SAN FRANCISCO -- Ever since Khalil Greene was a kid, he knew that he took things more seriously than the other kids.And not in a good way.
On the day that Greene was placed on the disabled list because of social anxiety disorder, the Cardinals shortstop described a long-running pattern of emotional problems in an interview with FanHouse.
"I don't know what level, as far as how much one internalizes the feelings, how deep they go to the core of a person, but for me it's always been pretty deep," Greene said Friday. "I've always taken the game pretty seriously and wanted to perform well. It's been a love-hate relationship in a lot of ways."
Greene said he felt an extreme version of what you might call "butterflies."
"A lot of that is natural and it's a response to what you consider important," Greene said. "A lot of that is healthy, but for me it wasn't healthy in terms of how deep it goes. I don't know how to describe it, other than the fact it wasn't pleasant."
Greene has been undergoing treatment for anxiety for a few weeks, since his problems with the Cardinals started to reach a boiling point. On Friday, he became the second player this season to go on the DL with anxiety. Dontrelle Willis missed the first month and a half of the season for the same reason.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said anxiety is not new to baseball, even though it is rare for it to result in a player being disabled.
"This is not a stress-free business," La Russa said. "This is different from a physical injury, so I don't really want to go into it. How I understand it is he's put a lot of pressure on himself."
Athletes Mental Health Battles
On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals placed shortstop Khalil Greene on the 15-day disabled list because of social anxiety disorder. Greene isn't alone, as many other sports stars have struggled with some kind of mental disorder in their careers.
Christian Petersen, Getty Images
Detroit Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis missed the first month and a half of the season due to an anxiety disorder after a blood test showed something of concern. Willis was activated from the disabled list and returned to the team on May 13. Source: AP
Keith Srakocic, AP
Lute Olson suffered a small stroke before the 2007-08 season which eventually sidelined him with severe depression. As a result, the 74-year-old head coach retired from the University of Arizona. Source: AP
Jim McIsaac, Getty Images
In October 2008, NBA player Delonte West revealed that he contemplated quitting the team before seeking help for depression and "a mood disorder" he has been battling his entire life. "I felt a feeling of anger and I just wanted to throw it all away and quit the team," West said. Source: AP
Mark Duncan, AP
Philadelphia Eagles lineman Shawn Andrews told a Philadelphia newspaper in August that he's been fighting depression for a year. "It's not something that blossomed up overnight. I'm on medication, trying to get better," said Andrews. Source: AP
Chris McGrath, Getty Images
College football legend Herschel Walker documented his struggle with dissociative identity disorder in his 2008 autobiography 'Breaking Free.' He has claimed that due to his disorder, he cannot remember the season he won the Heisman Trophy. Source: AP
Scott Cunningham, Getty Images
Barret Robbins' NFL career ended in a psychiatric ward before Super Bowl XXXVII. Robbins, seen here in 2005, has received treatment for bipolar disorder, but his present whereabouts are unknown. Source: USA Today
J. Pat Carter, AP
Frank Bruno, a former boxer who won the WBC heavyweight championship in 1995, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003. Source: Wikipedia, The Guardian
Dave Hogan, Getty Images
Former Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter washed out of the NFL and was treated for drug addiction and bipolar disorder in 2004. He was arrested on marijuana possession charges in 2007 and recently played in the Arena Football League. Source: Shreveport Times, Wikipedia
Brian Bahr, Getty Images
Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Alonzo Spellman, who struggled with bipolar disorder during his career, has been in trouble with the law numerous times. Source: Chicago Sun-Times, Wikipedia
Fred Jewell, AP
When the Cardinals acquired the 29-year-old shortstop last winter, they should have had a clue that he was intense. His 2008 season was ended when he broke his left hand punching a wall in the dugout.
When Greene got off to a bad start with his new team, there was talk that the Cardinals were concerned about Greene hurting himself again.
Greene said that was not really a risk.
"I'm not looking at it along those lines," he said. "It's a moment-to-moment thing. When I'm faced with it, it's really hard and when it's over, it's over."
Greene said he didn't have physical symptoms of anxiety, such as shortness of breath or a racing heart, but he was mentally drained.
"It was difficult to concentrate, difficult to sustain my energy level," he said. "All my energy was wasted trying to control myself. Just trying to get myself to function, to be able to stay in the game and not be thinking so much what I'm thinking. It's just a battle to be relaxed. I'm trying to battle that and find a way to come to terms with that, trying to find those coping mechanisms."
Greene said he had no qualms with the decision to put him on the disabled list.
Although GM John Mozeliak told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Greene's time on the DL was "open-ended," Greene said he hoped he'd be back in 15 days.
