In May, Desormeaux was markedly intoxicated during a live radio interview on Sirius XM Radio, just days following the Kentucky Derby where he had received some disapproval regarding his racing performance. On July 1, Desormeaux failed a breathalyzer test before the Woodbine races in Canada where he was scheduled to ride the prize-winning thoroughbred Hold Me Back who later won the $200,000 Dominion Day Handicap under fellow jockey Tyler Pizarro. Desormeaux claims he had flown in from New York for Woodbine after drinking the night before at a friend’s birthday party. Desormeaux was removed from his mount by the stewards after failing the necessary breathalyzer test in which jockeys must present a blood alcohol concentration below 0.020 an hour prior to the race to qualify. He was fined $100 and suspended for one day from racing. Following the incident, Desormeaux lost some sponsors, including WinStar Farm, which owns Hold Me Back.

Desormeaux told the media on July 20 that his actions were embarrassing and unprofessional, although he expressed that his behavior during the radio interview was pardonable since he was on vacation at the time and thus was not expected to ride.

Desormeaux has announced that he is currently undergoing counseling in New Hyde Park, NY, to help him deal with his problem drinking, where he will receive treatment from a psychotherapist and guidance by a sponsor. Desormeaux will be required to check in with his counselors every day, and will be following an alcohol program referred by the Racetrack Chaplaincy in New York while in Saratoga. He has reported to media resources that he wishes to improve his professional conduct and will do what is necessary to meet that goal. Desormeaux’s representatives are supporting his effort for recovery and hope to see the three-time Eclipse award winner return to the track clean and with more confidence.

Several jockeys throughout racing history have been affected by substance abuse. Many professional jockeys began practicing the sport during their childhood, where the substance abuse usually begins. With a lack of proper supervision while undergoing years of intense training, these teen jockeys can find it difficult to break their drug habits once they reach professional status in adulthood. Famous jockeys such as Miguel Mena, Garret Gomez, Noberto Arroyo Jr., Pat Day, and Jerry Bailey have all dealt with their substance abuse problems before the public, with some incidences landing them in jail or in ongoing inpatient recovery programs.

Jockeys may be encouraged to partake in substance abuse or even eating disorders to stunt their growth and maintain light weight for riding purposes. While drug habits may have helped them reach stardom or were ignited as a direct cause of their celebrity, these jockeys can risk losing their entire careers over a single incident involving substance abuse.

Bloom told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez she’s sent a letter to that effect on behalf of Michael Lohan to the judge overseeing Lindsay’s case.

Lindsay is currently on probation for a 2007 DUI conviction, but has said publicly she’s sober.

The letter, Bloom observed, asks that "in the event that Lindsay is in violation of the term of her probation, namely that she attend weekly alcohol education classes, then Michael would like the judge to order her into a residential rehab program. And he’s done extensive research behind-the-scenes and found a program that he thinks would be the best for her. It’s close to her family on Long Island. The family could all participate in family therapy. She could be given appropriate treatment for what he thinks are her problems, namely prescription drug abuse." How can any judge tell whether Lohan has indeed violated the terms of her probation?

"It’s a simple matter," Bloom replied, "and we have (from) credible sources that she has missed a couple of classes. The judge’s order was very clear that she had to attend once a week. The alcohol education program will submit a report to the court as to whether she’s in violation or not by the next hearing date, which is May 20.

"But we know that, behind-the-scenes, the judge and the attorneys on both sides are already operating on the assumption that she is in violation, and the judge is deciding what to do in the event that she is in violation and that could include incarceration.

"Michael Lohan does not favor incarceration for his daughter. Instead, he wants her to go to rehab."

Bloom says a move like the one Michael Lohan is making isn’t unusual, pointing out that, "Family members weigh in frequently when a close family member, a defendant, is facing sentencing or facing additional terms of their probation. We saw that in the celebrity case recently where Michael Douglas weighed in the sentencing of his son. And Michael and Lindsay do have a relationship. They text. They do speak to each other occasionally, and he loves his daughter very much. For his shortcomings and his flaws and his mistakes that he’s made in his life, which he freely admits (he’s been in jail himself; he’s been clean and sober for six years), he loves his daughter and he wants the best for her."

As for those claiming Michael Lohan is simply an opportunist, Bloom asserted, "There are a lot of lies on the gossip (Web) sites about Michael Lohan. He has never asked for a dime from his daughter, nor has he received a dime from his daughter.

"He’s not seeking to control her or control her estate. If you read the letter that we wrote on his behalf, he’s asking that she be ordered to residential rehab. He certainly wouldn’t get any money from that in any way. He’s also asking that, if the judge does not see fit to order that, that she be subjected to random drug testing as an additional term of her probation, as many people who are on probation for drug offenses are."

At the conference titled “Blending Addiction Science and Practice: Evidence-Based Treatment and Prevention in Diverse Populations and Settings,” NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow discussed the many factors that make substance abuse addiction a multifaceted disease. Substance abusers are affected by their environments, genetics, psychology, biology, and emotions. As an addiction progresses, the abuser experiences negative changes to their body on a neurobiological level, causing multiple repercussions in their personal health, behavior, and development.

