Dr. Mark Agresti is a leading addictionologist and the operator of Meditox, one of the fastest growing, outpatient opiate detox programs in the United States. He’s seen VH1’s latest reality TV show hit, Celebrity Rehab and, to be blunt, he’s not impressed.

The way he sees it, the problem with the show is honesty, or more specifically, the lack thereof. Honesty is what true recovery is based upon and without it there can be no true spiritual progress. Physical addiction is only half of the recovery process. For those with a drug addiction that begins with experimentation and casual use and have co-occurring psychological disorders like depression

It’s hard enough for an addict to be honest with themselves, much less in front of a group of their peers. Take into consideration that the addicts in question are all performers and then throw in the cameras? Honesty is nearly impossible. Says Dr. Agresti, “The whole principal of getting treatment for drugs and/or alcohol is honesty, and it’s extremely difficult for many addicts to be honest under normal circumstances, let alone when cameras are rolling. These celebrities are all deeply disturbed individuals, but the one thing they all have in common is that they’re performers. They understand the importance of the camera and can never forget it’s there and rolling. So much of what you see is likely to be just a performance.”

Reality TV is supposedly real life on film, the truth captured by a hidden camera. The problem with defining Celebrity Rehab as reality TV is that fact that few Americans have the luxury of dropping their commitments to work and home for 30 days or more to indulge in drug addiction treatment, which means that the drama depicted here is hardly anywhere close to most Americans’ reality.

David Dashev is the CEO of Meditox. He says, “These celebrities crave being in the public eye, but the average American – particularly professionals with jobs and families – require confidentiality when seeking treatment. But it’s almost impossible to ask their boss or families for 30 or 60 days to check into a facility. Fortunately, there are now at-home medical detox programs that offer very fast, safe and comfortable treatment, all while experiencing virtually no disruption to normal daily activities. Unfortunately, most people, and even many physicians, are completely unaware of this option.”

“The bottom line is, while it might be disturbingly entertaining to watch on television, people need to understand it’s not necessarily true reality television. But the sad reality is, there are millions of Americans struggling with addiction and finding the right treatment options for each individual is critical to success.”

The true reality is that 20 percent of Americans have or will become physically dependent upon opioid-based prescription painkillers at some point in their lives. Professionals, performers, and parents alike are prone to opiate medication addiction after surgery or treatment for an injury, and the only treatment that allows you to maintain your commitments to family and career is an outpatient treatment that you can follow from home in the form of the only home-based drug addiction treatment: Suboxone. To learn more about Suboxone detox and treatment, contact Meditox. Their contact center is available to answer questions 24 hours a day.

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"Addictionologist Agresti Comments On VH1’s Celebrity Rehab" posted in Addiction, Addiction Recovery, Drug Rehab, Opiates, Outpatient Rehabilitation, Outpatient treatment, Painkillers, Prescription Drug Addiction, Suboxone, Suboxone Treatment.
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