Aaron Taylor, Junior Seau and Substance Abuse

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Its an article about Junior Seau's troubles before his suicide, but Taylor makes a cameo, admitting to a problem I think I was only dimly aware of, if at all.


“The way I drank and the way Junior drank was not normal,” said Aaron Taylor, former NFL offensive guard and Seau’s Chargers ex-teammate, who battled alcohol and self-esteem issues before becoming sober in 2002. “Chances are he was predisposed to drug and alcohol addiction and depression, and football served as an antidote. Alcohol is the symptom of the issue. Sadness, depression and anger are the causes. Alcoholics don’t drink because of the way it makes us feel. We drink because it numbs the feeling. When we’re partying, we’re looking for a distraction. It distracts our hurting hearts and souls.”

Its a disturbing article about a man who was falling apart at the seams and did not know how to ask for help.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/oct/21/bitter-endgame/?print&page=all

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Taylor's other mention, when Seau was willing to admit to the problem and enlisted Taylor's help.


However, he never followed through with his promises to enroll in a program at Betty Ford because he was too ashamed to admit his personal failures. He also worried that as a high-profile figure, he’d never be able to keep his alcoholism and subsequent treatment a secret.

According to Taylor, Seau attended three 12-step meetings with him.

“Junior told me, ‘I’m an alcoholic and an addict,’ ” Taylor said. “He didn’t clarify what kind of addict, and I didn’t ask him. He shared with me, ‘I can’t keep doing this. I’ve tried to quit but I can’t. I’m ready for the pain to stop. I’ve had enough.’ ”

Hoffman said Seau felt “uncomfortable” in the 12-step meetings, and so he joined a Tuesday morning breakfast meeting, where a group of successful, local men discussed their lives and their challenges. He also attended Bible studies. Seau did not tell his inner circle he was attempting to get sober. Taylor, Nolan, Hoffman and his high school sweetheart, Melissa Waldrop, may have been the only people who knew Seau was trying to stop drinking. One night during his attempt at sobriety, in a very raw, soul-baring moment, Seau confided in Waldrop, “I wish I could go back to just being ‘June’ and that I didn’t have to continue to be ‘55.’ ”

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Thanks for sharing that, PB.