SUBSTANCE AND ALCOHOL USE

Social culture of the team and normalization of consumption

Alcohol and substance use in sport is often ingrained in the social culture of teams, functioning as a bonding or celebratory ritual.

Historically, in certain team disciplines, the ability to "drink together" has been confused with group cohesion.

This social normalization causes young athletes, in their desire to be accepted by the veterans and the group, to engage in binge drinking after games, under the premise that "what happens on the team, stays on the team". Consider a college ice hockey team.

After a major victory, tradition dictates a night out where alcohol consumption is massive.

A rookie player, who may not be a regular drinker, feels pressured to participate so as not to be excluded from the circle of trust.

In this context, substance abuse is not perceived as a health problem or a performance violation, but as a requirement of belonging and a collective release valve to release the tension accumulated during the training week.

Use as self-medication in the face of loneliness or pressure.

At the opposite end of the spectrum from social consumption is the use of substances alone as a form of self-medication to manage emotional pain, loneliness or pressure.

Athletes competing far from home, in countries with different languages and cultures, are particularly vulnerable.

The lack of an immediate social support network may lead them to use alcohol or recreational drugs to numb feelings of isolation and sadness.

An example would be a foreign female basketball player signed to a European league.

She lives alone in an apartment, away from family and friends. After a game where she made costly mistakes, she returns to an empty house.

Instead of processing the frustration in a healthy way, she turns to alcohol to "turn off" her brain so she can sleep, thus avoiding rumination on her performance and feeling lonely.

This pattern of solitary drinking is an indicator of severe risk for mental health and the development of chemical depende