If what's on television is any indicator, the American public has a morbid fascination with celebrity rehab scandals. It's in the news and on the T.V. practically 'round the clock; celebrities getting busted for drugs, checking into or out of drug treatment centers and in some cases overdosing and dying. As a result celebrity drug rehab centers are enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to shows like Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. But despite their trendiness, these programs do not depict what substance abuse and addiction treatment is really like for most people and in fact may deter these same people from reaching out for help with a drug problem. Consequently it's important to understand why celebrity rehab programs won't work for most people – including celebrities.
Addiction and alcoholism are diseases that can happen to anyone. Janitors, politicians, lawyers, teachers, judges, construction workers and even celebrities are not immune to addiction. In fact, the prevalence of high-profile cases of drug abuse by powerful and influential people worldwide should be enough evidence for even the most ill-informed individual to see that addiction infects every class of people – especially those at the top. Recently Amy Winehouse died of a suspected overdose, and sadly enough this did not come as a surprise to many. She joined a long list of celebs that have died from drug use, alcoholism and addiction according to an entry in Wikipedia, including: River Phoenix, Abbie Hoffman, Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Ike Turner, Billy Mays, Ken Caminiti, Brittany Murphy.
The primary issue that most detractors of celebrity rehab centers is that the therapies employed do not focus on treating issues related to drug addiction, and that instead most therapies are really just vacation therapies. These include massage, surfing, ropes courses, saunas, horseback riding, acupuncture, golfing, psychodrama, hypnosis, yoga, and other "adventure therapies." Some of these types of therapies - among others - are employed on the popular US show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which has featured the addiction treatment of stars like Dennis Rodman, Daniel Baldwin, Dwight Gooden and Gary Busey. But according to addiction experts like Jeffrey Foote, "The velvet-glove confrontational stuff [Dr. Drew] does is what works for TV, but it's not what works for patients.", and "The dramatic confrontations seen on the show are actually more likely to drive less-severe substance abusers, who are by far the majority, away from seeking treatment."
Traditional therapies are employed by celebrity rehab centers, but not to the degree of intensity required for long-term successful recovery from addiction. These therapies include individual, group and family therapy in a structured environment that places an emphasis on Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome and reality based treatment methods. Without a primary focus in these areas, success is questionable when compared to the vacation therapies offered to celebrities.
However, drug rehab programs for celebrities do offer two advantages that are important for public figures: anonymity and security. What these people don't realize is that in many cases they can achieve better levels of both by going to a more traditional treatment facility.
If you're looking for real, life-saving treatment free from useless therapies, click here to speak to someone at one of the country's most successful residential inpatient drug treatment centers:
If you've struggled with an alcohol or drug problem but can't seem to stop using, click here to learn about Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome symptoms – the number one threat to your recovery.
RJ Hudson is a highly trained and versatile professional writer and editor.