Lindsay Lohan no longer has Robert Shapiro in her corner, but what she really needs is a “dream team” of a different sort. I’m not talking about agents or PR reps who could remake her image. I’m referring to a dedicated team of treatment professionals and other recovery supporters who could help her get back on track. read more
On Monday, actor Michael Douglas appeared on The Today Show for the first time since his 31-year-old son Cameron was sentenced to five years for heroin possession and conspiring to sell crystal meth. What he, and others struggling with substance abuse, need is comprehensive drug treatment, not simply a long stint in jail. read more
On Friday, March 5, pop superstar Beyoncé and her mother and business partner, fashion designer Tina Knowles joined us for the opening of the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at our Phoenix House Career Academy in Brooklyn. Here, the music icon discusses her inspiration for creating the program—and what we must to do to erase the stigma of addiction. read more
A responsible physician might have looked at Michael Jackson’s drug-seeking behavior and evaluated the possibility of substance abuse. But instead, Dr. Murray appears to have let celebrity and maybe a handsome sum of cash cloud his medical reasoning. read more
When I learned about the death of DJ AM—the celebrity spinner who struggled with addiction, but stayed sober for over 11 years—I felt the tragedy at the gut level.
I have been in the substance abuse field for over 20 years, first as a treatment provider and then as a researcher. But it… read more
Back for a second season is A&E’s hit series “The Cleaner,” with Benjamin Bratt starring as an “extreme interventionist,” a character based on the life of the show’s co-executive producer Warren Boyd. What’s encouraging about “The Cleaner” is the exposure the series gives to drug misuse and the nature of addictive behavior… read more
Michael Jackson’s premature death has shocked the world. His talent was so transcendent, it’s difficult to understand how his last decades could be so marked by severe drug misuse that it has cut short his life.
Those who knew him tell of his physical and psychic pain. But most addicts suffer psychic… read more