Former Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, in addition to his addictions, suffered from “bipolar disorder” and “narcissistic personality disorder,” a psychologist revealed on Thursday. The psychologist was among the caregivers being judged for potential negligence.
Carlos Diaz, an addiction specialist, was testifying for the first time at the San Isidro court, where seven health professionals (doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurses) have been on trial for two weeks for their possible role in Maradona’s death in 2020.
“Maradona had to be treated, in addition to addiction to alcohol and psychotropic drugs, for bipolar disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. Three chronic conditions [that last] a lifetime,” Carlos Diaz stated, claiming to have guided Maradona towards abstinence in the last month of his life.
This is the first time a specialist has publicly discussed a diagnosis of mental illnesses in Maradona, whose addictions to cocaine and alcohol were already known.
“A real desire for change”
“I was told that his consumption was linked to his sporting successes and that, faced with frustration, he didn’t know how to handle the situation,” Mr. Diaz further explained.
Maradona, football legend and 1986 World Cup champion, died at the age of 60 on November 25, 2020, from a cardiorespiratory arrest coupled with a pulmonary edema, alone in his bed in a rented residence for home hospitalization, recovering from a uncomplicated neurosurgery.
Mr. Diaz, a 34-year-old addiction specialist, recounted meeting Maradona just a month before his death, at the end of October 2020. He said he observed in him “a real desire for change” regarding his addictions.
His only role in the star’s entourage, he argued, was to support him in a program aimed at abstinence, which he claims was effective. “Maradona used to consume daily, and he ended up ‘clean’ after 23 days without consuming,” he emphasized. “The toxicological examination showed this.”
The accused in the trial deny any responsibility for Maradona’s death, citing natural causes. They hide behind their expertise, deflecting the responsibility onto others. They face between 8 and 25 years in prison.
The trial, with two hearings per week, could stretch until July.
This article was automatically generated. Sources: ats / afp
