Miami Dolphins' Brandon Marshall: I was a beast

(CBS News) - The Miami Dolphins' leading receiver, Brandon Marshall, has made headlines for issues that had nothing to do with football, and everything to do with his "borderline personality disorder."

Marshall has been known as one of the National Football League's bad boys off the field. He's had domestic violence issues, he's been arrested for alleged drunk driving, and for years, was called an underachiever.

Marshall now says borderline personality disorder explains much of his troubled past and bad behavior.

After he was diagnosed and treated, he finished the 2011 season as MVP of the Pro Bowl. And he's now using that status to raise awareness of BPD.

Video: Brandon Marshall has borderline personality disorder

Marshall admitted on "CBS This Morning" that, initially, he was defensive about getting treatment.

"I didn't know what was going on," Marshall said. "At first, it was pointing the finger at everyone else. And it wasn't until this past off-season that I finally recognized (the issues), got the proper help (after realizing) that there was some things that I needed to change and work on."

Marshall said he lived up to his nickname "The Beast," both on the field and off. "There was a lot of isolation, there was some depression. I couldn't regulate my emotions," he said.

The Mayo Clinic website describes borderline personality disorder as "an emotional disorder that causes emotional instability, leading to stress and other problems. With borderline personality disorder your image of yourself is distorted, making you feel worthless and fundamentally flawed. Your anger, impulsivity and frequent mood swings may push others away, even though you desire loving relationships."

Marshall said the disorder is highly stigmatized, but treatable.

"Clinicians and professionals are scared of it because they're not trained properly and it's an emotional disorder," he said. "With the proper help and skills, you can live an effective, healthy life."

Since he's been treated, Marshall said he's been approached by others to help in their pursuit of assistance.

"To go public and to make my situation more vulnerable was very scary," he said. "But so far, we have helped thousands of people, and we're excited about it and we look forward to moving on."

For more with Marshall on his life - including a look at his marriage after a domestic violence incident - and his thoughts on Peyton Manning possibly joining his team, as well as on the bounty scandal that rocked the NFL this week, watch the video in the player above.