Doc, Darryl — and us

Three decades after his right arm powered the ’86 Mets to World Series glory, Doc Gooden is standing at a fateful crossroads, seemingly pulled ever deeper down by the demon of drug abuse. This is less a story of a New York icon unraveling than it is a high-profile example of a prosaic condition that tortures millions of Americans — an increasing number of whom are being dragged under by prescription opioid and heroin abuse.

This week, Gooden’s teammate Darryl Strawberry told The News’ John Harper that his former teammate was lapsing back into old habits, hooked on cocaine — a charge that a former Gooden girlfriend corroborated in a painful open letter where she begged him to get help before it’s too late.

The 1985 Cy Young winner, looking disturbingly gaunt, vociferously denied the charges and claimed that Strawberry had betrayed him.

Meantime, the Yankee organization — where Doc and Straw teamed up again for another world championship, back in 1996 — offered to assist Gooden with any professional help, provided he’s willing to ask.

And therein lies the rub. While fans can but shake their heads, an increasing number of families are living through a version of this slow-developing tragedy in their own homes. Drug overdoses, most now from prescription opioids or heroin, killed nearly 50,000 Americans last year — more than the capacity of Citi Field — and dependency tears apart countless lives beyond that.

Gooden’s caustic denials and bitter accusations directed at a man he now calls a former friend must sound familiar to anyone trying to extricate a loved one away from the addiction trap.

No matter one’s wealth, class or station, drugs offer the tempting promise of escape from physical and emotional pain — and the reality of ever more pain to come.