Zuhaitz Gurrutxaga

(Elgoibar, Guipuzcoa, 1980)

played for Real Sociedad in the First Division

.

And he had to deal with Figo, Zidane and many other stars of the moment.

Now, Zuhaitz gets on stage and tells his life about

him.

"They are not monologues to use," he explains.

"What I do is tell my real story as if I were talking to a friend."

In

Futbolistoc

, which will be at the Reina Victoria theater on October 30

and on some other dates, Zuhaitz talks about how he was able to understand that the things he did did not make him someone special.

He but

he suffered from OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

"I came to wash my hands many times, to leave the house and look again and again if the door was closed properly or to jump onto the lawn in a certain way.

Until I turned 22 I did not go to a consultation to explain what that was happening to me.

Only then could I see that I had a possible diagnosis".

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In

Futbolistoc

, Zuhaitz Gurrutxaga shows that he feels comfortable in front of the public.

An experience that he has a lot to do with his

years presenting programs at ETB.

For him, telling what is happening to him ("a

95% monologue of humor and a 5 of drama

", he explains) has served to help many people who come to see his show.

"

I'm a very bad joke teller.

But I do feel comfortable talking about what I've lived through. I tried to tell those things in the locker room and saw that those who listened to me were interesting," says the former soccer player.

"Little by little,

I saw that he had a comical vision and that he could talk about it on stage

. And, what I like the most, seeing that he can help many people by explaining that they can live with this."

In his years as a footballer, he reached moments of glory such as being the U-16 European champion, a bronze medal in a U-17 World Cup and an U-21 international with the Spanish team.

"I was even able to share a dressing room in the national team with Xavi and Casillas, Xabi Alonso or Karpin"

.

Therefore, now becoming someone who speaks about mental health fills him with pride.

"I came to think with my OCD that I was losing my mind, that I was unique in the world. When my mother took me to the psychologist I saw that she was doing it for a reason. And that I had to accept it and treat it.

To this day I continue to do things from back then. But I know how to live with that".

Although he has not had a good time, this ETB presenter is honest when he talks about how his beloved football affected him.

"

There was a time when I came to hate football.

Now I've made peace with it. That's why I go out on stage with a Real Sociedad shirt."

About the reaction of the public, Zuhaitz speaks of "sincerity".

"

People thank me and tell me that they enjoyed listening to me.

I try to make them laugh, people who have OCD and those who don't. He believes in the healing power of theater."

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  • theater

  • Mental health