This Hadn’t Bothered Me Before But…

  • by Marisa
  • October 11, 2007

After reviewing the site for addiction detox I got to thinking about various celebrities who have been in and out of rehab. Up until now I’ve felt a great deal of compassion for them. These young men and women are the same age as some of my kids, which explains some of my maternal feelings. And then there’s the whole thing with having dealt with this with my own child. So yes, I could empathize.

But today I’m a bit irked by these celebs. They each have more than enough money to pay for the best drug treatment around. They can travel anywhere in the world for their treatment. And yet it seems that drug rehab is nothing more than a way to get the courts off of their backs. They do it for publicity or to appease someone. They’re not doing it because they want to get clean.

Why does that irritate me? Well, I can walk around the 8 blocks that make up my neighborhood and run out of fingers counting the number of young people, from age 15 to 30, who are desperate for help with their addictions but can’t afford it. With no insurance and only a modest income, drug rehab is just a hope. Likewise, I know quite a number of alcoholics who would gladly commit to 90 days or more of treatment, except they can’t afford the treatment let alone to not work for those 90 days. When you have a family to support, how do you take a three month leave of absence?

So there are people who desire a clean life. There are people who would do the hard work to get clean and stay clean, but they just can’t afford it. And then there are those who can afford it but only go through the motions to get out of a jail sentence or to get their kids back from the ex-husband.

I do have compassion for those who are addicted and are trying to get clean. But I’m fast losing any patience for those who are fortunate enough to have help available but choose instead to waste the opportunity.

Tell you what Britney, Lindsey or whoever, next time you think of going into a drug rehabilitation place for publicity’s sake, give me a call and I’ll put you in touch with someone who really wants and needs the help. You can pay for them to go for treatment while you continue to kill yourself slowly. Deal?

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9 Responses to “This Hadn’t Bothered Me Before But…”

  • [...] Find the link to this great post here [...]

    only background Drug Addiction » Blog Archive » This Hadn’t Bothered Me Before But… (3 comments.)October 11,. 2007 in the in the late evening
  • Beautiful post, it was very touching.

    only background Siddha (0 comments.)October 11,. 2007 in the in the wee hours
  • [...] Original post by Marisa’s Dandelion Patch [...]

    only background matchedThis Hadn’t Bothered Me Before But… at Insurance Life Whole ( comments.)October 12,. 2007 in the terribly early in the morning
  • You’re quite right. I’m bored with hearing about ‘celebs’ who
    are the authors of their own misfortune. There’s a great
    howling spiritual void in the West, and people are using drugs
    and consumerism to try to fill it.

    Let us ignore them. There’s something pathetic about people
    who publicly express sympathy for millionaires they do not
    truly know at all.

    As you say, plenty of unglamourous misery on one’s own doorstep
    if one wanted to do something about it.

    only background T. O Donnell (1 comments.)October 12,. 2007 in the around lunchtime
  • Exactly! It does seem like a ploy when you have celebs doing this over and over to curry some favor because of court.

    only background mikster (10 comments.)October 13,. 2007 in the mid-afternoon
  • I’m very disappointed in the system as to how little help is really available for
    middle class kids when you have limited finances. And if the person isn’t ready
    to receive help, it’s hopeless. We fought for a friend who did not want to go to
    rehab and there was nothing we could do for her. She was under 17, I think at the
    time she was 15. It was hard to even threaten discipline, as they can run away and
    you as a parent have very few rights…(it’s amazing) however, I’ll add you continue
    to remain responsible for the child, with no say regarding treatment. So if they don’t
    want help, you can’t help them..by the time we were through we buried our heads
    and pretended it wasn’t happening hoping the child wouldn’t OD. I’m not proud, of
    how I gave up..I just know watching Britney makes me sick. She has done nothing to
    generate so much television and press. They are all confused as to what is and
    isn’t important today. Thanks for writing your post and getting me riled up..

    Regards, Dorothy

    only background Dorothy Stahlnecker (73 comments.)October 14,. 2007 in the terribly early in the morning
  • I’m disappointed too, indeed they are doing this rehab program for the
    eyes of mass-media.They doesn’t care if the rehab works for them or
    not, they just do it to be done, Britney and others do you think that will
    cure after this program of rehab ? Naw, i don’t think so

    only background Watch Prison Break (0 comments.)October 17,. 2007 in the around lunchtime
  • I agree completely and 100% with your post. Personally, I am tired of hearing about celebs and rehab.

    only background MakeupGirl (1 comments.)October 17,. 2007 in the in the early evening
  • I never thought about how much rehab costs from a financial standpoint. The cost of rehab outright plus the salary people miss out on while they’re at rehab is pretty high.
    Thanks for sharing this with us- it really makes me look at this from a different
    perspective.

    only background New York Gyms (0 comments.)October 17,. 2007 in the in the wee hours