Silva: Why I stopped taking pain pills, and switched to ice
Anderson Silva: “When I wasn’t feeling pain, I wanted already to take the pills, that was why I stopped taking them. I wasn’t addicted but I was feeling myself depressed…”
Addiction to pain killers has been a scourge in pro wrestling, killing a number of them. At least one mixed martial arts fighter I know died from it as well.
In an interview with Brazil’s Globo, former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva said that despite the pain, he stopped taking them, to avoid the potential addiction.
“I thought that I was getting used to the pain but I wasn’t,” said Silva as translated b Fernando Arbex for BE. “I hope to not experience that anymore. I don’t wish that for anyone. It was terrible. I’m fine now but there were months of much pain. There were a lot of strong pills that I had to take to end the pain. I started to take and the pain disappeared. When I wasn’t feeling pain, I wanted already to take the pills, that was why I stopped taking them. I wasn’t addicted but I was feeling myself depressed, the medicine was letting me sleepy. I decided to stop, to avoid getting addicted. I started to fill my bathtub of ice. The pain came and I got into the ice. Pain? Ice! Then I got better.”
Silva fights Nick Diaz at UFC 183 on Jan 31. UFC president Dana White said he gets a title shot with a win. “The Spider” is game.
“Only the time will tell about this,” said Silva. “If I get credentials again to fight for the belt and I have to face Weidman one more time, I’ll face him with no problem. I think that I still have some time to do what I love. The competition drives us.”