On the Couch : By Dr. Richard Lustberg

An Analysis of Current Topics and Issues in Sport
July 1995

COPE WITH DRUG ADDICTION

At the age of 19, Dwight Gooden showed great promise and was on the fast track to Cooperstown. Now, after his drug failures, suspension and various off-field incidents, he is possibly on the fast track to professional oblivion and personal destruction. Gooden’s story is now becoming an all-too-familiar one in sports and society.

Gooden remains a beloved figure within the Met’s organization and is, by all accounts, a nice guy. His early on-field performances were legendary. He has played his entire career, to this point, with the Mets and is one of the few remaining players from the team’s glory years. Are these the reasons that led the Mets to overlook some of his problems, such as his repeated use of drugs?

Actually, there are other reasons stemming from society’s view of celebrities. Research indicates that celebrities are treated differently by teachers, peers, and coaches at a very early age. Thus, professional athletes come to lead a charmed existence. Initially, minor transgressions and attitude problems are often overlooked. Free meals, easy sex, and passing grades all come with the package. This is a disservice to the athlete, as this preferential treatment does not allow them to see or face the world as it really is. Their self-esteem often becomes linked to on-field performance and needing kudos from others. It is not all their fault.

One criteria used to diagnose drug dependence is that the person has given up or reduced their participation in important social, occupational or recreational activities. Certainly, we see a pattern of this type of behavior in Gooden’s past. However, there are other aspects of a drug-addicted personality. Deceit, denials and lies become common behaviors as the person’s existence becomes bankrupt. Fear and the addiction become prominent. While we’d like to believe Gooden’s protestations about his recovery, it remains to be seen if he has come to recognize and accept the depth of his problems as the potential for relapse and disaster are just a blink of an eye away.

Scientists are currently searching for the genetic and biological causes of our most serious physical and psychological problems. A drug addiction/disease model has a number of faults. Primarily, it does not allow the person to take responsibility for their actions, as the etiology of the disease is seen as being biologically based. Unfortunately, drug addicts have great difficulty taking responsibility for their actions. Often problems and their solutions are viewed as being external to the individual.

Not enough attention is being paid to the seeds of our drug-addicted culture, even though we see precursors of addiction at early ages. It is certainly more likely to occur in homes with addictive personalities of any kind. However, it is more likely to occur in homes where parents use drugs. Drug addiction, in its barest form, is an ineffective, faulty, coping mechanism. Addicts are often vulnerable individuals who have been unable to cope with situations and emotions that they perceive to be unbearable and overwhelming.

One current solution is to send the drug-addicted athletes to clinics offering packaged programs which are of short duration. Players come out of drug programs with a new vocabulary and practiced catch phrases. They proclaim themselves cured and some of them even find religion. All are desperate attempts to deal with the internal demons that they find unable to conquer. They are ashamed of this perceived weakness. For many, their off-field lives are not commensurate with their on-field success. Relapses are frequent and the public’s reactions range from sympathy to contempt. Are 28 days and some follow-up care enough to address life-long problems? Given the low recovery rate, which is reportedly below 20 percent, I think not.

Sadly, few in and out of baseball appreciate or see the scope of the problem, and if they do, they choose not to address it. Many are more interested in profit sharing, television revenues, wins and losses. Just look at the current sorry state of baseball if you doubt this premise. As long as Darryl Strawberry can hit a ball and Steve Howe can get batters out, they will have a team to play for. Just ask George Steinbrenner. This is a fact of life in sports and perhaps society. This is not to say that these players should not be allowed to participate, just don’t be deceived by the motives of the employer.

Recently, there have been a number of articles that have asked why we portray athletes as heroes and do not enjoy or want to be portrayed in this manner. This worshipping of athletes is not germane to our recent history, although our desire to worship athletes has become more prominent and evident. This is particularly due to a dearth of available heroes in our society, as we are having difficulty producing people who can provide the solutions to the complex problems we face. And while there may be a selection of potential heroes from which to choose, we do not embrace them.

Gooden, Strawberry and O.J. Simpson are all examples of fallen heroes. What is a hero and what should this country look for in a hero? Being a hero certainly does not involve hitting a ball, catching a pass or scoring the winning goal in overtime. It certainly is not Marion Barry, who was elected the mayor of the District of Columbia. How can we hold up our elected officials as role models when we have elected a person who has violated the public trust? The debate goes on about whether our professional athletes have this responsibility. Charles Barkley can give you an earful on the subject.

One premise of Ken Burn’s television series and various PBS specials about baseball is that the game is reflective of what is happening in our society. The current state of baseball has both players and owners arguing over crumbs, and management looking for solutions due to years of mismanagement, greed and neglect of the consumer.

One of the primary tenants of psychology is that people can recover. There is hope, since our society has the capacity to recover, grow and learn. Rather than looking at athletes with disdain and contempt, we should be looking at them with compassion and understanding. After all, isn’t that what we would want for ourselves.