Money can't buy sobriety - Corey Haim, who died today from what police are calling an apparent drug overdose, is the latest celebrity whose ongoing struggle with addiction ended in the worst possible way.
As with other public figures who’ve cycled in and out of rehab, his story has a sadly familiar theme. Haim reportedly battled a prescription drug habit, for which he sought treatment. His friends, including ’80s teen idol Corey Feldman, staged an intervention at one point, according to People.com, and Feldman told the magazine he wouldn’t speak to Haim until he got sober. But the tough-love approach didn’t help Haim stay clean any more than rehab did. The actor, like countless others who struggle with drugs, failed repeatedly in a quest to stay clean.
In fact, the sad truth is that rehab is followed by relapse about 80% of the time. And, experts say, money can’t buy sobriety. Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, who struggled with drugs and alcohol before her untimely death at age 30, was worth millions. Yet she is said to have walked out of rehab. Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal’s son Redmond was rearrested on a drug charge in January while out on a 24-hour pass from a rehab program.
So why doesn’t a pricey stay in a treatment facility work in many cases?
“All the drugs of abuse cause chemical changes in the brain that make it increasingly difficult to get clean and sober,” says Dr. Michael Jackson, medical director of the outpatient chemical dependency program at St. Vincent’s Hospital. “It’s not an underlying weakness in the person, or no will power, or the inability to stick with a particular program, but actual changes in the brain. If someone is genetically predisposed to addiction, they can use a drug just a couple of times and be addicted in a matter of days.”
Once hooked, things can go downhill fast. “It’s exceedingly difficult for those who suffer from addiction to stay clean for any period of time,” Jackson says. “It’s very common for a person to go to multiple detox facilities and rehabs and still be unable to reach a point of sobriety.”
Often, it’s when addicts hit rock bottom, when they realize they have almost nothing left, and they are desperate, that a successful bid for sobriety may be within their grasp.
Even when a person can afford a 30-day inpatient treatment program, which can cost a family $30,000 and up, it’s no guarantee of staying sober. In fact, 50% of addicts who complete a month-long inpatient program without a highly structured after-care program go on to relapse, says Brad Lamm, board-registered interventionist and author of “How to Change Someone You Love.”
“Structure and accountability for at least the first year after rehab are very important,” Lamm says. “The first six months are the hardest.”
Unfortunately, with every stint in rehab, the chances of the addict getting better decrease, Jackson confirms. “If you go through four, five, six rehabs, the numbers go down in terms of success,” he says. “If you see someone who’s gone through 10 rehabs without any significant clean time, it’s not a good sign.” ( nydailynews.com )
As with other public figures who’ve cycled in and out of rehab, his story has a sadly familiar theme. Haim reportedly battled a prescription drug habit, for which he sought treatment. His friends, including ’80s teen idol Corey Feldman, staged an intervention at one point, according to People.com, and Feldman told the magazine he wouldn’t speak to Haim until he got sober. But the tough-love approach didn’t help Haim stay clean any more than rehab did. The actor, like countless others who struggle with drugs, failed repeatedly in a quest to stay clean.
Rothenberg for News
Corey Haim reportedly battled a prescription drug habit, for which he sought treatment. 'THe Lost Boys' star died today at 38.
In fact, the sad truth is that rehab is followed by relapse about 80% of the time. And, experts say, money can’t buy sobriety. Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, who struggled with drugs and alcohol before her untimely death at age 30, was worth millions. Yet she is said to have walked out of rehab. Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal’s son Redmond was rearrested on a drug charge in January while out on a 24-hour pass from a rehab program.
So why doesn’t a pricey stay in a treatment facility work in many cases?
“All the drugs of abuse cause chemical changes in the brain that make it increasingly difficult to get clean and sober,” says Dr. Michael Jackson, medical director of the outpatient chemical dependency program at St. Vincent’s Hospital. “It’s not an underlying weakness in the person, or no will power, or the inability to stick with a particular program, but actual changes in the brain. If someone is genetically predisposed to addiction, they can use a drug just a couple of times and be addicted in a matter of days.”
Once hooked, things can go downhill fast. “It’s exceedingly difficult for those who suffer from addiction to stay clean for any period of time,” Jackson says. “It’s very common for a person to go to multiple detox facilities and rehabs and still be unable to reach a point of sobriety.”
Often, it’s when addicts hit rock bottom, when they realize they have almost nothing left, and they are desperate, that a successful bid for sobriety may be within their grasp.
Even when a person can afford a 30-day inpatient treatment program, which can cost a family $30,000 and up, it’s no guarantee of staying sober. In fact, 50% of addicts who complete a month-long inpatient program without a highly structured after-care program go on to relapse, says Brad Lamm, board-registered interventionist and author of “How to Change Someone You Love.”
“Structure and accountability for at least the first year after rehab are very important,” Lamm says. “The first six months are the hardest.”
Unfortunately, with every stint in rehab, the chances of the addict getting better decrease, Jackson confirms. “If you go through four, five, six rehabs, the numbers go down in terms of success,” he says. “If you see someone who’s gone through 10 rehabs without any significant clean time, it’s not a good sign.” ( nydailynews.com )
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