UFC Fighter Chris Leben’s Struggle
UFC mixed martial arts fighter Chris Leben was suspended from competition in late 2011 after failing a drug test that found painkillers in his system— and for the first time since the suspension Leben is discussing the situation. Leben claims that the positive drug test was the best thing to ever happen to him because the suspension forced him into rehab for his drug abuse problem.
In an interview with The MMA Hour Leben goes on to say, “I’ve battled with those for my entire life. I’ve had an issue with being addicted to painkillers for years now. I had some issues with my camp and it was almost a cry for help. I knew I was going to get caught and I just didn’t care at the time. I’m extremely embarrassed, I feel like I let down the UFC, but at the same time I think getting caught is probably the best thing to ever happen to me.” Leben apparently had severe addictions to painkillers like oxycodone and oxymorphone, which were accompanied by alcoholism issues as well. The one year suspension that Leben is serving is allowing him to get his life back on track and seek the professional help that’s necessary for recovery. Leben claims that he hasn’t had a pill since he went to rehab five months ago and he also takes Antabuse—a substance that makes you sick if you drink alcohol.
It’s encouraging to see that Leben is apparently on the road to recovery after hitting rock bottom with his painkiller addiction. It’s unfortunately very common for people to become addicted to prescription painkillers today, but thankfully there’s excellent rehabilitation treatment available to battle these tough painkiller addictions. Individuals who abuse or are addicted to prescription medications can be treated. Initially, they may need to undergo medically supervised detoxification to help reduce withdrawal symptoms—however, that is just the first step. Options for effectively treating addiction to prescription pills are drawn from research on treating heroin addiction. Behavioral treatments combined with medications have proven effective. Finding the right treatment center can make all the difference for a patient because certain standard programs may not work. At Seabrook House, patients can take comfort in knowing that we structure individually inspired detox and rehab programs in order to fit the needs of each unique patient. Seabrook House has rehab facilities located in New Jersey (NJ) and Pennsylvania (PA) and also an outpatient office in New York (NY). Contact Seabrook House today with any questions about prescription pill abuse, addiction, or treatment.
