Dr. Drew

As a therapist, I try not to think about Dr. Drew all that much.  On a good day, I feel compassion for his narcissism and on a bad day, I am surprised that he doesn't lose his license.  This week, he was the talking head on all the talk shows commenting on Charlie Sheen's disintegration.  Charlie Sheen, rightly so, felt outraged that he was being analyzed from afar.  Lindsey Lohen, Britney Spears....Dr. Drew feels he has the right by lieu of his credentials to go on national television and speak about the addictions or mental health issues of celebrities.  He also fights the good fight on celebrity rehab.  Really?  How is any of this healing for anybody?

When I was in my twenties, I was the president of the Massachusetts Association of Rape Crisis Centers.  I was asked to go on a local talk show as an expert on rape and comment on a case against Mike Tyson.  My "opponent" on the show was a feisty defense lawyer.  What I remember about the taping was that the interview pitted us against one another and the actual facts of the actual case mattered not one bit.  Additionally, in retrospect, I did not know the people involved and really had no business commenting at all.  It is enticing to be thought of as an expert, but it is a false path.

So, Dr. Drew...here is some advice from one therapist to another.  Put the camera down and get back to slogging through the mud.  You do not honor the stories or victories of your clients by breaking their confidentiality, even with their blessing.  One of the biggest emerging drugs in our culture is the incessant need for fame and exposure.  I don't think you are facilitating lasting recovery without tackling that addiction, both in yourself and in your clients.