The latest VH1 reality creation, Celebrity Rehab follows a group of celebs living together at an addiction counseling center and being treated by Dr. Drew Pinsky (best known from Love Line).

Is public addiction treatment a good idea? Dr. Drew Pinsky certainly believes so

Dr. Drew has also said

the media has a moral responsibility to start reporting on celebrity drug abuse in the wake of the shocking drug-related death of actor Heath Ledger and the drug-addled travails of pop star Britney Spears.We have a saying in the addiction field: `You’re as sick as your secrets’.Secrets keep addicts ill and cost lives. Families that have addicted members learn to operate with secrecy. And Hollywood is operating, and the media with them, like a sick family. If this secrecy hadn’t been maintained, Heath Ledger could be alive today.”

While keeping addiction secrets is indeed harmful, is exposing them in on-air group therapy the best way to curing these addicts? Commonsensemedia.org notes

it remains to be seen whether Celebrity Rehab is inherently helpful or harmful. After all, if it helps at least one person turn his or her life around, then it’s served a definite purpose. But if not, isn’t it just feeding the problem by giving the fame-starved a chance to be on TV?”

Some even find the show utterly wrong like Boston Globe reporter Mark A. Perigrad who wrote:

there’s no sugarcoating this pill. “Celebrity Rehab” is heartless, exploitive and downright toxic…Is this entertainment? A & E’s “Intervention” spotlights addicts in crisis, but the cameras halt at the rehab clinic doors. There’s a good reason for that. Given the nature of recovery, an addict needs to be in a safe place to thrash out the issues underlying their disease. Dr. Drew Pinsky mouths the right things about recovery, and the cast is seen briefly in group and private therapy sessions. How honest will anyone be knowing millions may be watching? The temptation to edit oneself in a positive light must be enormous.”

But Pinksy believes that revealing celebrities issues will help bring light to the addiction epidemic, especially the one hidden in Hollywood. The Dr. says

hollywood drug abuse is widespread ““ much higher, in fact, than it is in the general population, because those attracted to acting and fame tend to be narcissists who often struggle with various mental health issues, and then have the means to procure a constant drug supply and keep it quiet when they lose control.They have all kinds of pathology,” he said, citing a study he did on narcissism among Hollywood celebrities. “It’s so obvious that this is a population that has a huge appetite for drugs. So their behaviour, their horrible relationships, their addiction is not caused by celebrity, but is allowed to spiral into a fatal illness because of their celebrity status.

While I understand the lives of celebrities are inevitably public knowledge, I just feel that picking apart the private lives of anyone (famous or not) for entertainment value is inappropriate. I fear that publicizing one’s addiction problem or rehab stint while that person is going through recovery may just wound that person even more. Then again, I’m no addiction specialist.

None the less, I’m curious and hopeful to see if Celebrity Rehab does create a positive change in both the lives of those on the show and those watching.

If you want more information on addiction and/or you or a friend is having trouble with addiction visit http://addictionrecoverybasics.com/