In today's celebrity obsessed culture it is easy to become enamored with the glamorous lifestyles of movie stars and rock gods. They look how we want to look, act how we'd like to act, seem smart, capable and friendly. However, a staggering number of these modern day idols are succumbing to the pressures fame can induce by turning to drugs and alcohol. Brazenly flaunting their vices to the masses, this phenomenon is having a startling effect on our society. Drug addiction is not something to be glorified or admired, as is done so often on television or in movies, but to be confronted. Drug rehabilitation needs to be seen as a necessary step to recovery as opposed to a trending topic on reality television.
Impressionable Kids
People love to follow celebrity gossip through tabloids, television and internet blogs. Unfortunately, some of the information contained in these outlets aren't true. Famous people can have their problems blown way out of proportion many different ways. Kids see how they are living their lives and want to imitate. If they see Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears out at night partying with drugs and alcohol they will do they exact same thing. Ultimately, parents must keep watch over their children so they do not fall into these destructive patterns.
Celebrity Rehab
When celebrities hit rock bottom and go to rehab people become even more obsessed with their lives. They seem so interesting compared to most peoples mundane lives. There are even reality television shows on air that deal with this very subject. People want to see celebrities confront their issues in front of a camera so they can gossip about them even more. This is a recent phenomenon that is very unhealthy for our country.
Misconceptions
Unlike normal people who need to seek rehabilitation, celebrities are able to afford luxury treatment facilities. People get the impression, from seeing these places on television, that rehab is a glamorous experience. The reality could not be further from the truth. In fact, rehab is one of the toughest things a person can ever go through. Society needs to wake up to the fact that a drug addiction is not the latest fashion accessory.
Media
The mainstream media, namely the paparazzi, need to stop reporting such inane stories about celebrities and their alleged drug use. It fosters a fascination that serves no purpose other than making drug use seem more normal. It is confusing for a young person to see their favorite celebrity using drugs while maintaining a successful career that is endorsed by the media. It makes it seem like there is nothing wrong with what they are doing.
Help From Family
People who have regular nine to five jobs live very different lifestyles from the celebrities out in Hollywood. They do not have the money in most cases to cultivate and maintain a serious drug habit. If they do, they surely will not have the money for expensive, resort like treatment centers they see on television. It is important for people to realize what they see on television and read in tabloids does not accurately reflect real life. If a person fails to understand this it will make them think it is okay to have a hard partying lifestyle.
Our nation's obsession with celebrities has spilled over into an obsession with their drug habits. Young people want to imitate what they see their favorite celebrities doing, even if includes very harmful behavior. We need to, as a society, educate people that drug addiction is not something to be admired. Drug rehabilitation is critical for individuals dealing with an addiction so that they can begin the recovery process.
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