Eddie Kingston Suffered Panic Attack After AEW All Out

Eddie Kingston has risen from the seedy world of deathmatch wrestling to the top of the heap. Kingston will have the biggest match of his career this Saturday, as he takes on CM Punk at AEW Full Gear. In the wake of the Jon Moxley situation, Eddie has been opening up about his own struggles with mental health and addiction.

Kingston wrote a brilliant, long-form piece for The Players Tribune which was published on November 9, 2021. In the sprawling essay, the Mad King goes into detail about the struggles he’s faced throughout his career. He made it a point to stress that addiction and mental health issues can affect anybody.

“And that’s why I’m telling this story, and I’m not pulling any punches, and all the old-school guys who don’t want to hear this stuff, and think that we shouldn’t talk about it, those guys can respectfully kiss my ass. If I wasn’t on Zoloft, if I wasn’t getting help for my mental health, if I was too afraid to talk about this stuff, I’d end up killing myself. Period. I’ve lost too many friends in this business to shut my mouth and bury all of these emotions with pills and booze.”

Eddie said that while he knows he isn’t perfect and still faces struggles, he is proud to have overcome many of his personal demons. Even as recently as the All Out PPV, Kingston was struggling with severe anxiety. It’s an ongoing struggle for the wrestler.

“I still have my struggles.

I still have a hard time accepting all this love and attention.

I still have to take my Zoloft.

I still have panic attacks.

As a matter of fact, I had one right after I fought Miro at the All Out PPV. My phone started blowing up with all these people telling me great job, just showing me love, and I just couldn’t handle it. I got overwhelmed. My chest got tight. The walls started closing in. I started to go numb. It felt like I was breathing through a straw. But I was able to calm myself down and slow my breathing, because I’d been strong enough to reach out and get professional help, and I know what to do now. I know how to live with my anxiety and depression. And I’m not afraid to talk about it. I don’t care what the old-school guys in the business have to say about it. It ain’t 1987 no more.

I know that I am not fixed. I am not perfect. I still have some really dark days, to be honest with you. But when I wake up in the morning, no matter how bad I feel, I know one thing for sure, and I’m damned proud of it….”

Kingston’s writing touches on a lot of heavy topics. He’s expressed his fight to the top very eloquently. It makes sense that Eddie Kingston is such a brilliant storyteller inside the ring. It’s because life has given him so many stories to tell.

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