Dennis Rodman Checks in to Rehab, Top Psychiatrist Speaks Out
Dennis Rodman has checked into an undisclosed alcohol rehabilitation center to treat his long-time struggle with alcoholism, his agent told the Associated Press.
Darren Prince declined on Saturday to say which facility will treat Rodman and how long he will be there. Rodman recently returned to the United States from his latest disastrous trip to North Korea.
Something bad has happened over the years to Rodman. Dennis Rodman was a five-time NBA champion and was voted NBA Defensive player of the year twice. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
But these days, Rodman, the author of the book “I Should Be Dead By Now,” is known for his affair with Madonna, his cross-dressing and his embarrassing behaviors to his country. Recently he arranged a paid trip for some retired NBA players to travel to North Korea for that exhibition game. Rodman dedicated the contest to his “best friend” Kim.
Rodman later apologized for comments he made in a live segment with CNN’s Chris Cuomo while in North Korea about a detained American missionary Kenneth Bae, saying he had been drinking and was under pressure as he organized an exhibition game there. He also sang “Happy Birthday” to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the start of the basketball game.
“What was potentially a historic and monumental event turned into a nightmare for everyone concerned,” Prince said to the AP. “Dennis Rodman came back from North Korea in pretty rough shape emotionally. The pressure that was put on him to be a combination `super human’ political figure and `fixer’ got the better of him.
“He is embarrassed, saddened and remorseful for the anger and hurt his words have caused.”
Rodman, 52, known as much for his appearance and bad behavior as he was for basketball, was the highest-profile American to meet Kim since Kim took over for his late father Kim Jong Il in 2011. He and the Harlem Globetrotters went to North Korea for the HBO series “Vice.”
One of the top psychiatrist and addiction experts in the world, Dr. A.R. Mohammad, founder of Inspire Malibu, a medical and science based approach to dealing with all forms of addiction, answered our request for commentary about Rodman’s downward spiral and treatment. Dr. Mohammad, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist and addiction specialist who is an expert on this topic. (He is also a celebrated professor at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.)
Dr. Mohammad says,
“I’m a basketball fan and has been watching and observing him for a long time. Mr. Rodman’s bad, unpredictable and impulsive behaviors always made me think that he has some kind of serious mental issues. However, he was a good basketball player. Did he do all these piercing, tattoos, strange hair colors for attention or publicity? Or was it just bad behavior? It’s hard to tell.”
“People with untreated ADHD are prone to impulsive behavior and in high percentages, turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. The same happens with other psychiatric illnesses as well, these people are prone to developing substance use disorder. It seems Mr. Rodman got admitted to a drug treatment center – I don’t like the term rehab – for his substance use disorder. It is also very important for him to get psychiatric and psychological evaluations treat these issues if diagnosed appropriately, if he has any.”
