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“I Fell Behind..”: Yankees Icon Alex Rodriguez Credits Therapy For Maturing From ‘12-Year-Old’ Man-Child and Transforming His Life’s Path

Published 01/08/2024, 10:30 AM EST

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Diamonds are formed under pressure, rightly so; Alex Rodriguez is no different. Beneath years of record-breaking swings and MVP trophies was hidden struggle. Meandering through it has been a task, but it definitely paid results. Thanks to therapy, he did not hesitate to seek help! 

Uncovering the areas of one’s biggest vulnerabilities is tough. But A-Rod did it. He addressed the “big vacancy”, the task of “rewiring my brain”, overcoming the “emotional maturity of a 12-year-old boy” and more in his candid talk. To begin a deep dive into this subject, raise your glasses to the ‘12-year life-changing experience’.

Alex Rodriguez Lists Down the Factors Which Pushed Him Toward Therapy and the Outcomes He Saw

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In a recent interview, with the LeBatardShow, the former New York Yankee,  frankly opened up about his more-than-a-decade-long therapy journey. Something that helped the (then) 18-year-old who had fallen behind gain his grip on emotions. His words were, “I was 18 years old. I looked like I was 28, but I had the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old boy. While all I did was my 10,000 hours, like the outlier and baseball, I fell behind emotionally. I fell behind with my education..” This gave a glimpse into why he leaned on therapy. Moreover, the father of two shared another spine-chilling aspect of his life. 

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A-Rod opened up about how his “pops”, as he refers to his father, had left when he was 10. Considering that he grew up in a one-parent house hold was an experience that came on with many craters. Nevertheless, Rodriguez channelized the absence productively into MLB. Also, of course, he learned what NOT to do as a father. As of today, he is a ‘present’, ‘appreciative’ and ‘proud’ father of two loving girls. There are more ways in which therapy helped him. 

The 48-year-old drew learnings from being in therapy for an extended period of time. He was generous enough to share them with Dan and the audience. He said that sessions with his therapist included “unpacking what happened when I was 10 11 12 years old and rewiring my brain that I did not need to search anymore the big aha moment was. You know what God Made In Me was enough whether you like it or not”. Life is as simple as that. 

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The Break Throughs That Followed Therapy

He further added about the “breakthroughs” he had through therapy. His perspective was quite thought provoking. As per the 14X All Star, imagine this : One desires to be liked a whole lot. But in the end, everything falls apart in front of people. He further added that it was the pain that had caused a good deal of growth. No one learns things unless they’re hurting. And that’s what therapy facilitated for him.  

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Read More : Alex Rodriguez Reminisces Iconic 2009 Moment While Touring His $1 Billion Venture’s Office With His Mother & Sister

He went on to add how seeking help helped him navigate thorough the steroid-stained era that young Rodriguez had gotten himself into. As unforgiving as he was on himself, Rodriguez now focusses on being happier, lighter and more forgiving. Now, that’s a take away for all.  

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Written by:

Kanishka Prakash

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