Mental Health Drugs – Edge in Golf

I might as well post these back-to-back.  This is from a story I read in Golf Digest which surprised me.  It was a clip at the end of a story on whether there was a problem with steriod use in golf.  (For the money they can win, don’t tell me someone isn’t trying steriods or other solutions to go after it.)

This story by a Dr. Grant T. Liu talked about a class of drugs he called “mind enhancers” which increase focus, dampen emotional extremes and reduce anxiety. 

• Beta Blockers which are blood pressure medicines sometimes used by people to deal with stage fright. 
• Amphetamines which are used to treat ADD and promote alertness and focus.  (He says they’re already used by students for SATs and final exams.  Things have changed since we simply used no-doze to stay awake for all-nighters.)
• Antidepressants which combat stress and help people control emotions.
• Benzodiazepines which are used to treat phobias such as fear of crowds. 

“If there’s no enforced drug policy, it’s hard to believe that players wouldn’t experiment with these drugs for nonmedical purposes to try and gain an advantage.”

Obviously, if a player had a legitimate medical condition, they should be allowed to take the drugs even if it had a side effect that was beneficial.