Beating addiction may just be the biggest and longest fight of boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya’s life. With all the physical abuse he has endured in his profession, a profession that has an element of serious injury and pain, it is amazing that Oscar is not an out of control junkie! Oscar De La Hoya is defending his infidelity caused by primarily alcohol abuse and drug intoxication. He says he cheated on his wife but we’re not talking about Tiger Woods here. Okay, we all know that's the wrong argument.
Ironically, career wise, Tiger and Oscar have a lot in common. They are both masters of their game and they both know how to overcome the odds under extreme pressure. But when alcohol and drugs start to cloud a champion’s reality, or anyone else’s for that matter, anything can happen. And when it does, it has nothing to do with reality.
History shows that alcohol and drug intoxication result in what drug prevention experts identify as “high risk behavior.” While effects of drug abuse and alcohol abuse infiltrate human ability to reason, cheating, crime and even violence, lie in wake for some more than others. These behaviors are often a fleeting thought and become more premeditated and actionable as the volume of consumption increases day by day as well as over time.
Oscar points out that he had a lot of emotional pain over his mother who had passed and that he felt unloved, which is why he wandered outside of his marriage to find the love he craved for. This is not okay and it never will be. But we can take it further from here and bedevil Oscar or Tiger all we want. But that will not help either of them get on the right track.
Looking back is not the way to recovery. Thoughts of suicide and thoughts of serious failure and giving up are not a road to recovery. It is only a road to sadness and depression because we end up realizing that we can’t turn back the clock. Hey, people make mistakes! It happens. When you’re intoxicated the mistakes just keep on happening. It’s called addiction and we have to stop making excuses.
We must take action by quitting to use the substances that cause our behavior. If we stop, our behavior too will stop and eventually blame will be something of the past for us, left far behind like a tiny object in our rear view mirror. We must let those we hurt heal by distancing ourselves and doing everything we can to overcome our shortcomings. We must save ourselves first. Then we can help others. Blame is useless, even if we deserve it. It will not save us.
God Speed Oscar!
