02 Sep Former Pro Athletes and Drugs – They Need a Game Plan
Imagine as a young man or woman you excel so much at an athletic ability within a sport that you can actually make a living at it. You’re not only a professional athlete, but you’re also a member of a vaunted team. For years you hear the cheers of the crowd and make an excellent income. But, after some years your body has taken the hits and isn’t quite as responsive as it used to be. Eventually you either “retire” from professional sports or simply don’t have your contract picked up again. Your “glory days” are over. Now what? You have the memories and the scars. But you no longer have the income, people don’t remember you and you’re not really trained for anything else.
Just as there is a growing problem of people getting addicted to prescribed medications in the general population, there is an even larger problem with professional athletes who, at the end of their careers, are left dealing with physical trauma and pain. In many cases, doctors are prescribing opioids to these former heroes at an astounding rate and they are becoming addicted.
But there are also the retired former athletes who have difficulty adjusting to retirement or life after their pro career. For some, it’s all they had. It was their only identity. They may not have been famous, but they were part of a team that was, and they can’t replace that feeling of belonging, not to mention replacing that level of income, in many cases. They “self-medicate”, usually with alcohol.
Both of these scenarios can lead to mental health issues, such as severe depression, anxiety and even suicide.
Some of these former players never end up getting the help they need until it’s too late because their management and families help hide the fact that they’re addicted for their own self interests. If that were found out, whatever compensation they are getting from appearances and endorsements could end or when their contract expires, they don’t get picked up again. Then no one makes any money. Which only makes the problem worse. Bad choices, trusting the wrong “financial advisor” and gambling all contribute to more reasons for drinking and self medicating and are all too familiar stories with Elite Athletes coming into Lanna Rehab.
At Lanna Rehab, we’re very familiar with this issue because we set out to create a program to address just this scenario. We’re very into sports. We’ve had, and continue to have, former sports pros as advisers to create programs specific to this genre of addiction and mental health. It’s a specialized field, one we think is very underserved. These are not typical addiction cases. There are other considerations to be considered in developing a treatment program for someone likes this. Which is why we custom create our treatment programs around the specific needs of each individual. It’s why we have consultants from the professional sports world to help develop these programs, to help reinvent an identity and deal with the end of a sports career. Just as importantly, Lanna Rehab in Thailand is a fantastic place to get away from everything to concentrate on getting better, without any interference from the outside world, and without anyone knowing. Chiang Mai is a fantastic vacation spot with some of the most luxurious resorts in the world. So no one need know you’re actually coming here for treatment. We are highly protective of our clients’ privacy. And we’re also used to dealing with celebrity.
If you are an athlete with a possible addiction or mental health problem, or know one, please contact us before it’s too late. An investment in your recovery sooner rather than later could help prolong your career. Whether you end up coming to Lanna or not, we’re here to help you, to answer your questions and give you all the guidance we can. Just call.
