Robin Lehner shares struggles with addiction bipolar disorde

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Islanders goaltender Robin Lehneropened up Thursday about his ongoing recovery from alcoholism and a 2018diagnosis of bipolardisorder.
Lehner, a nine-year NHL veteran, revealedcareer-long struggles with alcohol and drug abuseand said it came to a head lastseason with the Sabres when he fluctuated between manic and depre sive states "full of self-medication and thoughts of suicide."
"Since the new year began I had Quincy Williams Jerseys been feeling severely depre sed and my drinking increased," he wrote. "I was heavily drinking a case of beer a day just to settle the demons in my mind and then took pills to sleep. I was self-treating myself because I could Ty Johnson Jerseys not be inside my own head by myself. The thoughts of ending it all it was real and close."
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Lehnercited a March 29 game against the Red Wings his finalappearance forBuffalowhen he was removed in the third period after sufferinga panic attack. The night prior, he had called Sabresgoaltending coach Andrew Allen and alerted him to his deteriorating mental state.
"I had never Lamarcus Joyner Jerseys had a sober season of hockey my entire career," he said. "With those manic swings, I could see the pattern. When I washypomanicand in a good mood, I was a solid goalie. The depre sive state, not so much."
It wasat that point,Lehnersaid, he decided to seek immediate help. A few weeks prior, he had contacted officials with the NHLand NHL Players A sociations substance abuse program looking for a sistance. Initially, he was planning on attending treatment after the season ended, but March 29 Isaiah Dunn Jerseys changed his plansand he admitted himself to an in-patient facility in Arizona, where he spent weeks inside a detox program and was diagnosed as bipolar 1 with manic phases.
Lehner's treatment was life-changing and he returned home. But without a contract for the 2018-19 season, his future in the NHL became complicated by the uncertainty surrounding his situation. He faced questions Joe Namath Jerseys about whether I "was a bad person or a bad teammate" from teams unaware of his private struggles.
He was pa sed over by several teams before signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Islanders on July 3.
"I am not sharing this story to make people think differently of Robin Lehner as a profe sional goalie," he wrote. "I want to help make a difference and help others the way I have been helped. I want people to know that there is hope in desperation, there is healing in facing an ugly past and there is no shame in involving others in your battle."
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John Short, Jr