Titus Young has brain disorder, according to father

Titus Young's erratic behavior over the course of the last year and especially in the last week or so has prompted questions about the state of his mental health. After being arrested three times in the span of a week, it became evident that something isn't right with Young, but there were more questions than answers. We didn't really have any information about what kind of problems Young has been dealing with, but that's no longer the case.

Richard Young, Titus' father, spoke to both the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press on Monday about his son, and he outlined just how serious this situation has become. Prior to Young's most recent arrest on Friday, for example, he was perfectly fine and went out for coffee and doughnuts with his father. There were no signs of trouble, but when they arrived home, Young went out to his car to get his phone and drove off. Young's father says he hasn't seen Titus since then, and Young ended up drawing the attention of authorities with his behavior in separate incidents before he was ultimately arrested again.

His latest arrest illustrates the kind of erratic behavior Young has exhibited, and Young's father told the Detroit News that his son has a brain disorder. Specifically, the disorder is from Young's brain being compressed into the front of his skull, and his father said that Young's "disposition" changed following a concussion in his rookie season.

Young's string of arrests has made it clear that he's in need of help, and it turns out he has attempted to get help in the past. According to what his father told the Detroit Free Press, Young sought help at outpatient facilities in Texas and California, and he was planning to re-enter a program on Monday before his latest run-in with the law. Young has also been on medication -- Seroquel, an antipsychotic often used to treat bipolar disorder, to be specific -- but he apparently wasn't taking it regularly.

Based on what his father told the News and Free Press, it seems like Young's overall mental state has been degrading, as evidenced by him getting into so much trouble with the law as of late. Young has tried to get help in various ways, but to this point, it hasn't worked or it hasn't been given a chance to work.

I know it's easy to make light of Young's actions given what a fall from grace this has been, and I'm guilty of it going back to when he was acting so strange on Twitter. But this goes beyond some knucklehead simply acting stupid. Young has a problem. Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who has borderline personality disorder, did a good job of analyzing the situation on ESPN on Monday. From Pro Football Talk:

"He needs to get the right treatment plan," Marshall said. "I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder a few years and got the right help, the right treatment, and now I’m advocating for it. Mental health in itself is just so stigmatized, it’s a taboo topic in our homes, in our communities, and we need more people to talk about it and not make Titus Young or people like myself or others who can’t fight for themselves a national punchline."

"Guys like Titus Young, it doesn’t necessarily mean he has to be diagnosed, but if we’re not treating these cases properly, it just gets worse," Marshall said. "I hear people say his career is over. Well, first of all, it’s really not about his career right now. It’s about his life. And second of all, if he gets that in order, we’ll be looking at a success story, and this is a guy who will be in a locker room and guys will be coming to him for advice."

This has become a sad story, and it could have easily become a tragic one considering the owner of the home Young broke into last Friday was preparing to shoot him. My only hope now is that this most recent incident will lead to Young getting the help he needs before it's too late.