The ReHab Industry

Kelly Osbourne having been outed for drug use wasted little time in enacting phase one of the celebrity mea culpa - checking into re-hab.

While I don't doubt the efficacy of the treatment for some, this has become a HUGE industry and seems to take the personal responsibility out of bad behaviour.

When I was in university we partied hard, went on a bender or two, did stupid things and were considered (basically) normal. Nowadays anyone unfortunate enough to be (literally) caught with their pants down on a binge is considered to have a disease that can be cured by rap sessions and mud baths.

I have also seen rehab used by people in my industry as a last resort means of avoiding dismissal, what's ironic about this is tactic is that is used by non addicts as an illness of convenience. (Yeah I'm lazy and ineffective but you can't fire me because I'm sick)

I am sure that for hardcore lifelong addicts, therapy is helpful in identifying and breaking the patterns that perpetuate addiction but for the occasional binger or the experimenting kid this is nothing more than a cynical means of weaseling out of trouble.

I'd be interested to hear the opinions of others, particularly those who have been through it .

Well, im only 17; just got released from rehab today. It was long, difficult, but very very good.

I've had a serious addiction problem with hallucinogens, and an even worse problem with dissassociative drugs (pcp, DXM [big time, my drug of choice]) for about a year and a half, i have tripped many times on acid, many times on DXM, and many times on mushrooms. I'm an addict. Now having gone through rehab (an enlightening experience) and now setup for 90 NA meetings in 90 days, im optimistic. I'm one week sober (longest ive been sober in a year in a half was about 2 days).

So yes, if you need rehab, and you APPLY yourself, it works. If you are using it as an excuse? You will have slip-ups and start using again. (i.e.- my mother was in and out of rehabs for heroin addiction, and finally kicked the habit 8 years ago, shes been clean since.) But before she cleaned up her crap, she was in and out in and out.