking the medicine and realized he wasn’t having panic attacks anymore, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted.
“I even asked if it was weird that I was taking it, and they reassured me. If you look it up, a pretty big percentage of Americans are on SSRIs, and it’s about the same with the people our doctors work with. That made me feel less alone, even though I didn’t know exactly who else was dealing with it. Just little things like that helped. When I finally got off the medication, it was funny—off the anti-anxiety meds and no more panic attacks. It really felt like a weight off.”
It’s really inspiring to hear The Apex Predator talk about his mental health issues so openly since it’s clear he will help inspire many people dealing with the same thing as well. Fans are happy he is in a much better place and that’s all that matters now.
What do you think about Randy Orton dealing with panic attacks long after his WWE return? Sound off in the comments.
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