Josh Hamilton’s Relapse

Josh Hamilton’s Relapse

By Rhea Rosier & Jenny Hunt

February 3, 2012

Major leaguer Josh Hamilton relapsed on alcohol this week, sources report. The Texas Ranger has been infamous in the media for his antics on drugs and alcohol.

Josh Hamilton was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries and a drug addiction derailed his career in 2001. In 2003, while playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Hamilton showed up late to several spring training sessions. He left the team and came back several times, but eventually took the rest of the season off for “personal reasons.”  Hamilton wanted to come back for spring training in 2004, but he was suspended for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy, which means that he failed two drug tests.

Josh Hamilton finally got clean after being confronted by his grandmother. In May of 2008, he claimed to have been clean since October of 2005.

Josh Hamilton’s relapse in 2009 made headlines. He was photographed licking whip cream off a woman’s fake breasts in a bar in Tempe. According to sources, he was drinking and asking people where he could obtain cocaine.  The photographs surfaced on the net in August of that year and quickly went viral. Since then, he’s stayed out of the limelight and agreed to drug testing three times a week for the Rangers.

Hamilton has said that his faith in Jesus Christ saved him from his addiction.

Josh Hamilton’s relapse in a bar on Monday night will surely shock family and friends alike. It doesn’t seem like he was trying to hide it, as he went to a bar where he is well known.

Josh Hamilton’s latest relapse could be very costly for him and his family.

Although this just came in from Josh Hamilton;

Hamilton says he knows his recovery depends upon his vigilance.

“I can not take a break from my recovery. My recovery is Christ. My recovery is an everyday process. When I take that one day off, it leaves me open for a moment of weakness and its always been that way,” Hamilton said. “For everybody that I’ve hurt, for fans, for kids, for people that have addictions that look up to me, I apologize to you. When you’re doing this you don’t meant to hurt anybody, but you’re only thinking it hurts yourself but I know it hurt a lot of people”

When addicts and alcoholics relapse it can always be scary and unfortunately for those on the map of the paparazzi whether or not they are athletes or famous movie stars you can not shamefully climb back into rehab or your safe haven. Josh Hamilton had to face what he did and I think he did a good job of it. We can only hope to see him do this “One Step At A Time”. Because as he said we cant take a day off. As a fellow addict and alcoholic I can say “I hear ya loud and clear man.”

“Just keep comin back” or better yet “stay”