A lot of people like to see celebrities trip and fall. Some take pleasure out of jealously while others feel more connected to the celebrity as a human being rather than a persona. I’m not mentioning Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab to promote the TV show. I’m mentioning it because it shows some of the human frailties that bind us all and make us all vulnerable to addiction.
One of the celebrities on the show, Dennis Rodman is the poster boy for denial. He was voted off Donald Trump’s The Apprentice TV Show after being confronted by TV star Jesse James, about Rodman’s problem with alcohol addiction. Rodman denied the problem.
On the first episode of Celebrity Rehab, Rodman said he was sent there because of court order and that he didn’t have an addiction problem. According to TMZ, on the same day as the premiere of Celebrity Rehab, Rodman was tossed out of an Orange County, CA restaurant for bad behavior after drinking vodka.
Ex Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss was ostracized by friends and family after her conviction and prison sentence. She now lives in the desert with only a bunch of parrots to keep her company. She uses drugs to keep the deep loneliness at bay.
And then there is child TV star turned adult Mackenzie Phillips who has recently revealed an adult incestual relationship with her father that started in childhood. Sexual abuse at any time in one’s life makes a person vulnerable to drug or alcohol abuse.
There is a page on the main website about famous addicts that was put up not to shame celebrities but to give hope to the non celebrities. Addiction crosses all races, socio-economic classes and affects all people everywhere. It can also make one feel very isolated and lonely.
Knowing that celebrities struggle with addiction like everyone else can help a little with this loneliness. And finding a peer group struggling with the same issues as oneself is also helpful in overcoming and managing one’s addictions.
8 responses to “Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab Study in Addiction”
I just wanted to point out that Heidi really needs to grow up and realize that just like Jeff, she too is an addict. She is no better than him, or any one else for that matter. Everyone has to face different challenges in life and has their own story to tell, it is possible that maybe Jeff has, in the long run, lost more than Heidi, but the fact that both in the same place means something. All addicts are addicts-a problem is a problem no matter how someone might look at it, it needs to be solved.
It seems that celebrities have more problems with addictions than normal people. Probably because of having too much money… Anyway, eveyone who has addiction problem has to get treated.
I have been watching the show for awhile now and I know all about denial. My husband was an alcoholic (admitted) and played around with AA and was in rehab once. He was so tortured and in so much pain it became his decision to kill himself drinking. In his last days, he died in 6/09 of cirhosis of the liver, he said “I never thought it would get me.” He was only 66. Life was terrible for the both of us and for 3 months it was really hell. Please all of you who don’t think you have a problem remember alcoholism is the disease that tells you that you don’t have a disease. It was a terrible death, pain, swelling, brain damage, could not control bladder or bowels. Those you leave behind will still suffer from your disease and wonder if they could have done more. Please all of you, Dennis and Tom especially, believe this story, it really happened to a wonderful man, a career Marine, my husband, Otto Grishkat.
Thank you for what you do for people like myself!
celebrities have money. They can “buy” their addiction
Public figures often crack under tremendous pressure they experience. Fame may bring many commodities, but like every other “blessing” – it comes with a double edge. The public often follows every move a celebrity makes and publicizes in detail each and every judgment error.
Being in the center of the public eye is not easy, and we should be aware that all people deserve to be taken care of – famous or not.
There is a way of breaking destructive patterns like drug and alcohol abuse and the right treatment in a timely manner can mean the difference between life and death.
Really great comments everyone. I know this post is a little dated but we recently covered this past season of Celebrity Rehab (and Janice Dickinsons’ Prescription Drug Addiction) on the Pat Moore Foundation blog. If you kept up with the show we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Dr Drew
July 4th, 2011 will be 7 years sobriety for me and for some reason it has gotten harder to deal with life.
There is so much anger and sadness that it is unbearable. There is a health issue involved which gave me the choice to live or die. Each year passes and my feelings don’t change.
The guests on your show should be happy that they have the money to sit around all day and not have to face the world. (by this i mean going to work, putting on a happy face and pretend everything great)
On a good note, I am glad all these people got the help but in all honesty life doesn’t get any easier.
Much love