“I Once Wanted to Give Up Everything”: Angel Reese’s Unpublished Letter to Herself During Crisis
In the quiet solitude of her apartment at 3 AM, with tears streaming down her face and trembling hands clutching a pen, Angel Reese began writing what she thought would be her final letter to herself—a desperate plea from a broken soul who had reached the absolute breaking point of her promising basketball career.
The letter, written on crumpled notebook paper during the darkest period of her life, contained raw confessions that revealed the immense psychological and social pressures that had been slowly crushing the spirit of one of basketball’s most talented rising stars, forcing her to confront the devastating reality that fame and success often come at an unbearable personal cost.
“I can’t continue pretending that everything is okay when my entire world feels like it’s crumbling around me, and every single day feels like an insurmountable mountain that I’m too exhausted and broken to climb,” she wrote in shaky handwriting, her words reflecting the profound despair that had consumed her thoughts during those torturous sleepless nights.
The relentless scrutiny from media outlets, the constant criticism from fans and critics alike, and the overwhelming expectations placed upon her shoulders had created a perfect storm of anxiety and depression that threatened to destroy not only her career but her very sense of self-worth and identity as both an athlete and a human being.
Social media had become a battlefield where every move, every statement, and every performance was dissected and judged by millions of strangers, creating an environment where the young athlete felt trapped in a glass house where privacy and peace of mind had become impossible luxuries that she could no longer afford.
“I look in the mirror and I don’t recognize the person staring back at me anymore—someone who used to love this game with every fiber of her being has been replaced by someone who feels like she’s drowning in expectations and losing herself in the process,” the letter continued, revealing the profound identity crisis that had been eating away at her core.
The pressure to maintain a perfect public image while privately battling demons that she felt she couldn’t share with anyone had created a dangerous cycle of isolation and self-doubt that pushed her closer to the edge with each passing day, making her question whether the sacrifices she had made were worth the toll they had taken on her mental health.
Her teammates and coaches had noticed the gradual changes in her demeanor and performance, but like many athletes who suffer in silence, Angel had become masterful at hiding her pain behind forced smiles and professional responses during interviews, creating a facade that masked the turmoil that was brewing beneath the surface.
“I’ve become so tired of fighting battles that nobody else can see or understand, and I’m starting to believe that maybe it would be easier for everyone if I just disappeared from this world that seems determined to tear me apart piece by piece,” she confessed in the letter, revealing the dangerous thoughts that had been haunting her during her lowest moments.
The weight of representing not just herself but her family, her university, and countless young girls who looked up to her as a role model had become an unbearable burden that she felt she was failing to carry with the grace and strength that everyone expected from her, intensifying her feelings of inadequacy and self-blame.
However, as she reached the end of her letter, something profound began to shift within her consciousness—the act of putting her pain into words had somehow created a small opening in the darkness that had been engulfing her, allowing a tiny ray of hope to penetrate the overwhelming despair that had been controlling her thoughts and emotions.
“But maybe, just maybe, if I can find the courage to reach out for help and be honest about my struggles, I can find a way to rediscover the person I used to be and learn to love this game again without losing myself in the process,” she concluded, her handwriting becoming steadier as she wrote these final words that would ultimately mark the beginning of her journey toward healing and recovery.
This letter, which Angel kept hidden for months, eventually became the catalyst that motivated her to seek professional help and begin the difficult but necessary process of rebuilding her mental health and rediscovering her passion for basketball on her own terms, proving that even in our darkest moments, we possess the strength to save ourselves.
Her story serves as a powerful reminder that behind every successful athlete is a human being who faces the same struggles, fears, and vulnerabilities as everyone else, and that seeking help and prioritizing mental health is not a sign of weakness but an act of courage that can transform our deepest pain into our greatest source of strength and resilience.