Former NHL player hit rock bottom: Stephen Peat

[puckpilot]

Do we know it is CTE?
Many people have obstacles without it being CTE.

Unfortunately, they can't be 100% sure until a person is dead, and have their brains examined.

But if you read the second article posted interviewing him a while back, it talks about his symptoms. For example, in the middle of cooking, he'll answer the phone, then completely forget he was cooking and simply walk away, leaving the stove on. Stuff like that happened to him all the time.

That's not normal. If it's not CTE, it's something. But given his history of fighting, to me, it's very much a case if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck.

 

[LeafsLegendAkiBerg]

here's the thing though, you don't know that. no one will know until he dies and his brain is dissected. his health is deteriorating, yes, but is it deteriorating because of the (potential) CTE or because of his drug abuse? listen i'm torn on this too, but the way his dad seems to just casually blame the NHL comes off kinda like he's looking for an outside scapegoat. it just leaves a poor taste in my mouth.

To me it's kind of a moot point if he's suffering from CTE, drug abuse or if his mental deterioration is unrelated - he deserves help. The NHL's potential role is an entirely different story. You're right, we don't know about CTE but there's no doubt in my mind that the league hasn't treated its enforcers well in the past (e.h. Peluso)

It's really not. We as a society have gone way too far in making addicts out to be victims and a lot of those addicts have taken this and ran with it. Trust me, I'm living this situation right now with someone in my family. A huge part of the problem is the entitlement and victim complex lots of addicts feel due to the sob story angle society has put on it. It's gross.

Addicts have distorted thinking patterns. They're not taking help and "running" with it because they're inherently shitty people, they're "running" with it because they're not able to function without satisfying their addiction. Do you really think the only thing stopping a person on the street doing opiods is entitlement and a victim complex? Turning a blind eye to addiction isn't going to help anyone.... not to mention addiction and mental health are closely related. What's gross is how you can completely dehumanize these people IMO.

 

[fancy dan]

It's really not. We as a society have gone way too far in making addicts out to be victims and a lot of those addicts have taken this and ran with it. Trust me, I'm living this situation right now with someone in my family. A huge part of the problem is the entitlement and victim complex lots of addicts feel due to the sob story angle society has put on it. It's gross.

Mental health is a completely different story.

To rely on your own personal anecdotes for commentary on enormous and multifaceted societal problems is a huge problem that negatively (and positively) contributes to how society as a whole views this issue.

You have a family member who you believe is running with their victimization to create a sad story.

I have a family member who is battling addiction and carries enormous guilt about the burden they are causing for others around them and society as a whole.

Are addicts running with their victimization?
Do addicts feel shameful about being unable to overcome their addiction?

Keep anecdotes out of this discussion (and lots others) they do little to help in finding solutions.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It's really not. We as a society have gone way too far in making addicts out to be victims and a lot of those addicts have taken this and ran with it. Trust me, I'm living this situation right now with someone in my family. A huge part of the problem is the entitlement and victim complex lots of addicts feel due to the sob story angle society has put on it. It's gross.

Mental health is a completely different story.

I’d say you would be wise to realize your situation is just one of many and it doesnt make you an expert on anything other than your own life.

 

[lwvs84]

Because of the inability to PROPERLY treat and cure many of these brain injuries/mental illness, the NHL (and all leagues/companies really) should set up programs to actively track and help current and former players. They really need to be proactive about these things, especially since all the science and research on brain injuries and long term effects is relatively new. It could take a generation or more to fully understand everything about the topic. Most of the help that can be provided is little more than a Band-Aid, but many of these players need someone to apply that Band-Aid. I would love to see even a team step up and start tracking and helping their former players get settled in life after hockey. We all know that between the mental illness itself and attitude players have (that it is perceived weakness to ask for help) that few, if any, players are going to be forthcoming about troubles they have or seek help on their own.

 

[MapleLeafistan]

Where's NHL and NHLPA now? Regardless of his decisions, he was a former employee. Doesn't reflect well on the league when a guy is on the street begging.

 

[NuxFan09]

I just don't buy any of this crap. I have forgotten a lot more about addiction, and dealing with those with it, than many here will ever know and I know for a fact that there is a character element at play. Those that want to get better work hard to get better, those who don't, won't, no matter how strong their addiction, no matter how much command of their minds it has.

I'm not trying to dehumanize them, I'm saying that absolutely the way liberal society is treating addiction these days is letting a large contingent of them off the hook. It's sickening.

Also, people always try to lecture me about addiction and I always respond that it always comes down to the choice, the choice that some make to do drugs or the choice to not. Nobody is born addicted to drugs. I have no problem having compassion for people who make that bad choice and want to get better, but it starts with the person. They're not a victim or "sick" and I won't treat them as such.

