If you have not been hiding in a cave you have heard about the unraveling of Charlie Sheen of his personal life and his career. If you haven’t heard, Sheen was fired from his job at “Two and a Half Men” (the popular CBS comedy) after a series of off-color rants and raves about his bosses at CBS. He began a media storm with a tour on every talk show, spouting off Sheen-isms that have people baffled and confused. What would have one of TV’s highest paid actors and a member of Hollywood’s oldest families go off the deep end?
Addiction. It has ravaged many families and relationships and careers. It seems like addiction is running rampant through the Hollywood sect, showing that they are not “like us.” Sheen’s behavior has made him popular with the tabloids; his wacky behavior is always a good story. But what about when addiction gets to the point where it is more than just tabloid fun, but when does it cross the line into a real problem?
What is addiction? Dictionary.com states that addiction is becoming “enslaved to a habit or practice” that is “habit-forming” with extreme trauma tagged on. Enslaved. It becomes a problem when you are a slave to your demons. Addiction is not just to drugs. Many people have addiction to shopping, gambling and even sex.
So what can someone who is addicted do to fight their demons? Sign up for the next season of “Celebrity Rehab?” For real treatment, the answer is no. Addiction is not something that just affects the Hollywood crowd. It is a painful problem that affects real families, real relationships and real people.
The answer is to get help. Addiction is very difficult problem to break without help. Addiction is often seen as shameful, with the person who is addicted forbidding themselves to get help because they do not want to admit they have a problem. As cliche as it sounds, admittance is the first step to get help.
Getting a good support system is key. Family and friends can help remove any temptations that might lead to a relapse in addiction.
But what if your support system is not enough? Professional help can be necessary. Licensed therapists can help you work through addictions that have not quite severely affected your day-to-day activities. But if your addiction has made your day-to-day activities almost impossible, you might need more than just the help of an out patient therapist.
Rehab has become an increasingly popular treatment. Rehab is effective because it takes you completely out of your environment to strip you of your addiction.
What can someone without a A-list budget do? Start saving. No inexpensive health insurance plan will cover a trip to rehab, but a pricier one might.
The facts are plain and simple: addiction is real. It comes in many forms. You can get help. Research what works for you and find a support system. You will need it.