Traditional treatment for addiction includes cognitive-behavioral therapy and rehabilitation that may include pharmaceutical intervention. With the integration of these novel drug addiction vaccines, recovery patients may become more adhesive to treatment programs and more capable of completing recovery and remaining abstinent. The new vaccines are designed to help suppress cravings and prevent the addictive molecules in illicit substances from reaching the brain, which causes dependency. As many recovering addicts often experience relapse after treatment, these new vaccines will effectively lower the risk of setback and help change recovery treatment strategies. Recovery treatment periods are extended to incorporate this vaccination stage that helps meet the need of relapse prevention. The goal of the conference was to incorporate new clinical research into standard addiction medicine practice.

If the immune system can be strengthened to withstand the presence of such addictive substances as nicotine or cocaine, can addiction be defeated? Clinical trials with the new vaccine called NicVax from Nabi Biopharmaceuticals have shown signs of this possibility. NicVax stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies in response to nicotine, which bond to the nicotine molecules in the system and prevent them from entering the brain where they generate psychoactive effects. Without this ‘high’ that changes the brain’s neurotransmitters and makes normal brain function dependent on the presence of nicotine, tobacco use may become less addictive, and quitters may actually stay abstinent.

In NIDA’s human trials, more than 30% of NicVax participants were able to successfully overcome their addictions and remain abstinent after having developed antibodies. According to NIDA, approximately 71 million Americans over the age of 12 are current tobacco users. About 440,000 tobacco-related deaths occur each year, or approximately one in five American deaths. NIDA has also found that 35 million smokers are aware of the dangers of smoking and wish to quit, but 85% of those who attempt cessation will relapse. Of the latest vaccines, NicVax will most likely be the first one available for prescription. NicVax may also become an ideal component of recovery therapy since it does not produce any adverse effects. It may take a few more years before NicVax gains FDA approval if it increasingly demonstrates positive results.

NIDA also revealed its new treatment program for adolescents suffering from opioid addiction: Buprenorphine Treatment for Young Adults. Buprenorphine, an anti-addiction medication, is already used in addiction treatment for adults addicted to heroin and other opioids, but NIDA research conducted in conjunction with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has shown that buprenorphine can be just as effective for adolescents. The program involves an extended treatment period for young adult patients which includes long-term use of buprenorphine medication, as opposed to the typical shorter detoxification period followed by post-treatment medication. Buprenorphine not only helps control opioid addiction by suppressing cravings, but it may also help younger patients adhere to treatment, complete recovery, and achieve long-term goals. NIDA is offering a three-hour training program for clinicians and addiction medicine specialists that explains how buprenorphine works in adolescent patients, how to select appropriate patients from this vulnerable group for buprenorphine treatment, and the legalities surrounding the use of the new medication.

Often, those with substance abuse addictions also experience comorbid disorders. Further research from NIDA has been focusing on how to best integrate effective treatment techniques into such vulnerable groups as American Indian and other native populations who experience high levels of substance abuse and HIV infection. NIDA hopes that an interwoven treatment model that includes indigenous and Western strategies for trauma and substance abuse recovery will generate positive results in recovery and prevention efforts. Also, NIDA discussed strategies for creating more effectual counseling and medical treatment for military personnel suffering from substance abuse disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychological and social disorders.

Iceni, which led a campaign to help sex workers off the streets following the serial killing of five young women in Ipswich in 2006, played a major role in the BBC show “Five Daughters.”

The program was a three-part drama starring Sarah Lancaster and Ian Hart that chronicled the lives of the murdered women and their families, and the drug addictions that drove them to prostitution.

Brian Tobin, director and co-founder of Iceni, said he had been "very moved" by the calls, emails, and pledges of money, totaling £10,000, that he has received from members of the public since the last episode aired on Wednesday.

"I came into the office and I had half a dozen donations via the website. They have kept coming," said Tobin, whose part in the program was played by Sean Harris, known for his role as Ian Curtis in “24 Hour Party People.”

"We have had a lot of people give £20, or £50, some have pledged more. We’re at £7,500 now, and with the pledges, that will go up to £10,000,” Tobin added.

A month ago, the charity, which relies on nine full-time staff, three part-time workers and 22 volunteers, lost a quarter of its £360,000 annual funding due to cutbacks and had to make two full-time staff and a part-time post redundant.

Tobin, who set up the organization in 1999 in a restroom (removing the sink to make way for a desk) said the donations will help them to treat the 300 people they see annually.
He said many donors had seen relatives or friends die through drug addiction.

"There is a consistent number of people who have been affected directly because their loved ones have been affected by drug addiction. A lot had lost people though drug abuse,” he said, adding, “It’s been very moving. One unemployed chap said he was going to donate a tenner out of his next giro. The money is fantastic and it will all help, but it also gives us a sense that we are valued. The drama picked up on how difficult and isolating drug work can be."

The murders of Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, Tania Nicol, 19, and Annette Nicholls, 29, by truck driver Steve Wright over six weeks in 2006, re-ignited the national debate over street prostitution and drug abuse.

It prompted agencies in Suffolk to tackle the problem: police arrested curb crawlers, female officers worked with women on the streets, and council drug schemes allowed addicts faster and easier access to the heroin substitute methadone.
Many of around 30 street prostitutes underwent drug treatment and the scheme was widely recognized as a success. Ipswich no longer has a red-light district and many former sex workers are now drug free, although "a handful" remain in treatment, according to Tobin.

