Issue Date: December 2, 2007
Rehab can work
By Dennie Hughes
Q: I have a family member who needs rehab.
I've seen the stars do it badly. So my question is, does rehab really work? Or, at least, does it work for real people?
P.T., Texas
A: Despite the never-ending media coverage of stars who can't stay clean and sober, plenty of real people and, yes, celebrities (such as Jack Osbourne, Drew Barrymore and Robert Downey Jr.) have benefited from drug and/or alcohol rehab. Similar to other chronic health problems (diabetes, for example), a large part of recovery success has to do with personal responsibility: You must fully commit to treatment and after-care if you want to be healthy.
CELEBRITY REHABBERS Lindsay Lohan, Robert Downey Jr. and Britney Spears all have done stints -- with varying degrees of success.
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The other key element? Robert Lindsey, president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, says it's caring, committed loved ones who understand that "the ability to deal effectively with any issue is how much you know about it." Talking with a counselor who is specifically trained and experienced in drug and alcohol addiction is the best way to ensure that you and your family will get the tools you'll need to get through this journey successfully. (Again, thinking in terms of chronic illness, you wouldn't contact a general doctor for heart disease, would you?)
Keep in mind that when it comes to addiction, it's not just the person with the drug or alcohol problem who needs help. Shame, despair, fear and loneliness are common feelings for anyone who has ever loved an addict. Reaching out to others who share your experience can give you a sense of comfort.
Sadly, you have plenty of company: There are 22.6 million people ages 12 and older (9.2% of the population) who may be alcohol- or drug-dependent, according to the last National Survey on Drug Use & Health that was published by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For a counseling referral, go to ncadd.org/affiliates/affil.html.
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