Rihanna recently did an interview in which she discussed the issues that plagued her childhood, among other things. Growing up with a father who was allegedly a crack addict gave her a fair share of emotional baggage, but she works hard to keep an eye on the positive and remain focused on that as much as possible.

Parents with drug and alcohol addiction issues have a profound effect on their children: either for the positive or for the negative. Some develop their own drug addiction issues as a result, while others go to the opposite extreme, working hard to make sure that they never repeat the mistakes of their parents.

Parental Influence in the Face of Drug Addiction Issues

Rihanna says: “I have a lot of great memories, actually. Somehow, the negativity holds a very small space in my mind and memory. I usually just think about the great things, like the beach [in Barbados where she grew up], learning how to swim and write, and catching fish. And most of those things I did with my father. So I seem to just focus on that.”

Her mother affected her deeply as well, and it’s these memories that also serve to motivate Rihanna in her adult life: “My mother’s definitely had the most influence on me as a woman throughout my life. She raised me in a way that I could be responsible and fearless. She taught me a lot of things about life. She’s made me realize that it comes with consequences.”

Focusing on Hope for the Future Rather than Negativity from the Past

Rihanna works hard to stay focused on her own goals for herself rather than any negative issues that resulted from her childhood.

She says: “I never focus on who or what is at the top, because when people become better at what they do individually, it’s noticed. And that’s all I want to be: an artist who was known for growing constantly and becoming bigger and better. It’s not about who’s better between Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. I’m more in competition with myself. I always challenge myself to do better next time. It doesn’t matter who’s at the top as long as I’m getting closer to that point every time. That’s all I care about.”

And it’s more than just about music: “I have a lot more I want to do before I’m 30. I want to venture off as an entrepreneur and have my own fashion and make-up lines — just experiment with the things that I love. I’m a rebel. A rebel flower. And that’s girlie, but tough, too — there’s always that strength and vulnerability. There’s always something beautiful, but there’s still an edge.”

Fighting Drug Addiction with Treatment Despite Genetic Predisposition

If your father or mother experienced drug and alcohol addiction, you have a higher chance of developing the same problem, even if you start out only casually abusing addictive substances. Sometimes addiction can take over and, before you realize it, you are doing the things to your own children that remind you of the addictive behavior of your parents.

Help is only a phone call away. Contact us today at The Orchid to discover what you can do to create a life for yourself that will make your parents proud.

Not only can you be addicted to love – like you can be addicted to almost anything – but new studies are comparing love addiction and the effects of a break-up to the effects of drug addiction and trying to ‘kick the habit’ with your drug of choice. Brain scans reveal that physiologically, the changes that occur when we heal from a broken heart are very similar to those who are healing after a physical and psychological dependence upon an addictive substance.

Brain Scans? How is a Breakup Similar to Drug Addiction Recovery?

A biological anthropologist at Rutgers University, Helen Fisher, took a look at the brain scans of college-age students when they were shown pictures of their ex. Apparently, the same parts of the brain lit up on the scan that were associated with cocaine and nicotine addiction, physical pain and distress.

In a way, it makes sense. Consider the actions deemed acceptable by those going through a serious break-up – would an objective person obsess over their ex, imagine that he or she wants them back and take measures to make that happen, or crave their attention by calling obsessively or showing up anywhere where the ex might appear? It’s the same kind of behavior displayed by someone fighting drug addiction: they, too, obsess over their drug of choice, rationalize why continued use won’t hurt them or is even good for them, and go out of their way – even making dangerous choices – to get more of the drug they crave.

The end result is a deep depression or anxiety and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts and ideations. The solution? Treatment.

Is There Treatment for Love Addiction?

No. But there is treatment for drug addiction and very often the two issues collide. Many who go through a breakup report heavy usage of alcohol, painkillers, heroin and other drugs designed to ‘numb’ the pain. They are so depressed that they see no reason to pull themselves out of their growing addiction despite all the problems they are causing themselves as a result. Drug addiction treatment can help those in this situation to get back on track, while also receiving counseling and grief treatment for the issues related to the breakup. This two-pronged approach to recovery can help the individual struggling to get back to a place of balance emotionally and further their progress in drug addiction treatment.

Drug Addiction Treatment Help for Women

If you are a woman who is struggling with a breakup as well as drug and alcohol addiction, an intensive treatment program can help you to process what happened and move forward in your life. Contact us at The Orchid today to learn how we can help you.

Another actress in the news for supposedly suffering from drug and alcohol addiction is not taking the spreading of rumors lying down: Katie Holmes has filed a lawsuit against the publishers of Star Magazine, accusing them of libelous content. Specifically, the cover of their magazine in January, 2011, implied that Holmes had drug addiction issues, and though the article revealed that that claim was not true, Holmes says that those who read the cover and not the article would have no way of knowing that. The harm to her career and her reputation as a result may be worth millions of dollars in damages. If Holmes wins her suit, she could be walking away with more than $50 million in damages.

The headline for the Star Magazine cover read: Katie DRUG SHOCKER! And the publishers of the magazine knew that the headline was untrue, because accompanying article did nothing to support the claim. In fact, the focus of the story was a claim that Holmes was “trapped in a cycle of addictive treatments” and considering leaving husband Tom Cruise – both of these claims, says Holmes, are completely false. Holmes released a statement saying that the publishers knew that the claims were untrue yet “printed it anyway to sell magazines.”

An attorney for Holmes said that the drug claims were not only malicious, but unethical and unlawful. He went on to say in a statement that: “Not only do they cruelly defame Katie, they play a cheap trick on the public, making ridiculously false claims on the cover unsupported by anything inside.”

The focus of the story is Holmes’ alleged use of an e-meter, a device used by practitioners of Scientology to ferret out mental issues.

