Lindsay Lohan, Zac Efron, Selena Gomez, and Chris Brown have something in common—and it’s not because they’re the industry’s youngins. They’re a few of many celebrities who went into rehab and either totally reformed or, in Brown’s case, got in more trouble.
The media doesn’t seem to run out of articles about celebrities on drugs. The stories appear with such regularity that you’d worry they may be influencing the rest of the youngsters to do the same. These celebrities don’t realize they’re putting their respective careers at risk. Asking how this could be prevented from happening must be preceded by the question of why it’s happening. John Tsilimparis, author of several books on psychotherapy, lists a few possible reasons:
Struggle for Perfection
Everyone strives to be perfect, especially celebrities who are always under the public’s watchful eye. The moment they lose their touch may as well be the moment everything else starts going downhill. The stress associated with projects and maintaining their image could result in illicit drug use as their means of keeping their cool.
No Consequence to Fame
Even if celebrities get in trouble for drugs, the penalty isn’t effective enough to kick them out of the industry. Amy Winehouse, Charlie Sheen, and Robert Downey, Jr., for example, attended rehab more than once even before rising to stardom. They’ll still be remembered for the films they appeared on and other stints they made.
The Thrill
Drugs induce the same “thrill-seeking relationship” as being in the spotlight. It’s tantamount to seeking attention.
To sum it up, there’s no such thing as perfection, there’s still the risk of being labeled a horrible role model, and the so-called “thrill” is a one-way ticket to ruin. If you idolize your favorite stars so much, ask yourself: “Do you want them to be remembered for this?” Just because a celebrity is into something doesn’t mean that something is the right thing.
One thing is commendable about most of them, fortunately. They recognized the importance of drug rehab. They chose to give themselves a second chance (or more) to set priorities straight. Whether or not you’re a local actor, drugs will affect you the same way they affected the brightest in showbiz. It’s never too late to enter drug rehab in St. Louis, MO.
St. Louis drug rehab centers like the Midwest Institute for Addiction do everything they can to get patients back on track. They’ll use standard rules in the book to purge the scourge in a patient’s system and keep them for a minimum of three months before letting them face the world again. In the absence of a state drug monitoring system, rehab centers act as gatekeepers.
(Source: “Celebrities and Drug Addiction: A Perfect Storm,” Huffington Post)
