The Brandon Marshall Plan…Will it Work in Chicago?
Talent has never been Brandon Marshall’s problem. He finds a way to get into bad situations on a regular basis. That’s why the talented receiver hasn’t found a home in the NFL. The Chicago Bears hopes that will change.
After all the excitement yesterday in the Bears acquiring Marshall from the Miami Dolphins for two third-round draft picks (2012 and 2013), we learn that once again Marshall’s name was in the papers for the wrong reasons. According to reports, Marshall allegedly punched a woman in the face outside of a nightclub in New York early Sunday morning.
Many people feel that having a positive role model like Chicago Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith will help fix Marshall’s problems. How did that work out for Cedric Benson and Tank Johnson? Marshall has been diagnosed with Boarderline Personality Disorder (BPD). According to the National Institute of Health, BPD is defended as…
A serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual’s sense of self-identity. Originally thought to be at the “borderline” of psychosis, people with BPD suffer from a disorder of emotion regulation. While less well known than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), BPD is more common, affecting 2 percent of adults, mostly young women.
As someone that deals with ADHD both personally and professionally, I will tell you that dealing with any mental health concerns isn’t an easy proposition. I can only imagine how difficult things can be for Marshall. That being said, the best way to deal with any mental health situation is to seek professional attention. While Smith may be an excellent role model for Marshall, there’s much deeper issues that Marshall deals with on a regular basis. Marshall has taken the big first step which is taking ownership of his disorder, but it continues to impact his life in adverse ways. This latest episode in New York reinforces the struggles Marshall faces on a regular basis.
I’m sure we will hear how remorseful and sorry Marshall is and this is a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time…but in reality, these incidents will continue to occur until Marshall is given the tools to take ownership of his life and learn better coping strategies. Admitting you have a mental illness and dealing with that mental illness are two completely different things, and Marshall continues to prove that this is a lifelong commitment. If he continues to put himself in adverse situations, he will continue to have negative episodes. Sooner or later, his chances will run out.
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