NOT SO FAST
I just read the new headline: "Britney's life TOTALLY back in control" and the story went on to talk about her exit from rehab and her complete 180 in attitude and addiction.
Not that I want to knock anyone's recovery process and by all means, recovery looks different on everyone...but I know enough to know that your personal demons, drug addictions, or depression don't go away in 3 weeks, even if you do pay a lot of money and have a private room at a rehab facility. The demons that haunt Britney and millions of other people are deep mental health issues that take a variety of treatments and some appropriate amount of time to treat.
I love how recovery gets covered in the media. It's always the fast food version of health. A celeb goes into rehab for 2 weeks and comes out either a. no longer racist b. no longer Mel Gibson or c. completely straight.
My last comment is about controversial evangelist Ted Haggard who claims after about 20 days of 'rehab' all of his homosexual tendencies have vanished and he is completely straight. Give me a break. What about your lying tendency, your meth tendency, and hate tendency, did those get 'fixed' too?
What is most scary is that there will be some people out there who read these stories and believe that in just a few weeks their issues can vanish too. Or that rehab becomes something like a vacation destination to work on your 'issues' before returning to your real life. Drug addiction, PPD, Depression, Eating Disorders, and other mental health diseases don't creep up overnight and they don't disappear overnight either.
One of the big issues holding back mental health parity in this country is that we don't understand fully mental health. And when the media truncates someones recovery to fit their magazine cover -- it sends the wrong message. We need more compassion, education, and access to care for these issues - so that people who can't afford a posh Malibu rehab facility also have some real hope and a viable way to clear their demons.
I wish both Britney and Ted well in their journey toward authenticity. I just want them to remember, recovery is not an end game or a PR move, it is a new way of living.
Not that I want to knock anyone's recovery process and by all means, recovery looks different on everyone...but I know enough to know that your personal demons, drug addictions, or depression don't go away in 3 weeks, even if you do pay a lot of money and have a private room at a rehab facility. The demons that haunt Britney and millions of other people are deep mental health issues that take a variety of treatments and some appropriate amount of time to treat.
I love how recovery gets covered in the media. It's always the fast food version of health. A celeb goes into rehab for 2 weeks and comes out either a. no longer racist b. no longer Mel Gibson or c. completely straight.
My last comment is about controversial evangelist Ted Haggard who claims after about 20 days of 'rehab' all of his homosexual tendencies have vanished and he is completely straight. Give me a break. What about your lying tendency, your meth tendency, and hate tendency, did those get 'fixed' too?
What is most scary is that there will be some people out there who read these stories and believe that in just a few weeks their issues can vanish too. Or that rehab becomes something like a vacation destination to work on your 'issues' before returning to your real life. Drug addiction, PPD, Depression, Eating Disorders, and other mental health diseases don't creep up overnight and they don't disappear overnight either.
One of the big issues holding back mental health parity in this country is that we don't understand fully mental health. And when the media truncates someones recovery to fit their magazine cover -- it sends the wrong message. We need more compassion, education, and access to care for these issues - so that people who can't afford a posh Malibu rehab facility also have some real hope and a viable way to clear their demons.
I wish both Britney and Ted well in their journey toward authenticity. I just want them to remember, recovery is not an end game or a PR move, it is a new way of living.
posted by Jess at 7:55 AM
5 Comments:
I was talking with my partner over lunch today about the community mental health agency that she works for here in VT, a state that has mental health parity on the books. There are some regulations that, though she's been in social work for 11 years now she cannot be a supervisor because she does not have her masters degree. That's a bit off topic.
What is on topic are the following:
1. Even in her agency, there are staff members who feel pity for the clients rather than respect and empathy.
2. Recovery is a process, but even in supported situations, there are limits to what the health care system will pay for. I'm not only speaking of Medicare and Medicaid but also of the health care policy her company has; when I sought counseling for my own issues, the same rules that apply to seeing my doctor did not apply to seeing my therapist.
3. Social stigma exists, and I fear that mental health parity will never truly exist until everyone learns to respect the fact that people are people and there is always going to be change, always going to be growth and struggle, and until we can all learn to support one another, I'm afraid that things will not really change.
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Hi Jess, Its awesome to have you back blogging. This is Gail from IVillage, and I have missed your blog, so am thrilled.
Anyway back to the subject, I have to agree with you as far as the celebrity and rehab, the media is so over the top when it comes to spinning those stories, as with everything else they report on concerning celebrities. Anyway I have to feel if a celeb had someone who cared looking out for their well being, they would be able to keep it out of the media. I mean of all the celebs out there we only hear about a small number rehabs, I am sure there are many more receiving help in some form, whether therepy or what? I think many times it is used to get that paticular star free publicity.
Do I feel sad for Brittney? Absolutely, because even with all the fame and money, she is still hurting. Money doesn't necessarily solve issues just gives you more, if its not controlled. Then there are always the people who are there not to help you but to exploit.
Yes, I agree with you. Recovery is a life long process. When I was in TC (Therapeautic Community), I was told that, "there is no graduation for an addict."
I'm talking about, been there, done that thingy. The moment you try drug for any reason, your life, your belief, change. There will be a doorway that was not there before. Whenever you feel sad or happy, you'll find an excuse to use again. Even when your cats give birth, it will be a cause to celebrate and use again.
If there is a magic pill/rehab that can do wonder and wash away all the pains, let me know. I love to try it.
Greeting from Malaysia.
It's hard for me to feel bad for Britney. When I was in high school, all I wanted was abs like Britney, blond hair like Britney, insanely white teeth like Britney...
I'm sad to say there is something satisfying about knowing her life ISN'T perfect. If that makes me a bad person, so be it.
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