The famous American baseball player, Josh Hamilton, is celebrated for his athletic abilities. He has become an MVP and is one of the most accomplished hitters in the league. Although he is a great baseball player, he has freely admitted to his challenges overcoming drugs and alcohol. As a Major League baseball player, the addiction to drugs and alcohol was a problem for his career. The league has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and Hamilton took a break from baseball for three years as he struggled through rehab programs and getting over the addiction.
Start of Addiction
Josh Hamilton started drinking alcohol and taking cocaine when he was 20 years old in 2001. A bad accident in his late teens combined with curiosity about the substances led to taking the first drink and line of cocaine. Unfortunately, the baseball player became addicted to the substances and spent several years battling his addiction before he was able to overcome the drugs.
After he began taking cocaine and drinking heavily, the baseball player failed drug tests that are required for Major League Baseball players. A suspension from the sport for more than three years gave the player an opportunity to start working on his demons.
Rehab
Josh Hamilton began going to rehab programs to help fight his addiction. At the start, he would quit for short periods of time and then relapse into heavy drinking. His stints in rehab gave him some of the tools he needed to work on his addiction, but he struggled to get control of his life throughout the process.
Overcoming Addiction
Although Hamilton struggled with drugs, his belief in God ultimately led to living a drug free life. When his grandmother suggested that he start reading the Bible, the baseball player started a journey that would help him give up the substances. He began taking measures to fight the addiction and ultimately was able to give up drugs and alcohol permanently.
Despite his struggles to stop relapsing, the MVP has admitted to mistakes along the way. He has always taken responsibility when he relapsed and got back on track to a drug and alcohol free life. He knows that the battle is a lifelong endeavor, but takes measures to help the process.
Fighting addiction is not easy, but it is possible. As Josh Hamilton has displayed with his battle against alcohol and cocaine, it is possible to overcome substances and reach for greater success.