"They felt it was in the best interest of the myself and the organization," Greene said. "It can be beneficial, get a chance to reflect and work on some things, and come back and be a productive player, which I feel is a realistic expectation."
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Khalil is a good guy, and when he got traded, we Padre fans were bummed, but we knew it was business. I hope he finds peace and gets back to being the player we know he can be, or more importantly - I hope he finds peace.
Godspeed Khalil.
I'm not a Cardinals fan and didn't follow Greene when he was with the Padres, but as someone who has spent their life dealing with anxiety problems I understand at least some of what he's going through. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
All my well-wishes go out to him. I hope he is able to get it under control, at least a little, and get back to playing the game he loves again soon!
I empathize with Khalil Greene; anxiety disorders, panic disorders and depression are very widespread, but are not advertised for fear of
stigmatism by people. But this type thing is usually a chemical imbalance
that can be aided by medication and cognitive therapy. No one should
be ashamed of it - it has zero to do with intelligence or capability; in fact,
many people with it are highly intelligent. I hope this brave man succeeds
in his career and shows how he can overcome this by being himself.
He should try Clonapin - it helped me beat anxiety.
Just being a grown man myself, who had bouts of anxiety throughout my 20's and early 30's I came to realize after settling down in my life that anxiety comes from the stress of taking on so many high-level career responsibilities and obligations, on top of the stress of having a relationship with a lover, then there's the family relationships of siblings and parents.. and then one starts his own family and raises his own children... So in hindsight I have come to realize that people in 'high' places.. have high levels of axiety.. I myself had anxiety while in Grad school and holding a job and at the time i had this very attractive girlfriend and my anxiety was always worrying that any of the goals I was working towards would fail.. Well, every one of them failed and now I have NO anxiety. So, take your pick my friend. I changed all my goals, my career and I personally am much happier having changed to lower level goals.
I do wish you the best of luck.. I know anxiety is very troubling to peace of mind.
Oh, how I hate to hear anybody going through Anxiety!
It started for me at 21 years old, alot going on in my life at the time, all at once. Overwelming, with good and bad things! I have learned to control it, but still have limitations. Really sucks!!! Hell, I still couldn't even go to a Cards game, And I love the Cardinals!!...And I am not the one on the field, for everyone to watch. I feel for him really bad! No one understands, unless they have had it....Pure torture!!..I wish him the best of luck, And admire him so much for opening up about it. Because we "Anxiety" sufferers keep very, very quite about the condition, Which adds fuel to the fire!
Give him all the time he needs Tony.
The term "mental condition" used in this article is not appropriate and carries with it a very negative conitaion.
This diagnosis is traced to the body's response to stress and a possible issue with a neuro transmitter in the brain. Treatment usually include some type of Benzos, such as Klonopin or Ativan.
IF YOU TAKE NOTHING ELSE AWAY FROM THIS POST,
remember that WE,AND OUR BODY's ALL HANDLE STRESS IN DIFFERENT WAYS!
Eric, RN
Thank you Eric, you are right. We also all handle medications differently, some meds work for others where as some do not. I had a back injury, and I go to a pain man. Dr. every month, and I have come to realize that every medication works different on everyone.Although the benzo- whatever they are called, usually work for most the same, blockers for anxiety.
Being a white player with a black name, can lead to some "anxiety disorders" I'm sure!
Khalil is ACTUALLY Arabic and it means "friend".
Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge and look before you talk.
Klonopin was a big help for me as well. I have tried to go off of it, but then I get the "anxiety" feeling back. I went through it for many years, it came out alot more when I was in an abusive relationship.I tried explaining it to my now x husband, and he told me, "I was crazy"!!! Then I had to hide it from him, and the klonopin. If I wasn't on the klonopin, I most likely wouldn't have been able to do anything I had wanted. It helped me alot,but over the years, my anxiety levels have pretty much diminished, now it's getting off the meds because I really don't think I need them anymore, all I can tell Kahlil, is that, this to shall pass!!!
He needs to quit being a pussy.
A couple of you bozos are complete idiots. You stick out like sore thumbs, too. Khalil was at times almost magical with the Padres. He was adored. If I remember we even had Khalil Greene jersey day at the park. And I really appreciate him 'coming out of the closet' so to speak and being open about his situation. That takes courage. Like so many I went through a few years of panic when I was about his age. We didn't have good drugs back then so I eventually learned to beat it by distracting myself. I can't imagine what it's like to stand on a ball field before 40,000 people and hundreds of thousands more on television feeling the way I used to. Baseball requires such focus, too: how do you distract yourself in that situation?