"I am in touch with all of them," he said. "I can understand some people’s attitude towards addiction—drug abuse causes untold misery. But I’ve said to people, ‘Come and see what those trying to get off drugs are doing here.’"

“Is there any way to help break a sugar addiction that’s as powerful as an alcohol addiction without going into rehab? I’ve been trying for four years and can’t seem to break free. It’s destroying my body but I can’t seem to stop with basic discipline. Clearly there is an emotional component to addiction but therapy doesn’t seem to help. Any recommendations? Thank you.”

Dr. Raison responds:

As someone who struggles with the same issue, I feel your pain. Increasingly, scientific studies suggest that eating activates the same brain areas that are the primary targets of drugs of abuse, and foods high in sugar, fat and certain carbohydrates are especially likely to stimulate our brain in ways that can become addictive. It is not for nothing that the modern Western diet –which is higher in sugar than any diet in history — has taken the world by storm. Across the long years of human evolution sweet things were hard to find so we have all evolved a keen appreciation for these items that tends to betray us in the modern world.

Your question is too brief for me to get a clear sense of how deep your problem goes, but if you are seriously thinking of some type of rehab environment I am going to assume that you are struggling with a worst-case scenario in which you binge on, and consume, very large amounts of sweet items. I’m thinking, for example, of a patient I treated for years, who would eat an entire angel food cake whenever something stressful or upsetting happened in her life.

There is no doubt that this kind of eating arises from an emotional component. In addition to stimulating brain reward centers, sweet food markedly affects stress hormones in ways likely to provide a sense of temporary reprieve from anxiety. Of course, in addition to all the health problems linked to binge eating, the eater is likely to end up in a worse spot, much as the alcoholic who drinks to forget that he has an drinking problem. As the tone of your question attests, out-of-control eating can be a profound source of shame and frustration and can therefore contribute psychologically to the development of depression.

But the problem goes deeper. While processed sugars may produce a brief emotional high, several lines of evidence indicate that they affect our biology in ways that promote depression. For example, rates of depression in a country rise in lockstep with per capita sugar consumption. Sugars — which are found in all sorts of processed foods we don’t typically think of as sweet — promote obesity, and obesity is a very powerful risk factor for the later development of depression.

So I don’t need to tell you the problem is a bad one. The question — your question — is what to do about it. Actually we all know what to do about it: eat less sugary foods. The question is how to find the willpower to do this when sugar is everywhere and the emotional strains of life push us so consistently into its orbit.

Much experience over the years has taught me that nature abhors a vacuum. If you are going to take sugar out of your diet, it will need to be replaced with something else. This law of human nature often makes it the case that it is easier to do big things than to do little things. For example, it is easier for an alcoholic to stop drinking completely than to just drink a little. I want to suggest that the same approach might benefit your attempts to break the sugar addiction.

Assuming that you binge on huge amounts of sweets, I want to suggest that changing your entire dietary pattern might be easier than just stopping this one maladaptive behavior. I say this for two reasons. First, if you are going to give up sugar you are going to have to replace it with something very active and positive. And second, it is increasingly clear that even people who don’t binge on sweet foods suffer significant health problems just from eating the standard American diet that most of us consume every day.

I want to suggest that you attempt to rid as many processed and packaged foods from your diet as possible, and replace them with a diet replete with natural foods. By natural foods, I mean food that humans evolved to benefit from: fruits, vegetables, some whole grains and meat from animals that are fed grass (not grains and antibiotics). To eat this way requires making a commitment to shop smart and to cook smart. These are both challenging and exciting activities that might help you organize an emotionally satisfying life beyond the grasp of your sugar addiction.

This column is far too short for me to describe how to go about doing this, but fortunately excellent sources of information on this topic are already in print. Let me recommend two books to you by Michael Pollan. "Omnivore’s Dilemma" is an eye-opening expose of how we came, as a society, to eat so much sugar in everything, and "In Defense of Food" spells out how to go about extricating ourselves from the unhealthy Western diet to which most of us adhere.

Before the early 1990s, parents weren’t concerned about potential gaming addiction—instead they focused on preventing their children from experimenting with alcohol and drugs. There are many outward signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug addiction, severe depression and anxiety, or eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, but compulsive behaviors such as shopping, gambling, and video or computer gaming can be more difficult to spot. But just like drug addicts, those who are addicted to playing games are escaping into fantasy worlds in an attempt to numb their feelings about real life. Today, an increasing amount of young people are trying to manage their emotional and social deficiencies by escaping into the alternate realities of video games.

Since 1995, Dr. Kimberly Young’s Center for Internet Addiction has been assisting individuals who experience obsessions or compulsions involving the Internet including online gaming addiction. Director Keith Bakker at the Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants in Amsterdam, Netherlands created the world’s first detoxification rehabilitation program to treat video gaming addiction at his facility in order to meet the needs of a rising social problem that mostly affects male adolescents and young adults. This year, Dr. Richard Graham opened a new clinic providing gaming addiction intervention and therapy for teens at London’s Capio Nightingale Hospital.

Online gaming addiction has raised international concerns since recent news of the South Korean couple who allowed their premature infant to starve to death while they spent 12 hours per day raising a virtual child at a local cybercafé. A 24-year-old man also died after collapsing inside a cybercafé from playing online for 86 hours straight.

