Khalil Greene, shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, was placed on the disabled list on May 29, 2009 due to social anxiety disorder (SAD). Greene has spoken publicly about having a long-standing pattern of emotional problems, of taking things more seriously than others, and of feeling mentally drained, but did not report physical symptoms of anxiety such as a racing heart or shortness of breath.
Reports indicate that Greene had been receiving an undisclosed form of treatment for anxiety several weeks before being placed on the disabled list.
Khalil Thabit Greene was born on October 21, 1979 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Greene was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2002, and played his first full season in 2004, coming in second place in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year. Despite early success, Greene began to experience difficulty in 2008 when he broke his hand on July 30 after punching a storage box in frustration after striking out for the 100th time that year. Greene did not play for the rest of the 2008 season and on December 4, 2008 was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
"I don't know what level, as far as how much one internalizes the feelings, how deep they go to the core of a person, but for me it's always been pretty deep. I've always taken the game pretty seriously and wanted to perform well. It's been a love-hate relationship in a lot of ways."
"A lot of that is natural and it's a response to what you consider important. A lot of that is healthy, but for me it wasn't healthy in terms of how deep it goes. I don't know how to describe it, other than the fact it wasn't pleasant."
"It was difficult to concentrate, difficult to sustain my energy level. All my energy was wasted trying to control myself. Just trying to get myself to function, to be able to stay in the game and not be thinking so much what I'm thinking. It's just a battle to be relaxed. I'm trying to battle that and find a way to come to terms with that, trying to find those coping mechanisms."
Source:
Fletcher J. Khalil Greene describes his anxiety. Fanhouse. Accessed May 29, 2009.
