Aaron Rodgers Says ‘Dysfunction’ in His Family Life Started in High School: Had to 'Be My Own Parent'

Aaron Rodgers talks about his experience working on his spirituality and how he used herbal medicine and meditation to “renew” himself as an adult.

In the new Netflix documentary series in three parts Aaron Rodgers: Engima, about the 41-year-old NFL quarterback’s career and controversies, Rodgers explains how he used both to “learn how to love myself better” after not getting the love he needed from his family growing up.

“At times when you have some dysfunction or some separation in your family life, you have to kind of bounce back and give yourself what you didn’t get or what you wanted to hear more of when you were a kid, and I think for me, I just wanted to hear, ‘Proud I’m on you,’ Rodgers explains during the second episode.

“I had to find a way to be my own parent in those moments and say, ‘Hey, f… be perfect. I’m proud of who you are and what you’ve achieved on and off the field.’ And forgiveness for all the mistakes, because I was just trying to do the best I could and a lot of times it wasn’t good enough,” says the four-time NFL MVP.

Aaron Rodgers’ Family: Inside His Ups and Downs with His Parents and Brothers

Aaron Rodgers and the Rodgers Family.

Chance Yeh/WireImage; Luke Rodgers/Instagram

Rodgers reveals in the documentary that his estranged relationship with his family began around the time he was in high school and he began to feel distanced from the devout Christian beliefs of his parents, Ed and Darla.

As he talks about his efforts to “fix himself” as an adult, Rodgers says he “felt the love that was modeled for me growing up, it’s a kind of merit-based spirituality.”

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“If you don’t believe you deserve that love, it’s hard to give it, and it’s sure as hell hard to receive it,” says Rodgers, adding that “herbal medicine has been a great teacher for me—love.”

Aaron Rodgers’ brother Jordan and wife look flat on donut race after NFL star says he’s ‘losing’ family

From left: Darla Rodgers, Aimee Rodgers, Jojo Fletcher, Jordan Rodgers, Luke Rodgers and Ed Rodgers.

Luke Rodgers/Instagram

In addition to his controversial efforts to discredit vaccines and publicly push various conspiracy theories about the government and other celebrities, Rodgers has made headlines in recent years for his use of herbal psychedelics such as ayahuasca and spiritual experiences such as dark retreats.

Jordan Russell, a childhood friend who has been interviewed about Rodgers throughout the series, says he believes the New York Jets star has become a “completely different person” since he began his self-reflective spiritual work.

“I think before — if we think about it as a before and after — I think he couldn’t access that part of himself before,” Russell says. “I think he’s just stuck in his head.”

All episodes Aaron Rodgers: Engima now streaming on Netflix.

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Source: HIS Education