Gaming addiction is unlike alcohol or drug abuse disorders in that it does not involve a substance being ingested into the body and neurophysiologically affecting the brain and vital bodily systems. Substance abuse disorders are characterized by the development of a chemical dependency within the body as well as the brain rewiring its reward mechanisms which alters the abuser’s behavior—such as resorting to alcohol or a drug to feel good about oneself when depressed. These addictions are both chemical and behavioral disorders; a gaming addiction, however, is a distinct impulse control disorder that is more closely associated with such behavioral disorders as gambling addiction or shopping addiction. The gamers develop an altered physiological reward mechanism when engaging in video games. For gamers with low self-esteem, playing complex, exciting games heightens adrenaline, ignites stimulation, and fills the deep need to feel successful, loved, gifted, or meaningful. Individuals who believe they are inept in everyday social contexts might find fulfillment through video games and replace normal, healthy social and physical activities altogether. The illusion of conquering difficult tasks, completing assignments, and—especially in cyber role-playing games—taking on a more powerful identity provides gamers with an idealized existence that they would rather engage themselves in than real life. This emotional provision from gaming is parallel to the way substances might make an addict feel when using their drug of choice as a means of escape or coping mechanism. Reality becomes escapable, and a more seemingly rewarding world is available at the touch of a button.

When habitual gaming teaches the brain to rewire its reward mechanism, the brain changes its motivation stimulus. The brain releases dopamine to reward the individual for a beneficial activity—such as natural habits like eating, sex, and pumping adrenaline, or habits like injecting a chemical substance or participating in a stimulating behavior like gambling or Internet shopping. Healthy forms of reward or entertainment, such as reading or watching a film, have normal breaking points that allow individuals to return to reality and engage in the real world. Many video and cyber games however, do not have any such breaking points and often seem “more real” to gamers. Gamers can become so absorbed in this secondary world that their brains forget how to relate to real world occurrences; the game is no longer a form of entertainment but a replacement for their primary life.

“This is called a motivational monopoly” writes Neils Clark in his book Game Addiction: The Experience and the Effects. “The person has lost the taste for other things, because they simply don’t provide as much excitement, relaxation, or satisfaction as the one domineering behavior.” Reality becomes less significant and more illogical to addicted gamers.

Like other behavioral addictions, gaming addiction is characterized by compulsive behavior, lack of interest in other activities, and certain physical and mental symptoms when attempting to stop (i.e., withdrawal symptoms). Signs of gaming dependency include nonparticipation in social activities, slipping grades in school, association mainly with other gaming addicts, stealing money to continue game play or purchase new games, engaging in delinquent activity, truancy, aggressiveness, irritability and annoyance when denied play, and engaging in increasingly longer periods of play.

More serious physical side effects video game addiction include auditory hallucinations, peripheral neuropathy, joint pain, tenosynovitis, enuresis, encopresis, obesity, photo-sensitive epilepsy, cardiovascular problems, and increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Treatment for these symptoms, as well as behavioral dependency, is simply to quit playing the games; however, convincing the gamer to quit requires rehabilitation that involves reintroduction to the elements of social and physical lifestyles.
 

Honesty is the Best Policy – But…

Deception, keeping things from those we care about, glossing over the truth and hoping it won’t come back to bite us is a dangerous path to take. The more lies you tell, the more difficult it becomes to keep track of them. If you tell one version of your background to one person, or a group of people, say your boss and co-workers, another to your family, and another yet to new acquaintances, how are you going to remember what you said to whom? What happens when these people interact and the contradictions in your past come to light? What do you think happens then – to your credibility, reputation, trustworthiness, and reliability?

You might jeopardize or ruin your chances for a promotion, or lose a lucrative potential contract. Your spouse or significant other could feel, and rightly so, betrayed and unsure of the foundation and nature of your relationship. If there are children involved, or the desire to have children, not knowing about your addiction could pose serious questions about family heredity and genetics.
How should you handle the truth about your past? How much detail should you go into, and when is the appropriate time to even have a discussion about your addiction?

It would be wonderful to state that you should always be truthful. But the fact is that not everyone has a right to know about things that happened in your past – certainly not the stranger on the street or very casual acquaintances. Some things are best kept closer to the vest. That’s the “but” in the strategy.

Let’s take an example. You should be prepared to state honestly, if the situation warrants it, that you had a problem with alcohol, received treatment and have been sober for the past 10 years. Be straightforward and don’t go into details. Briefness is best. After all, no one is perfect. We all have challenges, obstacles, and missteps in our past that we’ve had to deal with. Thanks to a greater awareness that addiction is a treatable disease, today there is much less stigma attached to it than in years past. Nonetheless, there still is a stigma about addiction. So, if the other person seems to take it as a matter of fact and doesn’t pursue the subject, consider that you’ve said enough.

What About Loved Ones?

The closer your relationships, the more honest you need to be. This just stands to reason. They’re bound to find out at some point anyway, so why try to hide your addiction? You don’t need to be blatant about it, parading your sobriety like a badge of honor. This makes others nervous, as if you have something you’re trying to prove to yourself. Save your declarations about your sobriety for your 12-step group meetings. That’s where it really belongs. Your fellow 12-step members have all been in your shoes and understand the stresses, cravings, urges, and tough times every addict faces in recovery. They’re also uniquely qualified to help you through their support and encouragement. They don’t ask anything in return, and aren’t going to jeopardize your relationships, job or social standing. Again, choose where you want to be the most open and direct.