But again, liberal society for ya.

 

[Scrantonicity 2]

I do and I don't feel sorry for guys like this.

As a human, you feel bad and hope they get help and support, but they've gotta do some things to help themselves too.

Looking at them as ex pro-athletes I'm not so sure. If you're not a star, do you think you're gonna be on the big money, have your name in headlights for a long time and never gonna have to work of do anything else after sport?

I've little sympathy for drug addicts, even stemming from prescriptions because at what level do people take responsibility for themselves?

If the sport doesn't work out, what did they think plan 'B' was gonna entail? Anyone just taking things one day at a time and not looking ahead, pro-athlete of otherwise is putting themselves at great risk of falling over.

Take a lap

 

[tfong]

Unfortunate to be him.

"You got a player who was your employee, you'd think they'd jump to the forefront and say, "What do you need?'"

Incredibly naive thinking process though. Just going to get burned if you blindly trust your employer.

 

[puckpilot]

Where's NHL and NHLPA now? Regardless of his decisions, he was a former employee. Doesn't reflect well on the league when a guy is on the street begging.

Unfortunately, this isn't a new thing. The NHL takes care of the NHL. Look up Busher Jackson and his sad story.

I do know alumni organizations for clubs have programs to help ex-players. How far they go, I don't know.

 

[Sol]

I don't think anyone is saying they deserve more or less care cause of their popularity.

I think the case people are making is that athletes make a lot of money, so they have better means to take care of themselves in comparison to the average person.

An argument you can make for either side is was he a victim of the NHL or his decisions.

 

[Barrie22]

Sooner or later people need to start taking responsibility for there own actions/decisions in life. Stop looking for hand outs when ever things get bad.

 

[fancy dan]

I just don't buy any of this crap. 1)I have forgotten a lot more about addiction, and dealing with those with it, than many here will ever know and I know for a fact that there is a character element at play. Those that want to get better work hard to get better, those who don't, won't, no matter how strong their addiction, no matter how much command of their minds it has.

I'm not trying to dehumanize them, I'm saying that absolutely the way liberal society is treating addiction these days is letting a large contingent of them off the hook. It's sickening.

Also, people always try to lecture me about addiction and I always respond that it always comes down to the choice, the choice that some make to do drugs or the choice to not. 2) Nobody is born addicted to drugs. I have no problem having compassion for people who make that bad choice and want to get better, but it starts with the person. They're not a victim or "sick" and I won't treat them as such.

But again, liberal society for ya.

1) to compare your existence with another's is to assume that it's the same as yours.... spoiler alert: it's not. see my post above related to the validity of anecdotal evidence . also, you don't know this for a "fact".

2) this is a false statement.

 

[Syckle78]

To me it's kind of a moot point if he's suffering from CTE, drug abuse or if his mental deterioration is unrelated - he deserves help. The NHL's potential role is an entirely different story. You're right, we don't know about CTE but there's no doubt in my mind that the league hasn't treated its enforcers well in the past (e.h. Peluso)




Addicts have distorted thinking patterns. They're not taking help and "running" with it because they're inherently ****ty people, they're "running" with it because they're not able to function without satisfying their addiction. Do you really think the only thing stopping a person on the street doing opiods is entitlement and a victim complex? Turning a blind eye to addiction isn't going to help anyone.... not to mention addiction and mental health are closely related. What's gross is how you can completely dehumanize these people IMO.

They dehumanized themselves. I don't know what addicts you've dealt with but the one's I have are complete pieces of shit on and off drugs and I'm sick of them and others using their addiction as an excuse for their disgusting behaviour.

 

[fancy dan]

They dehumanized themselves. I don't know what addicts you've dealt with but the one's I have are complete pieces of **** on and off drugs and I'm sick of them and others using their addiction as an excuse for their disgusting behaviour.

why are they addicts?

 

[Vikke]

I just don't buy any of this crap. I have forgotten a lot more about addiction, and dealing with those with it, than many here will ever know and I know for a fact that there is a character element at play. Those that want to get better work hard to get better, those who don't, won't, no matter how strong their addiction, no matter how much command of their minds it has.

I'm not trying to dehumanize them, I'm saying that absolutely the way liberal society is treating addiction these days is letting a large contingent of them off the hook. It's sickening.

Also, people always try to lecture me about addiction and I always respond that it always comes down to the choice, the choice that some make to do drugs or the choice to not. Nobody is born addicted to drugs. I have no problem having compassion for people who make that bad choice and want to get better, but it starts with the person. They're not a victim or "sick" and I won't treat them as such.

But again, liberal society for ya.

Hey, buddy. You're a terrible person.

 

[Pizza the Hutt]

I do and I don't feel sorry for guys like this.

