PA
Peaty, 22, has won Olympic Gold and is shortlisted for tonight’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
But behind closed doors he struggles to cope with his tough training regime.
In an exclusive chat, Peaty said: “There are those times when everything does seem a bit dark.
“It can seem like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Even as an athlete with a strong mind, you have moments where you doubt yourself. You start to feel anxious.
PA
“There are those times when everything does seem a bit dark”
Adam Peaty
“The good sessions are easy but there are times when you have 10 bad ones in a week.”
Peaty avoided asking for help in the past and reckons many other athletes do the same.
REX
He added: “I’ll always keep quiet unless it gets really bad when I’ll need a few days off to get my head around things.”
Peaty is in talks to front a campaign for a mental health charity next year.
Find out who wins SPOTY on BBC One tonight from 6.45pm.