Your spouse, partner or significant other deserves to know the most about your addiction. This is your life mate, the person with whom you share more than just your physical bonding. He or she should already know about your past, but if you’ve kept it secret up to this point, now’s the time to get it out in the open.

While it’s understandable that you would feel like this would be a bombshell that could end the relationship, it’s worth taking the risk in order to strengthen your union. The question no longer becomes one of if you should tell your spouse/partner/significant other, but when and how. Here you have a lot of discretion and latitude. You still need to pick the time, place and manner of delivery.

Tips for Telling Your Spouse the Truth

Think about what pleases your spouse the most. Is it a romantic dinner for two or a getaway to a favorite vacation spot? Does your spouse really love a thoughtful gift, flowers, or a pre-paid spa appointment? What about season passes to a nearby ski resort or a membership in a golf club? Is the best time over coffee at sunset or during a picnic lunch at a lakeside park?
Make a list of all the ideas you can come up with. Next, look over the list and see which ones are the most doable. By this, we don’t mean the easiest, but the ones that you believe will result in the receptiveness or willingness to listen to what you have to say. The timing and time of the revelation should be when you are alone together. Do not have any distractions or pressing appointments that will interfere with a solid discussion. This is true even if your spouse asks for time to think about it before discussing it further. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Wouldn’t you want time to think about such an admission before blurting out your reactions?

Prioritize the list and choose the one that seems to provide the most likely positive result. By this we mean that you’ve selected a time, place and manner that will set up the situation so that you can have a private and personal discussion about your addiction. The best advice about talking with your spouse about your addiction is to be loving and honest. Demonstrate your affection before you begin talking about the situation, and ask that your partner hear you out. You may also wish to say that you want him or her to take as much time as necessary to think about it before venturing any comment or opinion, and that you will answer any questions when they are ready.

Be Prepared for Tough Questions

Of course, having made the statement that you’d answer any questions, you need to be ready and willing to do so. Be prepared for some tough ones. The discussion may be hard for your spouse to initiate, and he or she may not do it at the most appropriate time. If possible, change your schedule to be able to accommodate the more in-depth conversation that you need to have with your spouse. If it’s not possible to go into it at the moment your spouse brings it up, specify a time that’s mutually agreeable and then stick to it.

Here are some of the questions that may pop up:

• When was the last time you used (drugs, alcohol), or engaged in addictive behavior (gambling, compulsive sex)?
• How long were you addicted? How long before I met you were you addicted?
• What age were you when you first began using drugs and/or alcohol?
• Were you ever arrested?
• Have you ever had any sexually transmitted disease? How long ago were you tested?
• Did you undergo formal treatment for your addiction?
• Did you ever suffer a relapse?
• Have you ever had serious financial difficulties, legal problems, lose a job or promotion as a result of your addiction?
• Is your condition inherited? Is your father, mother or some other close relative an addict as well?

Where to Go Next – After You’ve Had the Discussion

If you have a generally good relationship with your spouse, you should feel a great sense of relief that this secret about your addiction is finally out in the open – between the two of you. This takes a tremendous burden off you and, while it’s understandably not something your spouse would be pleased about, the fact that you have revealed it says a lot about your strength of character and integrity – as well as your love.

You trust in your spouse’s willingness to accept you for who you are, just as you would be willing to accept anything in his or her past. Another point to be made is that you should ask for your partner’s help in going forward. This gives your spouse the opportunity to acknowledge what it took for you to get this off your chest and to share it with the person you most care about. Your spouse may even say something like this: We can work through this together. Reiterate that recovery is a day to day process, and you appreciate the understanding, consideration and willingness to be a part of it.

What happens if your spouse, after you’ve revealed your addiction, says this is something they really can’t deal with? You need to be ready to accept this on the face of it. Very often spouses need some period of time for the knowledge of your addiction to sink in, to come to terms with how they feel about it and whether it compromises your overall relationship to the point of dissolution or separation.

Whatever the reaction, you have to be ready for it. If your spouse rejects you – temporarily or permanently – after you talk about your addiction, it doesn’t reflect on you as a person. It doesn’t make you bad or worthless or undeserving of his or her love. It doesn’t mean that your life is over, or that you will suffer an immediate relapse, lose your standing in the community or be rejected by your friends. You should, however, seek the encouragement and support from your aftercare counselor and/or your 12-step group sponsor and members.

A Few Words About Being Open With Friends

Depending on the length and closeness of your friendship, decide when and how to say anything about your addiction. Naturally, if you are an alcoholic in recovery, you will need to avoid circumstances where everyone is drinking. If you’ve been avoiding going to the bar with co-workers who are friends after work on Friday nights, for example, at some point you may wish to say that you’re an alcoholic and you now live a life of sobriety.

If you had a problem with marijuana or cocaine and friends light up a joint or snort coke in your presence, the first thing you should do is leave. At another time, you may wish to inform them that you once did drugs but are now sober – and intend to stay that way. Ask them not to do drugs in your presence. Tell them that it may affect your relationship if they continue to do so.

Former problem or addicted gamblers can’t take the chance of dropping a few casual bets or buying some Lotto tickets. If friends ask you to get in on the football pool or go to the casino, tell them you don’t bet. You may or may not want to say you were a compulsive gambler. As long as you have received treatment for your addiction and are in recovery, there’s no need to go into detail about your gambling addiction. What’s the point? It will just give them something to talk about – and gossip is not in your best interest.

