You are a high-performing athlete who wants to overcome abuse or dependence on pain medication, drugs, or alcohol, so you can feel in control, confident and on track for greatness.
How did it get so out of control??
Perhaps it started with a broken ankle. Your doctor prescribed Vicodin for the pain after surgery. While rehabbing you were beyond sore, so you took a dose. Later, it hurt after the game; so, you took another. Soon, you were taking the Vicodin before the pain even started and just to make it through the competition. You know you need to cut back, but you feel like crap when you don’t take it.
Maybe you can trace it back to a high-stakes game. You put pressure on yourself to be perfect for your coach, your teammates, and yourself. Alcohol and marijuana helped take the edge off and give you a mental break. Now, you’re uncertain how to handle stress without something to relax and unwind.
Maybe it was the after-parties. Win or lose, every competition was followed with a rowdy time at a house party, local bar, or club. Either to celebrate your win or ignore feelings of defeat. Lately, you’ve been losing control; drinking more than planned, having trouble stopping, blacking out or getting into fights. You feel like you should cut back, but how can you be a part of the team if you’re not partying with them?
Regardless of how it all started, you want to stop or cut back on your drinking, drug use, or reliance on pain medication.
Before everything that matters to you – your athletic future, your scholarship, your performance, your career – is at risk.
Here’s where I come in
I’m Jessica Joiner, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Addictions Counselor practicing in Denver, Colorado.
I specialize in supporting athletes who are struggling with feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious due to the pressure and demands of being a high-performing athlete, transitioning to a higher level of play, or entering retirement from their sport.
Using research-proven techniques, I teach high-performance athletes how to overcome abuse or dependence to pain medication, drugs, and alcohol in order to feel in control, confident, and on track to reaching their goals.
I guide elite athletes in channeling their spirit of competitiveness into their mental health or recovery from substance abuse and addiction.
I help competitive athletes who are questioning if their drinking or drug use is harmful and to gain clarity and knowledge on the next steps.
I teach current and former athletes healthier alternatives to coping with symptoms attributed to possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) instead of using substances.
*Currently, medical professionals are unable to diagnose individuals with CTE while alive. However, if the brain injury is suspected, there are still actions that can be taken to minimize the impact and plan for future challenges.
Here’s what I know for sure
The same drive which leads to your success today can be applied to your mental health – so you can take control of your drinking, drug use, or dependence on prescription medication.
I know that alcohol and drug use are common in the world of sports. It seems like everyone does it for one reason or another. Sometimes substance use is encouraged, overlooked and even celebrated. Not to mention, the ease of access for athletes to obtain alcohol, drugs, and other prescription medications.
I know that mental health and substance use issues among athletes are rarely talked about in the sports world—except for when there is a publicized incident of a high-profile athlete getting into legal trouble or of an athlete that died due to an overdose. I want to change that. Many athletes have faced mental health or substance use challenges, have overcome them and continue successful, fulfilling lives. These inspiring stories of recovery from addiction and mental health challenges go unshared due to the cultural stigma around mental health and substance abuse in the sports world and in general.
The list of athletes who have overcome mental health challenges or addiction is extensive and includes big names such as Andre Agassi, Amanda Beard, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, and Chamique Holdsclaw. Andre Agassi struggled with methamphetamine use for years. Once in recovery, he went on to win a Grand Slam. Chamique Holdsclaw, a WNBA player and Olympic Gold Medalist, is open about her struggle with bipolar disorder and believes athletes don’t need to be ashamed to seek help.
You’re ready to feel better and I am here to help you understand your relationship with substances and to find other ways of coping so you can get back to feeling like yourself again, only better.
The first step is scheduling a 20-minute phone consultation to see if we are a good fit.
Call my office today at (303) 895-0635 to schedule your first appointment.
