Occasionally I’ll see an article or news report concerning celebrities treating at high-end drug and alcohol treatment facilities. Typically, the facility is located in the hills of Malibu and the overall theme of the report focuses on the spa-like atmosphere rather than the quality of treatment.

What concerns me is the press’ attention to any drama surrounding a drug intervention or alcohol intervention, the elegant location of the treatment facility, price, amenities, and past celebrity clientele instead of the treatment itself.

Yes, thirty days treatment at some of the high-end facilities will cost more than most people earn in a year. Yes, the bedsheet thread count typically exceeds 200 and you won’t find bologna sandwiches being offered for lunch.

But what about treatment itself? What is left out of the stories is any reference to the rigorous treatment schedule offered to each patient in an effort to rehabilitate the mind, body and spirit. The reports generally fail to include any information concerning the competency level of the treatment staff. The focus of attention seems to be on whether or not the celebrity enjoys an ocean view while treating.

Having personal experience from treating at a high end facility, and through my experience as an interventionist with many contacts at high end facilities, I can report that most of these facilities have brought together some of the most highly trained and experienced physicians, therapists, and counselors in the nation to insure that each patient is offered the best available treatment to restore the patients back to sanity and to help them beat the disease into remission.

The bottom line. The high-end facilities are typically very comfortable places to do some very uncomfortable work. Whether a person pays over 30 thousand a month for treatment or is relegated to county funded free treatment, the important thing to remember is the similarities of the disease. Cunning, baffling, powerful and deadly. Addiction does not discriminate. Who you are, where you live and what you drive makes no difference when it comes to this disease. We are all in the same boat. The same deadly principles of addiction are in effect and are treated accordingly.

For more information regarding alcohol interventions, visit www.stevenlodgeinterventions.com or call 310 392 1201.