Star Magazine issued a statement in response to the lawsuit saying: “Star fully stands behind the editorial integrity of what we have published concerning Ms. Holmes’ controversial use of the Scientology ‘e-meter. Our attorneys look forward to deposing Ms. Holmes about her experiences with Scientology and the e-meter, and expect that the case will be promptly dismissed by the court.”

The Damaging Effects of Drug Addiction Rumors on a Career

If the allegations were true, Holmes wouldn’t have a case but her career and image would be just as damaged by the story. Many who try to return to their old lives after drug rehab find that their behaviors under the influence of drugs and alcohol during active addiction continue to haunt them despite their treatment. It’s a tough struggle after recovery: not only are you fighting off relapse, but you are fighting to build a life for yourself that is founded on positivity and good choices. Rumors can be devastating, especially if you are established in your career and want to return to work. The best that you can do is remain patient, understand that time will show your dedication to your recovery, and put your best foot forward at every opportunity, taking any advancement that comes your way.

Authorities and drug enforcement officials are always looking for new ways to prevent the development of drug and alcohol addiction in different populations. Depending upon the group in focus – teens, women, men, et cetera – the marketing and ads may be a bit different. One of the latest campaigns, however, is grabbing everyone’s attention: it’s a collection of before-and-after photos that depict the drastic effects that drugs and alcohol have on the appearance of those who use them chronically. If dangerous health effects and the potential of death or overdose doesn’t seem to work, why not try an appeal to vanity?

In Multnomah County, Oregon, the sheriff’s office pulled mug shots of individuals arrested closer to the beginning of their drug and alcohol using career and then pulled later ones as they continued on both their addiction – and their criminal – paths. They created a 48-minute documentary entitled “From Drugs to Mugs” and made it available on DVD; they also made the mug shots available on CD. The documentary clearly shows how those who looked their age and even attractive at the beginning of their drug abuse and addiction quickly lost their teeth, lost their hair, gained scars and pock marks, going from normal to scary in as little as a few months in some cases.

Deputy Bret King created the documentary. He told MSNBC: “The thinking is that this will give kids a tangible image of what can happen if they get involved in using hard drugs. We did want to appeal to their sense of vanity.”

Though the speed with which drugs and alcohol damage the appearance of users is the most shocking part of the documentary, it is not at all uncommon. Different drugs have different effects on the appearance. Crystal meth is known for being one of the most rapidly destructive drugs, causing small blood vessels around the face which, in turn, causes the gums to shrink and the user to lose teeth, changing the entire structure of the face. Remaining teeth often become black or discolored, rotting quickly – the slang term for this: ‘meth mouth.’

What are some of the other appearance issues that can be of concern for those who use drugs? Here are just a few:

• Acne. Heroin and crystal meth are often cut with sugar, and acne forms in part due to the ingestion of oily or sweet things. When injected, the effect is even more apparent.
• Cysts. Drugs are cut with a host of different substances and the foreign toxins often build up to form cysts in the face or groin area as well as other parts of the body.
• Malnutrition. Few who take drugs and alcohol addictively get the nutrition they need through food or any other source. The result is saggy skin, a gaunt appearance, straggly hair, an unhealthy loss of weight and a lower immune system.
• Pock marks. Many meth addicts imagine that there are bugs under their skin or things itching them. They often dig at their faces and arms until they create open sores that eventually heal as pock marks.

How effective will the campaign be? Time will tell, but if the initial response is any indication, the “From Drugs to Mugs” project may save more than a few people from the devastating effects of drug addiction thanks to a healthy dose of vanity.

Kristin Cavallari is one of the stars of MTV’s The Hills, and she is not happy. She says that MTV and Us Weekly manipulated the truth and used false allegations of drug addiction in order to boost their ratings. She says that her recent Us Weekly cover that claimed she needed to go to drug rehab and that her parents wanted her to seek addiction treatment were absolutely false. Says Cavallari: “Basically, all that was to get ratings.”

Cavallari Says She Has No Drug Addiction or Abuse Issues

Not only does Cavallari say that she doesn’t need drug rehab, she claims she has no issues with drug abuse, either. Cavallari firmly believes that the producers of the show – one producer in particular – created those rumors in order to garner ratings and she is “really pissed off.”

Cast as the ‘bad girl’ of the show, Cavallari believes that the rumors were a part of the job. Though she doesn’t regret signing on for the show, she expressed disappointment and anger that show producers would go as far as they did.

Says Cavallari: “I think it was really unfair how they messed with our lives like that. Watching the show really broke my heart. When the first episode aired, I locked myself in the bathroom and was crying for hours because I was so upset about how they were portraying me.”

Setting the Record Straight on Drug Addiction Issues, Past Problems and The Hills

Cavallari is not about to sit back and let the stories be told. She is fighting the very well publicized negative image of herself on The Hills by attempting to set the record straight. Cavallari avoids tabloids and internet gossip and handles each allegation of partying hard or being a ‘bad girl’ as it comes. She even says that much of what viewers see on the so-called reality show is nothing more than a script provided by the producers. Cavallari says that “almost all of it” was fake.

Determined to change the industry for the better, Cavallari is working on becoming a reality show producer herself. She has taken a role on ABC’s comedy, The Middle, and keeping things quiet about any reality show producing projects that she has in the works. Says Cavallari: “I really enjoyed having a say in what happened and being behind the camera. It will be nice to be out of the spotlight a little bit too, to be honest.”

Finding Drug Rehab When You Need It

If you or someone you care about is a bit more like the bad girl portrayed by Cavallari on TV and a little less like the actress herself, contact us at The Orchid. We offer drug rehab for women that can help you rebuild your reputation.