NFL QB Talks About Drug Addiction

Interesting story about NFL quarterback Erik Ainge, a first-person account of his years of drug and alcohol abuse.

The amazing thing is that Ainge went so long without somebody insisting that he get help. Through his teen years in Hillsboro, Ore., through his career at Tennessee, through the start of his NFL career — he continued playing despite what he describes as rampant drug abuse.

But the more relevant issue is the fact that Ainge says he is bipolar. It’s not uncommon for people who are bipolar to become addicts; it’s probably more the rule than the exception. And whether we’re talking about addicts or criminals or people who shoot up a parking lot in Arizona, I wish this country had a better understanding of the costs of mental illness and a more comprehensive way for dealing with it.