The Source Addiction Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale Applauds MLB Pitcher CC Sabathia for Sharing His Story of Addiction and Recovery

Fort Lauderdale, FL - New York Yankees pitching legend CC Sabathia excelled in his Major League Baseball career earning an American League Cy Young Award, six All-Star game wins, and a World Series victory in 2009. His success on the field however, was often overshadowed by struggles in his personal life. For decades, Sabathia’s escape from the stresses of life and being an All-Star athlete was found at the bottom of a bottle. Like other so-called “functional alcoholics”, he felt he was able to keep his drinking under control when necessary, but over time the magnitude of his addiction began to erode his life in ways he could no longer ignore.

In his honest and raw memoir, Till The End, CC Sabathia describes his 15 year struggle with alcohol. “For three days I would get absolutely ripped—starting fights, pissing in the bed, that kind of ripped. And then not touch a drop for two days leading up to my next start. Say I pitched on Monday. That night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, I was hammered. Thursday, Friday—detox, nothing but water and Gatorade. Saturday, when I came out of the game, I needed a Crown and Sprite at my locker. From the last pitch I threw the cycle started all over again. I was a disciplined drunk for 15 years, so good at timing my benders that I’d won a Cy Young award and a championship ring and been paid $260 million. My career numbers looked as if they might eventually give me a shot at being elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame.”

Sabathia’s drinking began in 2004, after he lost his father, uncle, and cousin in the same year. At first he found solace in alcohol and felt he was drinking for fun. Years later, after turning up drunk to his son’s high school football practice, or when he crashed his car into a neighbor’s gate, or when he was too drunk to look his wife in the eyes during their wedding ceremony, he started to see that he wasn’t as in control of his drinking as he once thought.

Sabathia finally realized he needed help when he arrived at the stadium one night too drunk to pitch a game. He was found passed out in a storage closet. He said, “Standing there in Camden Yards storage room, more than 48 hours into an epic drinking marathon, loaded and crying, I had no idea whether I could win that game. I walked into the manager’s office and told Joe Girardi that I was leaving the team immediately—to get help, to save my life.”

Thankfully, CC Sabathia was able to get the help he needed and is now celebrating six years of sobriety. He completed inpatient alcohol rehab and put in a lot of hard work to address the root causes of his addiction. “This was about honestly confronting who I was, digging deep into the roots of my emotions, and finding out if I could be one person,” he said.

Now, through his new book, CC Sabathia is sharing his story and offering hope to others struggling with alcohol addiction. In an interview with The New York Post, CC stated that the love and support he received from going public with his battle with addiction gave him a sense of accountability and made him understand that no one is truly alone in their addiction.

The Source Addiction Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale Florida commends CC Sabathia for helping to break the stigma around addiction and treatment. His story helps others in need realize they are not alone and that change is possible. The Source understands that, like CC, most people begin using alcohol and drugs after experiencing traumatic events in life. Their effective approach to treatment seeks to uncover the root causes of addiction and create lasting change.

For anyone struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, call The Source at (800) 204-0418 or visit them online at www.thesourcetreatmentcenter.com to learn more.