On one of the last episodes of Celebrity Rehab 4 with Dr. Drew, past residents from Celebrity Rehab 3 came to the Pasadena Recovery Center to share their experience, strength and hope with the current residents. Mike Starr, Mackenzie Phillips and Tom Sizemore arrived at the center to share their experiences garnered from their recent recovery. To say that Mike Starr looks like a completely different individual is putting it mildly, he looked aware and finally out of the haze induced by active addiction. These three individuals spoke candidly to the current residents and they each had profound words of wisdom.
Tom Sizemore looked humbled and grateful for having the ability to be “part of a team again”. He’s actively living life, working and embracing a path of recovery. His words, “this is a disease and you don’t have to suffer” really hit home. Mackenzie Phillips is able to look at the physical reminders of her disease and be reminded of a place where she never wants to return. Each of these success stories are thriving in recovery based on being surrounded by a community that has a foundation in recovery.
Addiction is a social disease, it thrives on the social nature of every human being. In order for the recovery process to be a success, it must be based in a community model. This community may be formed by family and friends who embrace your recovery or by a recovery community such as the fellowship found in meetings. The hard truth is that we did not become addicts alone and we will not survive as addicts in recovery alone.
Celebrity Rehab shows how at the beginning of a community is formed in a treatment center and how it carries on once residents enter the outside world. Dr. Drew encourages the current members to get the numbers of Tom Sizemore, Mackenzie Phillips and Mike Starr. The meaning behind this is that an addict cannot do it alone, they need the support of other addicts. By sharing their experiences, strength and hope, these three addicts gave the current residents from Celebrity Rehab 4 a gift that is beyond measure. They gave the gift of truth that is found in sharing, giving from a place where nothing is expected in return. This is how sobriety is maintained. Sobriety survives when it is given away. This free gift is what saves addicts’ lives, one day at a time.
Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Life and Recovery Coach in Agoura Hills, CA and on Celebrity Rehab on VH1. Sherry is also the author of “The Law of Sobriety: Attracting Positive Energy for a Powerful Recovery”. Contact Sherry at sherry@sgabatherapy.com to learn more about her speaking engagements, book signings, workshops, teleseminars, and coaching programs. Her website is http://thelawofsobriety.com/ to purchase her book, 7 lesson instant download audio, or to sign up for her teleseminar.
