Has anyone else seen this?
It's very much something we all push to the back of our minds when we see these guys play. Tragic and illuminating, especially as much of this piece takes place in the context of our own team.
https://thecauldron.si.com/what-does-it-....v66uruu8p
That story made me cry. Eben Britton had a bright future ahead of him if only he knew better about taking medications. It is a lesson for anyone, not jut professional athletes, who struggles with this kind of issue.
I do give him credit for opening up about his addiction and playing through pain.
Powerful piece. Puts a lot of things into perspective.
Makes you worry about Hurns. And how's hes playing through the injuries. Good read.
Quote:Makes you worry about Hurns. And how's hes playing through the injuries. Good read.
No it doesn't. Allen Hurns is like any other player who plays through pain. Eben Britton had a totally different problem.
Quote:No it doesn't. Allen Hurns is like any other player who plays through pain. Eben Britton had a totally different problem.
How could you possibly know this??????
Quote:No it doesn't. Allen Hurns is like any other player who plays through pain. Eben Britton had a totally different problem.
Whiiiiich is basically the context of the article. Players playing through pain and more than likely using drugs/pills to help deal with the pain. Not saying this is Hurns, but not saying it's not, because like Scarecrow says, how could you possibly know?
This isn't the first time I've heard stories like this either.
Quote:Which is basically the context of the article. Players playing through pain are more than likely using drugs/pills to help deal with the pain. Not saying this is Hurns, but not saying it's not, because like Scarecrow says, how could you possibly know?
This isn't the first time I've heard stories like this either.
While the article does highlight that issue Eben Britton's situation was different. He thought it was OK to take two drugs for the same mental disorder, then realized later they were helping him with pain. That is not the same as simply having a painkiller addiction like Brett Favre did with Vicodin. As someone who has tried several psychotherapy drugs, I probably was reading the article differently. Allen Hurns could get addicted, but it is very unlikely that would be an ADHD drug.
Quote:While the article does highlight that issue Eben Britton's situation was different. He thought it was OK to take two drugs for the same mental disorder, then realized later they were helping him with pain. That is not the same as simply having a painkiller addiction like Brett Favre did with Vicodin. As someone who has tried several psychotherapy drugs, I probably was reading the article differently. Allen Hurns could get addicted, but it is very unlikely that would be an ADHD drug.
its kind of crazy to me when you hear the Favre stories that there was/is? a painkiller epidemic in the NFL and then you read this and wonder if that problem is mostly dealt with but then instead replaced with behavioral meds which could lead to other problematic circumstances.
Great article by Eben and very thought provoking.
I wonder how many years before a player tells all about PED use in todays NFL.
The NFL dealt with Favre's addiction by sending him to a treatment facility in Topeka, Kansas. Other players have been ordered to get that kind of help as well but not all of them. Eben Britton's story makes me wonder how many NFL players fail drug tests because of prescription medications. He needed Adderall and had been taking it since childhood. It is scary to think NFL players are not allowed to get treatment they need for certain lifelong disorders.
The real eye opener here is Britton took two drugs for the same problem. I would be shocked if any doctor allowed that for ADHD. How the habit started - lack of awareness about taking both Adderall and Ritalin - was a mistake many people, not just those with mental health issues, make every day. There clearly is more to the story than needing something to relieve pain and prolong a playing career.
Quote:Has anyone else seen this?
It's very much something we all push to the back of our minds when we see these guys play. Tragic and illuminating, especially as much of this piece takes place in the context of our own team.
https://thecauldron.si.com/what-does-it-....v66uruu8p
Very interesting read.
Nice find.
He continuously falls back on the justification of taking the adderall because it was legally prescribed but has no problem with the illegal weed? Sounds a little hypocritical to me.
Quote:He continuously falls back on the justification of taking the adderall because it was legally prescribed but has no problem with the illegal weed? Sounds a little hypocritical to me.
No justification for taking Adderall is necessary if he took it exactly as prescribed: same time, same dose, every day. The problem was instead of doing that, he alternated between Adderall (the right drug) and Ritalin (the wrong drug). Where is the justification in that decision? I don't see it because the doctor only prescribed Adderall - Ritalin is just another prescription drug. Weed is a totally different issue that I hope other players will open up about.