As a human, you feel bad and hope they get help and support, but they've gotta do some things to help themselves too.

Looking at them as ex pro-athletes I'm not so sure. If you're not a star, do you think you're gonna be on the big money, have your name in headlights for a long time and never gonna have to work of do anything else after sport?

I've little sympathy for drug addicts, even stemming from prescriptions because at what level do people take responsibility for themselves?

If the sport doesn't work out, what did they think plan 'B' was gonna entail? Anyone just taking things one day at a time and not looking ahead, pro-athlete of otherwise is putting themselves at great risk of falling over.

First question is have you ever met or been close to someone with a mental illness.

Second question is have you ever met or been close to someone who has dealt with untreatable physical pain that requires serious medication.

I'm imagining both answers to these questions would be no.

The issue of mental illness I understand if you don't have any experience with it. It's a big, complex subject that is very difficult to identify with if you don't know where to begin. I mean, at this point you should be able to look past your own lack of understanding given the constant efforts to educate the public, but let's say that's a gimme.

The second is your fault. Do you really think drug addicts are addicts by choice? Do you really think that many people would choose to hurt themselves if they had an out? Can you really not imagine a scientific reason for the wholesale destruction of entire groups of people other than a lack of self control?

People who feel pain need help with the pain. Just like you they use drugs to help them with this pain. Try to remember the worst pain you ever felt, say, a migraine. Now imagine if you had a migraine 24 hours a day. You think you could get by just on advil? Nah. You'd have a very hard time, just like everyone else.

 

[Goonzilla]

I've spent a fair bit of time around addicts, the mentally ill and the people who treat or look after them..and I know, deal with and come across plenty of both.

They aren't all the same and you can't lump them all in together. For every hard to fault case there's a middle class kid who's nothing but a victim of their own stupidity; and there's a massive issue around mental health problems being triggered or exacerbated by drug abuse.

There's what I'm pretty sure is Canadian show called 'Interventions' or done thing like that, presume a few will know what I'm talking about. I've caught it a few times and almost without exception you find people that aren't necessarily bad people, but they have generally been idiots; and they are surrounded by enablers, that make it easy to see where their predicaments stem from.

That doesn't mean there's no empathy or sympathy, but it does mean usually that there's only one person to blame or who ultimately needs to be accountable. Sure they can be helped and assisted, but there's really only one person that can save them..and it ain't Jesus.

 

[blood gin]

I'm no doctor but, pictures of Peat while he's still a young NHLer...does anybody else get the vibe that something was "off" with him already? Just his sort of facial/head composition. I know I've heard been speculation that Hack Wilson the great baseball hitter may have had fetal alcohol syndrome so this isn't without precedent. Is it possible that he was already dulled due to some sort of birth defects?

 

[Canadian Finn]

holy wow. that's quite a reach.

 

[blood gin]

holy wow. that's quite a reach.

Well I don't know. But something just looks off about him. Could be a lot of things. He could've had major concussions during his teenage years and already headed for a very tough future before setting foot in the NHL

 

[the paisanos guy]

I just don't buy any of this crap. I have forgotten a lot more about addiction, and dealing with those with it, than many here will ever know and I know for a fact that there is a character element at play. Those that want to get better work hard to get better, those who don't, won't, no matter how strong their addiction, no matter how much command of their minds it has.

I'm not trying to dehumanize them, I'm saying that absolutely the way liberal society is treating addiction these days is letting a large contingent of them off the hook. It's sickening.

Off the hook for what, exactly? Do you really think drug addicts live some sort of amazing, glamorous life?

 

[sandysan]

Agreed completely. I'm also not sure why some people have this "if you can't lift yourself up by your bootstraps, **** you" type mentality. What's the issue with helping people battling mental health or addiction?

the issue is that it appears that he doesn't want the help and his dad has been unable to get him the help he thinks he needs against his wishes. His dad is between a rock and a hard place, he clearly loves his son and wants him to get help but he also has a restraining order against him because he's afraid for his physical safety.

Although its not restricted to mental health issues, its really hard to protect people from themselves.

I hope that he gets the help he needs and that he can turn it around.

 

[Goonzilla]

Off the hook for what, exactly? Do you really think drug addicts live some sort of amazing, glamorous life?

For some it starts out that way.

 

[justafan22]

I'm not trying to dehumanize them, I'm saying that absolutely the way liberal society is treating addiction these days is letting a large contingent of them off the hook. It's sickening.

Also, people always try to lecture me about addiction and I always respond that it always comes down to the choice, the choice that some make to do drugs or the choice to not. Nobody is born addicted to drugs. I have no problem having compassion for people who make that bad choice and want to get better, but it starts with the person. They're not a victim or "sick" and I won't treat them as such.


But again, liberal society for ya.

Yikes.