Tag: Alcoholism

After acknowledging struggle with alcohol, Grayson Murray uses Twitter to announce he’s undergoing treatment

Grayson Murray used Twitter to announce a troubling struggle with alcohol abuse. Now, he says, he’s undergoing treatment.

Not long after using Twitter to open up about his struggles with alcoholism, Grayson Murray returned to the social media platform on Sunday with a post announcing he was seeking treatment.

Murray, winner of the 2017 Barbasol Championship on the PGA Tour, announced he’s been in treatment 12 days.

“I still have a long ways to go and have made a promise to myself that i wouldn’t leave until i was 100% ready for the real world again,” he wrote as part of the message.

In a July 24 post to Twitter, Murray revealed his struggles with Tour life that he said had led him to become an alcoholic. Murray claimed he was on probation with the PGA Tour after he got drunk in a Hawaii hotel bar despite causing “no scene whatsoever.” He also expressed disappointment that the Tour didn’t help him deal with his alcohol problem.

“We can unequivocally say that the PGA Tour is a family, and when a member of that family needs help, we are there for him. That has been the case here and will continue to be,” the PGA Tour said in a statement to Golfweek after Murray’s July 24 accusations.

Murray has played 22 events in the 2020-21 PGA Tour season but made only six cuts. He last played the weekend at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event in which he partnered with Rob Oppenheim.

Since turning professional in 2015, Murray has traveled a tumultuous road on the Tour, often getting himself into hot water with volatile social media posts. He was once ranked as high as No. 85 in the Official World Golf Ranking but has fallen to No. 499.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[lawrence-related id=778118577,778118395,778115489]

Jordan Poyer shares poignant and important message about his fight against alcohol addiction

Thank you for having the courage to do this, Jordan.

Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer posted on Instagram Saturday to reveal that he quit drinking a year ago.

“A year ago today (3/13/2020) I decided to quit drinking,” he wrote. “Not because of anything special. Like lent or a New Years resolution. But because I was an alcoholic. I’m writing this knowing there are others out there like me that realize they too need help.”

You can sense the trepidation in Poyer’s message. He eventually says, “Can’t lie even writing this, Im embarrassed, it’s shameful but If I can overcome the struggle of alcohol, so can you.”

Alcoholism is, of course, nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of, and Poyer’s message is courageous and important.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMYCM2jny1Y/

There are many, many, many people dealing with alcohol use disorder. Others in the NFL, on and off the field. Others in every walk of life. Others in your neighborhood.

Having Poyer speak out about a subject that is still frustratingly taboo is a vital step in helping more people understand the many forms of alcohol abuse. Poyer got broad support after posting his message, but if you look hard enough you’ll find some people who used it to create a discussion  full of misconceptions and stereotyping about alcohol addiction and the programs used to assist those suffering from it.

I wrote earlier today about how sad it is to see Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon playing in the Fan Controlled Football league, as both of their careers were derailed by addiction. ESPN ran a story earlier this year about CC Sabathia’s — and writer Ryan Hockensmith’s — fight against addiction.

I’m guessing we hear about only a small percentage of the athletes who’ve struggled with addiction, because as Poyer points out it’s too often treated as a moral failing or lack of willpower rather than a chronic and debilitating disease.

Poyer’s decision to share his story will most certainly resonate with fans out there who have wondered about their own alcohol use — and that of loved ones and friends. It encourages difficult discussions and makes it plain that anyone anywhere can find themselves stuck in a cycle of addiction — but that, also, they can seek and find help.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09m93q11d4tbgfy player_id=01evcfkb10bw5a3nky image=https://ftw.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[vertical-gallery id=1004057]

Ex-Broncos RB Montee Ball overcomes alcoholism, shares great comeback story

Former Broncos running back Montee Ball has turned his life around after overcoming alcoholism.

When the Broncos selected Wisconsin star Montee Ball in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft, many fans in Denver expected him to become the team’s next great running back. It didn’t work out that way.

Ball dressed for just 21 games with the Broncos, earning only three starts. He lost four fumbles during that time and averaged just 3.1 yards per carry in 2014, which turned out to be his final season in Denver.

Ball was struggling with alcoholism and in 2016, he was arrested for domestic violence. He was a Patriot at the time and was cut by New England shortly after that arrest.

Ball has since overcome alcoholism and he now serves as a public speaker and an AODA recovery advocate.

On Friday, on the anniversary of Denver’s win in Super Bowl 50, Ball shared an inspiring tweet about his comeback story.

“My goal is to teach the importance of reaching out for help, to show vulnerability,” Ball said in a 2019 interview with MTMJ-TV.

Ball’s NFL career is likely over but his comeback story isn’t.

[vertical-gallery id=632585]