Willingness is for Both the Addict and the Professional

February 19th, 2011 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Addiction - (Comments Off on Willingness is for Both the Addict and the Professional)

Willingness is one of the first keys towards a successful recovery. This element needs to be embraced not only by the addict but also by the professional who is aiding the addict. Willingness is the ability to be open and ready for a transformational experience. In the area of recovery, this transformation is forward movement …
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Shopping Addiction Woes for Lindsay Lohan

February 7th, 2011 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Shopping Addiction - (Comments Off on Shopping Addiction Woes for Lindsay Lohan)

How does a young lady with celebrity status and the means to buy whatever she would like end up with an addiction to shopping? Many are aware of the personal and public battle that Lindsay Lohan has had with her addiction to drugs and alcohol. People may not be aware that addictions tend to cross …
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Celebrity Rehab: Learning to Enjoy the Little Things in Sobriety

January 29th, 2011 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Addiction | Celebrity Rehab - (Comments Off on Celebrity Rehab: Learning to Enjoy the Little Things in Sobriety)

It was an emotional graduation on Celebrity Rehab this past week. The ceremony was a celebration of how far everyone had come, but the focus was on aftercare plans (I’m glad to see Jason Davis finally decided to go to a residential treatment center!). That’s because addiction is a cunning, deceptive disease—the only disease that …
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Celebrity Rehab 4 Alumni Share Their Experience Strength and Hope

January 22nd, 2011 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Addiction | Celebrity Rehab - (Comments Off on Celebrity Rehab 4 Alumni Share Their Experience Strength and Hope)

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 …
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The big debate the past two weeks on Celebrity Rehab has been whether an addict can have a beer—even a nonalcoholic one—and still maintain their sobriety. I’ve seen a lot of comments on the show’s message boards about this, and a lot of misunderstanding about why abstinence from all drugs and alcohol really is important …
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Country Strong: A Movie that Depicts the Truths about Untreated Alcoholism

January 10th, 2011 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Alcohol Addiction - (Comments Off on Country Strong: A Movie that Depicts the Truths about Untreated Alcoholism)

I am not a movie critic and won’t pretend to be, but I do not understand why the reviews for the movie “Country Strong” were so negative. The movie has everything in it from alcoholism, mental illness, co-dependency, ageism, and grief and loss giving the audience a bird’s eye view of the dysfunction that goes …
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Boundaries, everyone needs them and no one wants to be in charge of them. In order for recovery to have a chance at success, boundaries are necessary. When watching Celebrity Rehab 4, you can tell that the Center has rules and regulations. They have to. Specific rules that the patients have to adhere to begin the …
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Celebrity Rehab Behind the Scenes: Get me out of Here!

December 4th, 2010 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Addiction | Celebrity Rehab - (Comments Off on Celebrity Rehab Behind the Scenes: Get me out of Here!)

One of the themes you often see at rehabs, as well as  Celebrity Rehab 4,  is that many of the clients are looking for an excuse to leave or a way to get sent home. Rachel Uchitel isn’t sure she should be there because she doesn’t have a “real” addiction. Frankie Lons wants to leave when she …
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I have noticed, as it is getting closer to my appearance on Celebrity Rehab 3’s VH1 Vlog, I am feeling excited and ambivalent at the same time.  I am asking myself what does that mean?  Am I feeling this way because I wonder how my appearance will rate with my colleagues (other professionals in the …
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