Of course, if you have a very close friend with whom you share many interests, similar outlook and have discussed many confidences, perhaps this is one person that you may wish to tell of your addiction. Weigh and balance what feels right to you and act accordingly.

What About a New Love Interest?

Again, timing is everything. Gauge how receptive the person may be to the revelation and whether you should bring it up at this time. If you do think the time is right, say something simple and direct. I had a problem with heroin (or marijuana or ecstasy or LSD, etc.) in the past, but I’m so glad that’s in my past. I’ve been clean and sober ever since. But, don’t say this unless it is true. If you still have a problem and either haven’t sought treatment, or began it and quit, or have relapsed, maybe this isn’t the time to get involved with someone new. It’s not fair to either of you. And, if you fall into this category, you really need to get some professional help – and pronto.

Attitude is Everything

Finally, having the discussion with others – any others – about your addiction depends a great deal on your attitude. If you are positive, upbeat, and have an openness and straightforward attitude, it will serve you better than if you are down in the dumps, depressed, anxious, and nervous. How you portray yourself to others helps them calculate whether the knowledge of your addiction is something that is truly in your past or something that will potentially bring problems.

Look forward to meeting new people and to continued lasting relationships with your current friends. Remember that you are not defined by your addiction. Your life in recovery is what you make it. You are the person you have chosen to be – one who is clean and sober. Your life choices and everyday actions, even your friends, are impacted by this decision to live your life free of addiction. Celebrate that fact and move forward. You will find that you are no longer troubled by how open you can be about your addiction.

“What I try to always explain to people is that we can’t blame Hollywood, it’s not Hollywood,” he said. “Those are bad choices that I made. I made some stupid personal choices. But I can’t blame Hollywood.”

“When the show got canceled is when my whole life fell apart because everything caught up with me,” he explained. “At 12 years old I was molested by my publicist and my father took my publicist’s side."

Bridges said it was after the successful ‘70s sitcom ended its eight-season run that his drug addiction ensued. “People don’t realize that during the process of the show, I was always very professional, so that kind of kept me together,” he said.

Once the actor had more time on his hands, he said he began to deal with his past.
“No one ever goes into addiction thinking that you’re going to get addicted to drugs. You do it to cover the pain up,” he said. “But then when I got caught up in addiction, Hollywood didn’t throw me away, I threw Hollywood away.”

Karen Berg of FoxNews.com writes that luckily for Bridges, his mistakes did not cost him his life, as they may have fellow child star Corey Haim, who died last week of an apparent prescription drug overdose.

“A lot of people don’t feel like they have a problem and that’s one of the biggest problems,” said Bridges. “One of the biggest things with Corey Haim was [that he] thought that he was just taking prescription medication, which if you take it according to what the doctor tells you, you’re going to be okay. But if you take it the way an addict is going to take it—take a bunch of them and don’t listen to what the prescription bottle says—that’s what happened.”

Bridges’ co-star, Dana Plato, who played Kimberly on the show, also battled an addiction to prescription drugs and used them to end her life in 1999.

But Bridges’ wake-up call happened years before. “For me, 17 years ago, I woke up one day and decided things had to be a little different,” said the 44-year-old. After pleading guilty to drug possession in 1993, the judge gave Bridges two options: jail or rehab.

“I chose to go to rehab,” he said. “I still wasn’t quite ready at that moment. So when I got in there I got really angry and I got really mad at the hospital [staff]. And they strapped me at four points and I was in there for three days. When you’re in your 20’s and you have a big diaper on and you were on a hit show, there has to be a change in your life,” he said.

Bridges, who has two young children, has advice for parents everywhere. “Never give up on your child. But also, you have to love your child. What I do with my kids is I tell them I love them every day, but also I tell them the truth," he said. "Our parents back then would say, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ And you can’t do that anymore. Children need explanations and they deserve explanations."

Time to Reflect

While you’re in the “drunk tank,” you might use the time to begin to reflect on what you did to put yourself – and others – in such jeopardy. Some individuals who are arrested for DUI are “just a sip over the illegal limit” for blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08. Others, including those who are repeat offenders, are found to be two to three times over the illegal BAC limit. Depending on how soused you are, you may not even remember getting into the car and driving, having suffered a blackout (temporary loss of memory caused by alcohol intoxication).

Eventually, however, all persons arrested for DUI “wake up,” literally. They’re in a strange place, one that has unpleasant odors, bright lights, and the stench of fear about it. Some swear they’ll never touch another drop of alcohol again. No more pounding back shots and beers with the boys at the bar, no more tying one on and hoping to make it home in one piece. But this is just initial remorse setting in. It’s not real reflection. For that, you need to take serious stock of your situation, your self-destructive behavior, and the fact that you just may have an addiction. Recognize the true cost of drunk driving.

Ironically, and perhaps this is some consolation to those individuals to whom this applies, first-time DUI offenders are often the most likely to pay heed to the dangers of drinking and driving drunk. During the ensuing mandatory alcohol classes and/or treatment for alcohol addiction, the messages are likely to get through. Treatment, in combination with penalties, fines, ignition interlock, loss of driving privileges and other court-mandated sentences, may be the best hope for first-time DUI offenders.

