Saturday, February 18, 2017

What's happening to our former successful athletes?

This question is one that is asked often.

It has been in the news again.

Many people who have been highly successful and well known to the public crash after their careers as "heroes" has faded.

Depression and Drug Addiction are the two most common things we hear about in this regard.

A neighbour and I discussed this topic over a cup of tea yesterday.

She has lost two sons in their prime to drug addiction and suicide.

Can you imagine how tough that is?

I felt the need to write again and post about this subject.

It is not just about athletes and for athletes but for all of us, this subject of Depression and Drug Addiction..

I have been a sufferer of depression and I still need to be on my guard to keep it at bay.

The first tussle with the dreaded black dog came when I was at the peak of my sporting life and thinking I was going somewhere.

I crashed badly.

I recovered to an extent but found it a debilitating and at times crippling thing.

Becoming a Christian at age 28 started me on a path of growth and finding my identity through and in Jesus Christ.

As a young person I was playing basketball with a young man who  was leading a double life.

Concealing his drug addiction from everyone.

When knowledge of this became public in a dramatic way my then pastor,Frank Hunting, prepared a taped study with notes for his close friends and family to pray deliberately about this.

In " authority and power".

T o cut a long story short my friend recovered form his addiction and became a professional person and family man.

The transcript of this tape is in my featured post at the moment.

I would urge families coping with these problems to read and seriously consider what Frank has prepared here.

You may not be Christians or you may be.

Take some steps in this direction while you can.










No comments:

Post a Comment