Celebrities going to rehab seems to be a growing trend in Hollywood. The latest celebrity to admit themselves to rehab, Charlie Sheen recently admitted himself to rehab this past week. While I know rehab works (I'm a recovering addict celebrating 10 yrs. sobriety) it seems to be a cop out for these celebrities. Several celebraties have taken the high road and gotten help to deal with their addiction (Jeff Conaway, Whitney Houston, Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Spears, and we know the fatal outcome of Michael Jackson) only to return right back to using their drug of choice after completing a short stay in rehab. With the overwhelming amount of resources available at their fingertips and the best care available, why do they return to the problem that plagued them in the first place?

In my opinion, there is no excuse to return unless they are not serious about getting well in the first place. I guess accepting life on life's terms is often difficult and when reaching the status of celeb it is sometimes extremely difficult. We often hold celebs to a higher standard which creates further pressure to stay clean. I believe there are consequences for bad behavior and in spite of wealth, power, and fame celebs need to be held accountable for their actions. Using drugs is illegal and they are not punished for having drugs or using them. They receive no jail time, they are still highly regarded within society, and they still have their money. Plain and simple the consequences must outweigh the current life style. With no real consequences for their actions then it seems they go right back to old behaviors.

In the article, Why Rehab doesn't work for celebrities (Galbraith, 2009) the celeb must be treated like a normal person in order to succeed with the recovery process. With constant attention directed right on their lives, and the media constantly constantly reporting their gossip, the celeb must work extra hard to get clean and stay clean. In the show on VH-1, Celebrity Rehab, Dr. Drew helps the celebrity with counseling and group meetings in a 12-wwk stay at the facility. The show deals with their issues regarding treatment and relapse while seeking recovery. Once again, they are in the spotlight.

Because addiction is so powerful, cunning, baffling, and given the addictive personality of most people in recovery, the success of the addict depends on a rigid plan to stay clean and sober. One bad choice can be a cocktail for danger and erase years of hard work whether you have been clean for one day, one year, or 10 years, it only works if you work it and you have to work it every day (Personal Communication, NA Meeting).

Legalize or Not

Frankly, I think the issue is a no brainer. Of course we should legalize marijuana for medical purposes. This issue has gotten too much attention for too long, and there is not much to debate about. The whole idea is to make marijuana available for people who have chronic illnesses and treat their conditions without them having to serve a jail term for a drug that has been prescribed by their doctors. Although I'm against the use of marijuana for anything other than for treatment of medical conditions, our society has to think about the millions of people who suffer from chronic illnesses and how the drug has been proven to help them with their conditions.

Some say if the drug were to become legal it would be harmful to our communities. Others say people are already purchasing the drug on the streets, and since alcohol and cigarettes are legal why not legalize marijuana (Crowley, 2010). In our society literally millions of people use the drug for recreational purposes and have been for decades and that is not going to stop. We are using tax payer's money to house the non-violent drug users/dealers instead of using that money to go after real criminals. Our country spends $68 billion dollars per year on corrections, and one-third of those are serving time for non-violent crimes, and 47.5% of all arrests are marijuana-related (Klein, 2009). The United States has more pressing issues to deal with and this makes no sense to me.

Crowley, K. (2010, February 6). Medical marijuana dispute. Retrieved from http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/medical-marijuana-debate.

Klein, J. (2009, April 2). Why legalizing makes sense. Time Inc. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889021,00.html.

obama pictures - Ask.com Search

obama pictures - Ask.com Search

Anti-Aging Revolution

Youthfulness and Beauty sell--at least that is what our society seems to communicate. The most beautiful women get the best jobs, the best boyfriends and husbands and have a better life overall--or at least that is the way it seems. With the marketing of this image of youthfulness comes the influx of anti-aging products on the market. Companies that manufacture these products advertise in magazines, on TV, and the Internet. All you have to do is type in anti-aging in an Internet search engine and literally thousands of lines fill your computer screen.

While browsing through O, The Oprah Magazine, I counted 8 ads that advertised anti-aging products for women. Our culture truly embraces beauty. All the manufacturers of these anti-aging products cash in, because beauty sells. Women are forced to compete to be the best looking and most talented, and we spend lots of money trying to keep that youthful image.

These products sell a false sense of youthfulness and encourage women to become self-conscious about the aging process from their youth. I talked with several of my family members and friends and unanimously agreed that they simply don't perform as they claim. The aging process is inevitable and how we accept this process is truly up to each individual. Growing old gracefully is truly a saying that is well worth incorporating in our thought process.