Game Plan for Recovery: How Athletes Are Choosing Outpatient Programs
Athletes are quietly fighting one of the toughest opponents of their careers…
Addiction.
Whether it’s college locker rooms or pro stadiums, athletes are opening up about seeking help like never before. The twist? They’re not always heading to 30-day inpatient programs.
They are choosing outpatient programs instead.
Why? Because outpatient programs allow them to continue training, working and showing up for life.
– The Real Problem Athletes Are Facing
– Why Trauma-Informed Care Changes Everything
– How Outpatient Programs Fit Into An Athlete’s Life
– The Top Benefits Of Choosing Outpatient
– What To Look For In A Quality Program
The Real Problem Athletes Are Facing
Let’s start by saying it as it is. Athletes struggle with substance abuse far more frequently than most assume. Studies indicate that up to 93% of college athletes consume alcohol and 52% of professional football players have used opioids at some point in their life.
Need to perform. Persistent pain from injuries. Fear of getting cut from your team. It all builds up. And for some athletes, those painkillers received post injury gradually become a serious dependency.
Throw in late nights, party culture, easy availability of alcohol and the “tough it out” mentality and you have disaster looming.
However the source of the problem often lies far beneath the surface of the drug. Enter trauma.
Why Trauma-Informed Care Changes Everything
Few people naturally associate sports with trauma. However, injuries, operations, public pressure, abusive coaching, and career-ending experiences are all traumatic events. Athletes experience high volumes of it. Which is why trauma informed care is such a crucial element of modern addiction recovery for athletes.
Individuals with known trauma histories are 5x more likely to require assistance to recover from addiction.
Effective outpatient addiction treatment in Virginia understands trauma. A quality program will utilize a trauma informed approach to ensure the athlete feels safe, in control, and appropriately supported every step of the way. Trauma informed care isn’t just talk therapy – it’s an entire approach to treatment that understands trauma is often driving the addiction.
Trauma-informed care focuses on:
– Creating a safe environment where athletes can open up
– Giving the person control over their own recovery choices
– Treating trauma and addiction at the same time
– Building trust between the athlete and the care team
By skipping this part you are only addressing the symptom, never the cause. Which is why most traditional programs have relapsed in the first year.
How Outpatient Programs Fit Into An Athlete’s Life
Here’s where outpatient really shines… Athletes have schedules. Training. Practice. Games. Sponsor obligations. Travel.
Expecting athletes to take them away from all of that for 30-90 days can be a lot. It’s really not possible for some. With outpatient programs, athletes can go to therapy sessions in the evening or on their days off and continue doing their sport.
Most outpatient programs offer:
– Individual therapy sessions each week
– Group counselling with people who get it
– Medication management when it is needed
– Family therapy to rebuild relationships
– Flexible scheduling around training and competition
That type of flexibility matters. They don’t need to sacrifice their career for their recovery. They can do both.
The Top Benefits Of Choosing Outpatient
Thinking outpatient rehab is the “easy way out”? Think again. Read why outpatient treatment is the intelligent choice for many athletes.
And the obvious greatest benefit. The athlete is still able to train through their recovery. Their body stays conditioned, their mind stays focused, and they don’t lose time developing themselves. As an athlete that is priceless.
You are in a bubble with inpatient programs. Outpatient throws you back into the real world… With every trigger, stressor and temptation. That means athletes learn to cope with everyday life with a full army of people supporting them. So the lessons become ingrained as they are practiced daily.
Inpatient programs run you tens of thousands of dollars. Outpatient is significantly cheaper, allowing college and amateur athletes who don’t have a steady pro salary to use it.
Professional athletes are public figures… College athletes too. Outpatient treatment is much more discreet than entering a residential program for weeks. Their teammates, coaches, sponsors and fans shouldn’t have to know what’s going on.
Having your family involved in your recovery makes recovery way easier. With outpatient care you can go home every night, have dinner with your family, and work on rebuilding those healthy relationships as they happen.
What To Look For In A Quality Program
All outpatient treatment programs are not created equal. Here is what athletes (and parents) should consider when choosing.
Personalized experience for athletes: The program should know what it’s like to think like an athlete – be competitive, want to better yourself, having your life revolve around your sport.
Trauma informed approach: Non negotiable. Ensure team members are trained in trauma informed care and have an understanding of stressors unique to sport performance.
Flexible scheduling: Training and competition don’t stop. The program needs to work around that.
Dual diagnosis treatment: Addiction often involves anxiety, depression or PTSD. Treatment must address both simultaneously.
Aftercare and continuing care: Treatment doesn’t suddenly stop at the conclusion of the program. Ideally, a quality program will have an ongoing plan that extends long past the last appointment.
Ask questions. Visit the facility. Ensure it feels comfortable and that it’s the right fit. You only get to make this decision once.
Athletes endure pressures most will never know. When those pressures develop into addiction, recovery can seem insurmountable. But outpatient programs – particularly those which operate from a trauma-informed perspective – are providing athletes with a genuine opportunity at recovery without giving up the sport they love.
It’s changing because there is a reason. Athletes now have a choice that accommodates their lifestyle, their privacy and who they are as athletes.
To quickly recap:
– Athletes are facing addiction at higher rates than the general public
– Trauma-informed care treats the real cause, not just the symptom
– Outpatient programs offer flexibility, privacy and lower cost
– Athletes get to keep training while they heal
– The right program will be flexible, experienced and built for long-term support
Recovery isn’t a weakness. It’s the bravest play any athlete can make.
NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com