Here’s Why Strawberry’s Problem Is a...

Shame on Tommy. If alcohol and drug addiction is a weakness, Lasorda is the epitome of wisdom and decorum.

Surely, he knows better. As a life-long professional in a field littered with careers splintered by drug and alcohol abuse, the Dodger manager has consistently been exposed to the facts of addictive disease and is far more knowledgeable about it than the average person.

His anger at Darryl Strawberry’s relapse and his apparent feelings of betrayal are understandable. But the irresponsibility of his public comments is not. As a highly visible leader in the megaworld of professional athletics, Lasorda should limit his ex cathedra pronouncements to baseball and leave the definition of alcohol and drug addiction to the medical experts.

That drug/alcohol addiction is a disease is unquestioned in the field of medicine. The American Medical Assn. so classified it many years ago, and addiction treatment and therapy is a well-accepted medical specialty. In addition, genetic and neurological research have proved that certain types of alcoholism are inherited.

The sad facts, however, are these: The disease has a painfully high relapse rate; most people who have it die from it, and there is no cure, only remission. If Lasorda is frustrated by this reality, imagine how Strawberry and his family feel.

Why didn’t Lasorda just come out and say what is probably true--that Strawberry broke his heart? Alcoholics and addicts hold the world’s record for breaking hearts--but not out of immorality, lack of character or stupidity.

Question: Will an active addict deny that he is using? Answer: Is the Pope Catholic? The symptom of denial is commonplace.

It’s simply untrue that Dodger leaders couldn’t directly confront Strawberry with their suspicions that he had relapsed. Based on their comments in the press, they had documented proof of unprofessional conduct, with unacceptable excuses. Given that, and Strawberry’s acknowledgment of his disease and prior treatment, the Dodgers were well within their legal rights to take more aggressive steps. Indeed, it could be argued that the facts required them to intervene.

Interventions are an accepted and effective process for confronting the sick person, most often involving family members, close colleagues from work and a good friend or two. The goal of an intervention is to block all the psychological exits, leaving the addict with no excuses or viable rationalizations for his behavior.

The critical success factor is consensus on the consequences of refusing treatment and the commitment of all involved to follow through on them. While interventions often fail, most successful ones have a consequence that is work-related. Experience teaches that the typical alcoholic / addict in the throes of disease may well choose the loss of family over the loss of alcohol and drugs, but far fewer choose their drug of choice over their jobs.

Sobriety is a life-long challenge met one day at a time. Darryl Strawberry has an extremely hard road ahead, made immeasurably more difficult by his celebrity and visibility.

There are lots of us out here, trudging that same hard road. Hang in there, Darryl.