Athletes Who Have Battled Addiction

Why Athletes Become Addicted

The public often idolizes the professional athlete’s life, and it can appear as though their life is the epitome of health with the level of physical activity they can display. While the public watches in awe for the incredible talent they possess, one thing that is more prevalent than the public thinks is the number of athletes who’ve battled addiction and needed drug or alcohol rehab to overcome it.

Multiple factors can influence why an athlete will turn to drugs. The following are some of the most common reasons athletes face that have impacted their addiction:

Cope with physical pain or injuries: As athletes push their bodies to great heights, there is an increased risk of injury or body and muscle pains. When you experience an injury, it is common to be prescribed pain killer medication to cope with the pain. These highly addictive substances can quickly draw in athletes trying to mitigate their pain without realizing it until it is too late.

Enhance professional performance abilities: Athletes can feel a great deal of pressure to perform at a high level. Some turn to substances to increase performance or push through pain due to injuries.

Attempting to manage existing mental health concerns: The number of athletes who’ve battled addiction and mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety is often unknown to the general public. As athletes try to face these complicated mental health concerns, looking for an escape through drugs or alcohol is typical.

Having fun: Athletes live a life full of notoriety and fame. Often, that lifestyle perpetuates an image of a short life consisting of glamorous parties and living in excess. It becomes easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamor and, before long, they can innocently or unintentionally enter into a drug or alcohol addiction.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, call WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab today at 877.969.1993 to learn how we can help.

Sober Athletes Who’ve Beaten Addiction

The good news is that many athletes have found their way out of their downward spiral of addiction and moved into a happy, successful life in recovery. Some well-known athletes that have regained their life through sobriety after addiction treatment are:

1. Brett Favre: A well-known quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, struggled with an addiction to alcohol and painkiller medication. After multiple injuries and being prescribed opiate medication, Favre realized that his drug use was becoming an increasing concern. Brett went to drug rehab for his alcohol and prescription drug addiction and has been sober since 1996.
2. Andre Agassi: Famous for his incredible talent as a tennis player, many don’t know that Andre struggled with a crystal meth addiction for years. After failing a drug test during his career, Agassi recognized it was time to get help and entered into drug rehab for addiction treatment.
3. Josh Hamilton: One of the most successful baseball players of his generation has struggled through addiction challenges. Hamilton entered into Major League Baseball and his addictive behaviors took off as he turned to cocaine and alcohol. His addiction led him to being banned from playing baseball for years. He has been able to remain sober with periods of relapse.
4. Joe Namath: A highly known quarterback for the New York Jets, Namath had battled alcohol addiction for many years. He was able to turn his life around after hitting his self-proclaimed rock bottom when Namath had asked a reporter to kiss him on live TV while he was severely intoxicated.

Alcohol and Drug Rehab at WhiteSands

WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab offers an addiction treatment program that fits any walk of life. Regardless of whether you are one of the athletes who’ve battled addiction or a stay-at-home parent, your journey and desire to achieve sobriety are essential to us. Through our evidence-based approaches to treatment, we will work with you to heal from the inside out through learning and recognizing the emotions, thoughts, and situations that have impacted your ability to remain abstinent from mood-altering substances. By teaching patients life skills and relapse prevention methods, we will equip our clients with the skills and know-how to keep them focused on their path to recovery. Contact us today to learn how our drug and alcohol rehab programs can be the solution to your addiction.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.