Glenn Maxwell's bravery and courage shone through as he publicly revealed having "mental health difficulties" and went on an indefinite break from the game on Thursday (October 31), says former Australia captain Steve Waugh. 

Maxwell played the first two T20Is of the home series against Sri Lanka before communicating his problems with the team management and Cricket Australia medical staff. 

"I think it’s a courageous decision and one that should be applauded," Waugh told reporters. "It’s a high-pressure situation, professional sport, and people have got outside pressures and things happening in life just like normal people. Sometimes it becomes a bit too much."

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As a leader of unrelenting men in the 90's and early 2000's, Waugh championed the idea of "mental disintegration" against the opponent but he says those were different days and admitted talking about problems like mental health was considered a taboo. 

"It was a tough school back then, and I look at a lot of players I played with and I think back now, and maybe they had mental issues," he said. 

"But at the time, it was almost a sign of weakness to put your hand up. I’m glad that that’s changed because so many people suffered in silence."

Waugh outlined the cons of social media in today's age and how that has played its part in aggravating the mental health issues. 

"Everyone’s on Facebook and Instagram and nobody ever posts anything negative (about themselves), so when you see someone else’s post you think, ‘Maybe my life is not as good as it should be’, and you’re always trying to catch up and do things better."

"The fact is, everyone, has their struggles and nobody has a perfect life, so we need to be a bit more realistic about things," he concluded.

(Inputs from Reuters)