[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Athletes tend to have a work hard, play harder lifestyle. With extra pressure placed on athletes today, it is common to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol.

Some athletes tragically lose their lives to addiction. Yet, numerous athletes decide to seek treatment and live a long life post successful recovery.

With support from friends, families, coaches, and teammates, many athletes have shown a successful recovery rate from this disease.

Some Lifestyle Factors that Contribute to an Athlete’s Addiction

Competitive nature: Sometimes, being a competitive person leads to addictive tendencies. For example, striving to be the best at everything may lead to being the best drinker at parties.

Injuries: Injuries are common among athletes, often making pain pills ready to pop.  A feeling of addiction can start to take over the brain after just two weeks of daily opiate consumption.

Accessibility: With the fame and money that professional athletes have, drugs and alcohol are easily accessible to them. Alarmingly, high school athletes are often encouraged to party on the bus or after games. If you start drinking at a young age, you’re more prone to alcoholism.

Performance pressure: Athletes have pressure to perform almost at impossibly high standards. This unrealistic pressure on athletes to run faster or jump higher opens the door to performance-enhancing drugs.

Stress: Athletes constantly have practice and exercise regimes and generally face more pressure than the average person. This stress can lead to self-medication with alcohol or drugs in their spare time to handle the tension.

Do Athletes have Successful Recoveries?

Athletes with a substance abuse disorder may have access to some of the country’s best rehab and addiction therapy. Unfortunately, some athletes have lost their lives to substance abuse, but plenty have successful recovery stories.

Chris Herren, an NBA star that played for the Celtics, suffered from a cocaine consumption disorder that got him removed from the NBA. He decided that he needed to go to addiction therapy for his family and has been sober since 2008.

In addition to that, Herren actively goes to schools and colleges around the country, telling his story of attempting to help other people suffering from substance use disorder.

“Unguarded,” a documentary about Herren’s life, came out in 2011 and is played in treatment facilities to inspire people in recovery.

Are You or a Loved One Suffering from Substance Use Disorder?

At More Life Recovery Center, we offer science-based therapeutic approaches to provide individualized treatment to our clients.

We strive to provide you or your loved one with the utmost care and attention. We focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit with Holistic methods alongside behavioral therapy.

If you or a loved one are suffering from substance use disorder, reach out today for our quality treatment plans and live a successful, long life.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]