Jeff Conaway, best known for his roles in the show Taxi and the popular movie Grease, recently passed away tragically after a long public battle with multiple drug addictions. Many people were unaware of his struggles at home until 2008 when Conaway appeared on Drew Pinsky’s show “Celebrity Rehab,” which is based in a drug rehabilitation center with cameras documenting each celebrity’s every move and struggle. Conaway was documented on the show as having addictions to multiple prescription medications and the pain he dealt with on a daily basis was very evident and pain-staking to watch on television.
But Conaway is not the only celebrity to have his life end from drug addiction after appearing on Celebrity Rehab. Recently, Mike Starr, formerly of the band Alice in Chains, died of an overdose of prescription drugs after years of struggles and multiple stays at drug rehabilitation centers. Not only are these heartbreaking stories, but they also pose the question as to whether their deaths could have been prevented had they chose a different path in seeking treatment.
While people might find it fascinating to watch these painful struggles play out on television, for those fighting to kick an addiction habit, this type of environment is completely unhealthy and unsafe. A drug rehabilitation center is supposed to be a place where individuals can separate themselves from the day-to-day world and focus on recovery and healing. Celebrity Rehab puts cameras in the faces of celebrities dealing with drug addictions hoping to kick their bad habits on a show that lasts only three weeks. Most experts will tell you, it takes a lot more time than three weeks to focus on fighting an addiction and winning your life back.
When people are fighting against the powerful pull of substance abuse, they need privacy, comfort, a calm environment and time to focus on their health and becoming a more content, drug-free functioning adult. Vista Taos Renewal Center in New Mexico provides exactly what a person with addiction needs- a secluded, private rehab facility where the only thing patients have to worry about is getting better. This is the best way to get the recovery needed to truly stay drug-free and healthy.
