Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins has been in the news since Super Bowl weekend, when he missed team functions on Saturday and ultimately was told by coach Bill Callahan that he wouldn't play in the big game.

Reports indicate that Robbins has a history of depression and bipolar disorder -- which are different but sometimes related illnesses -- and he reportedly had stopped taking the medication that treated those illnesses.

I'm not a psychiatrist, but I spent 15 years as an emergency-medicine physician and was an emergency-room director. I saw ER patients on occasion who displayed the symptoms of bipolar illness (also known as manic-depression).

The stress of a Super Bowl would be the ultimate challenge for someone with bipolar disorder.

Generally, bipolar patients will have a manic phase, during which they have such a high energy level that they can't sleep and are able to accomplish a great deal. They may become paranoid at times, and their behavior can be erratic or unpredictable.

Then, there's a sudden drop off the cliff into the depressive phase, during which patients have low energy, chronic fatigue and sometimes suicidal feelings.

This is an illness, just as alcoholism and diabetes are illnesses. Some of the ER patients I saw had stopped taking their lithium, a medication which treats the manic part of bipolar illness. Other medications (various antidepressants) are used as needed to treat the depressive part of the illness.

Those who suffer from bipolar illness come from all walks of life and all kinds of professions -- including some I know in the TV broadcasting industry (who shall remain anonymous). Bipolar illness was named by 20th-century psychiatry, but it has been around since the beginning of time. Historical evidence indicates that famous artists, musicians, and military and political leaders (such as Roman emperors and American presidents) have all suffered from bipolar illness.

I don't know the details of Barret Robbins' situation, but it's certainly possible that the emotional stress over his ability to perform in the Super Bowl, compounded by his reported illness, contributed to his troubles Super Bowl weekend.

In fact, the stress of a Super Bowl would be the ultimate challenge for someone with bipolar disorder, especially if he wasn't taking his medication. It's important for a bipolar patient to regulate the pressure in his life and and, if possible, to avoid prolonged periods of stress. When there's added stress, combined with lack of sleep and mental/emotional fatigue, and then if alcohol is stirred in -- that's a potent and potentially dangerous mixture.

I can only imagine the stress of Super Bowl week. Athletes are under a microscope 20 hours a day; they must perform physically at practice; they're emotionally stressed about the game; and they're bombarded by questions from the media, some of which have nothing to do with the game and are very personal in nature.

There's a fear factor as well: Will someone detect or uncover my fragile emotional state? We've seen what the stress of Super Bowl week has done to athletes who did not have a chemical imbalance.

The teammates who criticized Robbins publicly after the Raiders' loss to the Bucs are simply venting their own emotions. I see that as a knee-jerk response. They may not realize that he's battling an illness.

True, Robbins could have handled his situation differently. Is he responsible for his actions? Yes, he is. But when you consider the nature of his illness, Robbins' actions are not an uncommon response to Super Bowl-like pressure. As a physician, I feel for Robbins and his family. The fact that he's a Pro Bowl center for the AFC champion Raiders shows how far he's come in dealing with bipolar illness and depression.

The last thing Robbins needs is additional pressure from his teammates. Once they understand the whole story, those teammates likely will regret their critical statements. The last thing he needs is for people to walk away from him right now. Indeed, now Robbins needs his teammates, friends and family the most.

Dr. Jerry Punch, a trauma specialist, is a broadcaster with ESPN and ABC Sports.