Quote:No justification for taking Adderall is necessary if he took it exactly as prescribed: same time, same dose, every day. The problem was instead of doing that, he alternated between Adderall (the right drug) and Ritalin (the wrong drug). Where is the justification in that decision? I don't see it because the doctor only prescribed Adderall - Ritalin is just another prescription drug. Weed is a totally different issue that I hope other players will open up about.
A clear and obvious aspect of this, and it's probably the key aspect when you get down to it, is that Britton wasn't taking the Adderall / Ritalin as a drug to rehabilitate his body but to use it as an "edge" that would help him compete at his job.
Now, you are blatantly ignoring this part of the story and I imagine that you'll pin it on how it's part of your background / situation, but one only need to read the line that Britton wrote that states "...I knew I wouldn’t be able to perform to the best of my ability without it [Adderall]..." Britton viewed the drug as more than simply a medication to treat an illness or deficiency; he looked at them as tools that he would need in order to perform.
But please, flail away.
Hmmm, I'm not taking as much from the article as some of you.
He just sounds like a knucklehead to me.
I was not ignoring anything, Deacon. Obviously, Eben Britton wanted something to play better and be pain-free. But did you ever think Adderall made him play better because his mind was more focused on football and what he needed to do?
As a person that has dealt with ADHD his entire life, I know exactly what he's talking about. When you take it, it's like sharpening your mind. It's really incredible. I'm an electrician by trade so being able to focus on my work is vital. My problem was diagnosed in the 4th grade tho. I'm not to sure about the drop off he's talking about unless he actually takes the real stuff and not the generic like I do or he takes more than one at a time. I take mine when I can feel the effects wear off. Caffeine speeds up the wearing off factor. You have a soft drink with that pill, it's almost wasted. That could also be why he feels the steep drop off but I don't know what he drinks. One side effect tho of taking it is grinding your teeth. Sometimes you don't know that you do it till your jaws start hurting. So I usually take a ibuprofen with my pill to knock off that grinding sensation.
I've gone thru periods every 4 months where I stop taking it for a week or two to not build up a tolerance. I'm usually very irritable, moody, and can't sit still or focus to save my life. Forget sitting through a movie. Not happening.
Long story short, I feel for him. So many people believe that they have ADHD when they really don't. They did a lot of tests on me, including psychology tests. It was crazy. Hope he keeps his head up and keep moving forward. He's able to correct the problem and live the rest of his life.
Goner, although my problem is not ADHD (in case you don't know, it is a mild form of autism called Asperger's syndrome), I totally understand being irritable and moody. Nobody would be my friend if I did not take anything. I did not want any of my favorite cookies, lost interest in football, and felt like crap for no definable reason when I tried to live without taking any anti-anxiety drugs. It was the worst time in my life.
This is why I felt bad for Eben Britton. He actually needed to take Adderall to play football, but at the same time was not allowed to take it because of football. It was a "can't do what I have to do" situation because life depended on Adderall. It is impossible to know from Britton's article if ADHD was the correct diagnosis, but my advice to him would be, "Ask your doctor if Adderall or Ritalin is the more effective drug for you and stick to it."
Quote:Goner, although my problem is not ADHD (in case you don't know, it is a mild form of autism called Asperger's syndrome), I totally understand being irritable and moody. Nobody would be my friend if I did not take anything. I did not want any of my favorite cookies, lost interest in football, and felt like crap for no definable reason when I tried to live without taking any anti-anxiety drugs. It was the worst time in my life.
This is why I felt bad for Eben Britton. He actually needed to take Adderall to play football, but at the same time was not allowed to take it because of football. It was a "can't do what I have to do" situation because life depended on Adderall. It is impossible to know from Britton's article if ADHD was the correct diagnosis, but my advice to him would be, "Ask your doctor if Adderall or Ritalin is the more effective drug for you and stick to it."
Did you actually read the story? Britton got busted for taking Ritalin when he had a script for Adderall. He was ok taking Adderall, it was permitted for him to take Adderrall and he got busted for taking something else. If you're going to comment you should at least act like you have some semblance of what's going on.