You can argue – sometimes successfully – through your attorney and “get off lightly,” but this doesn’t help you change your behavior. While you can be ordered to attend alcohol classes and treatment, addiction recovery can only happen when you fully acknowledge that you have a problem and commit to changing your lifestyle.

Perhaps you only spent a short time in the holding cell, and were processed out when a friend or family member posted your bail and drove you home. Don’t think that this is the end of the situation. It’s only the beginning. It will also give you a false sense of getting away with it until you wind up in court and find out otherwise. States are getting tougher on DUI offenders – even first timers.

The actual steps involved include the initial arrest and series of sobriety and breathalyzer tests, DMV administrative hearing, arraignment, pre-trial conference, suppression hearing, trial, and sentencing. Not all of these steps occur as a result of every DUI arrest, but this is enough to show that there’s a lot to go through.

In other words, be prepared for a long road ahead. Use your time now to reflect upon what you can do to change your life – whether or not you are ordered to do so by the court.

What’s in it for you?

The prospect of attending alcohol classes for weeks on end and/or going to an addiction treatment center (inpatient or outpatient), attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and possibly community service may seem like a lot. You’d probably think so if you are here for the first time and only blew a hair over the illegal BAC limit. But let’s look at what’s actually in it for you.

Society today takes a dim view of people who knowingly drink and drive drunk. Whether you agree with their positions or not, the efforts of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) over the past 30 years have proven effective in getting public awareness to the point where drunk driving is no longer socially acceptable (if it ever truly was).

Research on alcohol addiction over the past three decades – but more significantly in the last 10 years – has shown that alcoholism is a disease, not a mental condition or sign of weakness or lack of willpower. It is also treatable. However, once you are an alcoholic, you are never cured. You will need to remain vigilant the rest of your life, but with the skills and coping mechanisms you will learn in treatment, you can live a full and productive life. In fact, treatment offers you the best hope for the future. Your life can be whatever you want it to be. There are no limits to what you can do – if you live according to the principles of sobriety.

Getting to the crux of the matter, what you will get out of coming to grips with your first-time DUI and doing what’s not only required but what is right for you means that you will:

• Regain your freedom (especially if your DUI results in any jail time)
• Get your license reinstated – usually, a conviction for DUI results in a suspension of your driver’s license for some period of time
• Learn about alcohol and alcoholism and its destructive impact
• Pay a penalty relative to fines, legal fees, treatment, higher insurance rates and other restrictions
• Begin to get a handle on why you drink, what prompts you to drink, how to cope with urges to drink, and how to avoid relapse
• Realize that you have to take responsibility for your actions and can no longer disregard the safety of others by driving drunk

The situation is far more complicated for repeat DUI offenders. States take a much harsher stance with those convicted of multiple DUI offenses. California, for example, recently introduced a bill mandating permanent driver’s license revocation for any driver who gets a third DUI conviction. That’s a really stiff price to pay, and it goes far beyond just the loss of driving privileges.

Many employers routinely check a potential employee’s driving record – and won’t hire you if you’ve got drunk driving convictions on your record. Credit checks for everything from a new mortgage to buying a flat-screen TV may potentially bring up your black mark DUI conviction. Depending on your social stature, whether you are or hope to run for any public office or have occasion to be in the limelight in the media, the stigma of drunk driving arrest and conviction will certainly not be good for your reputation. It doesn’t matter if you are the president of the PTA or the president of a Fortune 500 company – if you’re a convicted drunk driver, things are going to be tough for you.

Better to prevent future disaster by waking up to the dangers of drinking and driving drunk. Better yet, do something about it now.

Be Proactive and Get Treatment

In the past, some attorneys recommended that their DUI clients get themselves into treatment even before their sentencing. Whether or not that still holds true is irrelevant as far as doing what’s right for you. Certainly the courts will look more favorably on an individual who takes the initiative and gets himself or herself into treatment, but that’s not as important as what it means for you.

Recognition and acceptance that you have a problem is the first step toward your recovery. And, make no mistake about it. You will need to recover from your misstep with alcohol. We’re talking about real recovery, not escaping the consequences of your actions. No, you will have to take your lumps, regardless of whether or not you believe you were unfairly targeted, you were just barely over the illegal BAC limit, or any other reason. In fact, ditch those excuses right now. It’s time to get proactive.

The easiest way to start is to go online and thoroughly read through everything on the Alcoholics Anonymous website. You can find locations of meetings in your city, or attend meetings online or by telephone. Order literature or download pamphlets online. Basically, this is your introduction to what it means to be an alcoholic. There are informational pages, advice pages, stories from members pages, and plenty of resources and links.

You may also wish to do a proactive search for treatment for alcohol addiction by going to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) Treatment Facility Locator. This is a searchable directory of more than 11,000 drug and alcohol treatment programs showing the locations of facilities around the country. Use the map to find facilities in your state or use the quick or detailed search. There are also FAQs, links to state substance abuse agencies, and much more useful information.
Also check out the information on alcohol from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and spend some time on the website researching other useful information on the harmful effects of alcoholic substances, alone or in combination with other drugs.

