Sometimes it is difficult to imagine the sports icons who grace our screens in the living room, bringing out their best on the field, can be brought down by substance abuse.
The truth is, when we cheer our favourite team or sportsman, their sterling performance allows them to occupy a larger-than-life position in our minds. Unfortunately, we forget that in their human nature they can also falter, and even fall, more so where drugs are involved.
Athletes can feel internal and external pressure to succeed as competition requires physical and mental toughness beyond what the average person is capable of. Between the scrutiny of the coach, family, friends and the consumer market, they face tremendous pressure.
Many turn to drug use. To prevent and treat addiction among them, we should understand how and why drug abuse occurs.
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist and American swimmer Michael Phelps not only plunged into the water and made history but he also toyed with drugs.
In 2009, he lost his endorsement contract with a major food brand after a photo emerged of him taking a hit of marijuana. He later confessed to having been driven to the vice by depression.
Athletes are at risk of drug abuse due to the competitive nature of sports. Participation in aggressive sports can lead to incessant extreme pressure to become stronger and faster and perform better.
On top of everyday responsibilities and obligations, such as work, school and childcare, the stress can mount and lead one to try out substances that may reduce their body’s response to stressors or increase their performance.
Moreover, drug abuse can follow sports injuries, whereby medics often prescribe powerful painkillers for athletes, the use of which drugs can lead to addiction. At times, athletes also use substances for recreation.
Low point
By his own admission, Kenya’s Wilfred Bungei should have been celebrating the birth of his third child in 2012 but he was too inebriated to even get to the hospital. He had retired from the illustrious running career that saw him captain Kenya’s Beijing Olympics team and win the 800 metres gold.
The low point came nine years ago. On reaching for the vodka bottle, after fooling himself that to prepare to watch childbirth he needed a drink, he ended up in a ditch.
Athletes are not insusceptible to the struggles of the rest of society and can deal with addiction to hundreds of substances, and for many different reasons. The shared notion may be that athletes who struggle with drugs are ‘doping’ for performance improvement.
Although many look up to athletes and enjoy the results of their labour, people who participate in organised sports face unique challenges in terms of substance misuse and addiction. Understanding why and how athletes’ drug misuse occurs is critical in preventing addiction and treating those struggling.
To cope
Others will turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their poor mental health from intense pressure and sometimes loneliness during their careers. With all eyes on them, it is not uncommon for athletes to also suffer from some sort of mental health disorder.
For some athletes, the first step to discontinuing drug use is overcoming the fear to seek help. One study found that 56 per cent of steroid users never told their doctor about it.
Some individuals find behavioural therapy helpful, and those who have a severe addiction may get relief from withdrawal symptoms with antidepressants and medications used to help to restore hormonal balances.
While this is a common motivation for athletes to use drugs, it is not the only reason. Almost every drug—from alcohol to marijuana and performance-enhancing steroids—has found a place in modern sports. Athletes need to know that they are not immune from the ravages of addiction and, in some cases, may even be more susceptible to drug abuse.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem of drug addiction, either among athletes or anyone else. Sessions are customised to respond to the various needs of all persons with substance use disorders and they are always rejigged after assessment.