Who needs discipline and moderation when you have stardom and money? Today I read about yet another young celeb checking getting dry.
According to his publicist, "He felt a break was needed to maintain his recovery. Jonathan plans to resume his schedule following completion."
The ever-increasing number of celebrity rehabbers leads one to suspect that they may be on to something. Here's the basic strategy: work hard, play harder, take an enforced respite from both at a luxe spa-esque facility. Then it's back to work.
Sounds pretty great, huh?
As long as you are under 30 and have unlimited funds there's very little wrong with it. Particularly if you are not bothered by the stigma of having been an "addict". But who cares about that ever since LaLohan, Britney and every other 20-something pop icon has checked in. Rehab to these young stars is like getting "pinched" as a young mobster -- a badge of honor and integrity. You served your time, now you're one of us.
The party, however, always comes to an end. Casual binge-like behavior becomes chronic and detrimental -- dare we say, addictive -- in most. Youth provides amazing resilience and habits done for amusement when one is young change character and purpose as age creeps up. The addictive properties of the drugs and/or booze become permanently attached to their memories of bars, restaurants, sets, and people. The novelty of the drug wears off and now they need it to replicate the good times. The longer the starting and stopping continues, the less effect the stopping part has on their behavior.
Then, one has to consider the aging factor. Recreational boozing, drugging and smoking has never been shown to be terribly detrimental (save for the overdosers) as long as it is stopped at a young age -- but you don't hear about too many 65 year-olds doing cocaine in the bathroom. And we are all painfully aware of the negative impact that alcohol and cigarettes have on those long-term abusers. These hard-living days have repercussions -- mentally and physically -- and occasionally popping into rehab to get clean for a short stint is not the answer.
It is really the responsibility of the facility to inform its patients that this type of behavior is indeed dangerous and will lead the vast majority to a place they would rather not be. Partying like a rock star has its ups, but its downs have been made obvious time and time again by all the wasted talent and premature death that has plagued the music industry. Sure, you can point out a Keith Richards, but for every one of him, I'll show you a Hendrix, a Joplin, and a Cobain. Hopefully, these rehabilitation centers are counseling the celebrities as they would counsel all of their clients and we hope that the time away from the Hollywood buzz will allow for some introspection and planning for a future without drugs and alcohol.