¶ … Consciousness Theoren Fleury: Why?

Theoren Fleury is one of the most famous and controversial hockey stars of recent memory. While playing, Fleury was known for his aggressive style both on and off of the ice. However, Fleury has recently come forward with a public explanation of why he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. When he was an up-and-coming junior hockey star, he was sexually abused by his then-coach Graham James. Fleury blames his inability to deal with the trauma for the "alcohol, drugs and promiscuity" that characterized his "otherwise impressive 16-year NHL career" (Gillis 2009:1).

Fleury was desperate to make it as a hockey pro, and was living with James while still playing as a junior (a common situation for competitive young hockey athletes in Canada). James was in a position of trust, which he violated. Fleury was particularly vulnerable -- one reason that the predator James may have targeted him -- because of the boy's unstable family situation. "His father was an alcoholic and his mother was addled by prescription sedatives" (Gillis 2009:1). Despite his great fame and the extent of his playing abilities and his excesses, Fleury's case manifests many of the typical features of an individual experiencing post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) as a result of childhood sexual abuse.

Fleury did not 'repress' the memories but he did find ways of expressing his anger and outrage at his treatment at the hands of James, through violence on the ice and other risk-taking behaviors. Although it might seem counterintuitive that an abuse victim...

"Many traumatized people expose themselves, seemingly compulsively, to situations reminiscent of the original trauma" (Bessel 1989). Fleury spent millions of dollars on prostitutes and strippers (Gillis 2009:1).
Being exposed to repeated trauma like sexual abuse has biological effects upon the brain. In one study, "when testing the generalizability of the phenomenon of SIA [stress-induced analgesia (SIA)] to people, we found that seven of eight Vietnam veterans with PTSD showed a 30% reduction in perception of pain when viewing a movie depicting combat in Vietnam" (Bessel 1989). Victims of sexual abuse often report feelings of numbness or depersonalization. Ironically, Fleury's possible insensitivity to physical and emotional pain, fostered by exposure to sexual abuse, may have unwittingly helped him in his hockey career.

Fleury struggled to relate to other human beings in a trustful and productive fashion. He reported often trying to numb himself with drugs and alcohol to deal with feelings of low self-worth. He first started using alcohol at age 16, and quickly progressed to hard drugs. Once again, alcohol and drug abuse is common in victims of sexual violence, a pattern which is reflected in Fleury's career and also Boston Bruin Sheldon Kennedy, another of James' victims. Both former NHL stars continue to go to AA meetings today, to deal with the consequences of their addictions to alcohol and drugs (Gillis 2009:1).

Kennedy came forward in the public eye much sooner than did Fleury: Fleury's "refusal to…