Getting Help

Don’t let the fact that you’ve gotten a DUI deter you from getting the help you need. If you think you need treatment, by all means look into getting it. Check out some of the facilities you identified as potential treatment centers from the SAMHSA Treatment Facility Locator. Go to the websites of those treatment facilities and thoroughly examine their treatment programs. Check with your insurance provider (you can use their website to do a search on covered benefits for alcohol treatment programs) to see if such treatment will be partially paid for. Contact the treatment facility to inquire about pay-as-you-go or sliding-scale payment programs, special financing, scholarships or grants. Many facilities offer these for patients with financial need.

You Need Support

This is a difficult situation that you are in. On the one hand, you’d like nothing more than to have it all over and done with. On the other, you know that you can’t just walk away from the problem. It’s going to be with you for quite some time. Don’t let the tendency to be overcome by it prevent you from being proactive. One thing you definitely need at a time like this is support. By support, we’re not talking about financial support. The type of support you need is the understanding and encouragement of others who have been in the same type of situation – and have come through it successfully.

No, this isn’t a group of DUI offenders who got off Scott-free. Support here refers to individuals who have come together to help others in similar situations – as well as themselves. These fellowships are the 12-step groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous previously mentioned. There are numerous others, including those for various addictions. What they all have in common is a genuine commitment to sobriety, and to helping others abstain from chemical substances or other addictive behaviors (gambling, sexual compulsion, etc.).

You also need the support of your friends and family members as you go through the period of getting a handle on your life and entering into treatment and recovery. This is true whether or not your problem with alcohol is such that you are clinically diagnosable as an alcoholic. Don’t forget that your DUI incident affects more than just you. Everyone in your immediate family is also affected, along with your close friends (with whom you may have been drinking), your employer (who has to deal with your absences) and co-workers (who may have to pick up the slack from your not being able to attend to your responsibilities).

Getting a DUI isn’t a mark of distinction, or a sign of being macho, or a reflection on your character. You slipped up – big time. But you can recover from this and become a stronger person because of it. The old adage about learning from your mistakes holds true here. While alcoholism is a disease (again, it’s vitally important to note that it is treatable), problems with alcohol affect millions of people. When a person drinks and drives drunk, it’s a sign that something has gone drastically wrong. At the very least, it’s a serious mistake in judgment. At the worst, it could mark the beginning of a downward spiral that ends in long-term incarceration, debilitating and potentially fatal health problems, loss of family, financial ruin, legal and social consequences.

The best advice anyone can offer you in this situation is to accept what has happened, vow to do whatever it takes to overcome your problem with alcohol, and take the necessary steps to move forward with your life. Let this DUI be your wake-up call – the one that may save your life and the lives of others.

So far, the Lawyer Assistance Program sounds like a pretty good deal. Instead of suffering the full and undiluted consequences of the Bar’s powerful disciplinary process, attorneys may be able to avoid punishment, perhaps entirely, by entering a treatment center or program. The same concept underlies California’s general drug diversion program which, presumably, reduces jail populations by sending addicts for treatment rather than to jail.

Based on the assumption that 20% of all active attorneys are addicted to drugs or alcohol, which is widely accepted in the scientific community, California has approximately 35,000 attorney addicts. And that’s not all. Based on a study that showed a 26% mental illness rate among attorneys, there should be almost 50,000 attorneys seeking treatment for mental illness (although these populations largely suffer from both substance abuse and mental illness). However in 2008, only .4% of California’s attorneys participated in the program. Of that number, only 25% entered voluntarily (i.e. not already under a disciplinary proceeding or investigation). Sadly, what looks good on paper for substance abuse treatment often does not work in reality.

Perhaps participation is low due to the fact that those behaviors and personality traits that are common among some attorneys, such as aggression and perfectionism, also foster denial and inhibit the ability to admit there their is a substance abuse problem. Also, the stigma associated with drug or alcohol abuse could ruin or impair an attorney’s career. However, perhaps the main reason attorneys do not seek treatment for alcoholism or drug addiction is that they cannot afford to.

Administration for the LAP is costly, especially since staff therapists and counselors work directly for the Bar. The cost of administering the program comes from State Bar dues – $10 from each of California’s roughly 170,000 active members. But those fees do not cover the cost of enrolling in a treatment center, attending professional counseling sessions, drug testing, or professional evaluations.

Each attorney must pay for the costs associated with participating in the program, including the cost of enrolling at an addiction treatment center. Although financial aid is available to those who cannot afford the cost of treatment via low-interest loans, the maximum amount one can borrow is fairly low relative to the cost of treatment. Last year, twenty percent of participants took advantage of LAP’s financial assistance plan, which is offered based on income for an initial 12-month period. After a year, the availability for financial assistance for continued treatment is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. After completion of the program, participants are required to repay the loan over five years at 7% interest. If they fail to complete the program, the balance becomes due and payable immediately. By the end of 2008, the financial assistance plan had loaned out approximately $1.75 million to cover the cost of treatment center attendance and other recovery-associated items.

However, I suspect that low voluntary participation in the LAP is largely a result of the enormous financial hit an attorney would take if he or she were to suspend practicing law to enroll in a formal program at an addiction treatment center. In order to fully realize the benefit of the program, more financial assistance needs be offered not just for treatment, but also for income replacement while attending a treatment center. If that becomes a reality, we might see the number of attorneys participating in the program increase dramatically.

Millie Anne Cavanaugh, Esq. is a Los Angeles immigration lawyer and former insurance defense attorney licensed to practice law in California and Massachusetts. The information contained herein is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as a solicitation for your business or as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of this information without seeking independent legal advice.