Hollywood's lost souls soon feel at home with their own private suites, health spa and personal chef to cook up a healthy treat whenever they fancy it. “ There's dietary needs and there's vegans and there's non-vegans and no dairy and you kind of have to be ready to do anything at any moment's notice,” says Chris Wilson, Wonderland's executive chef.
Lindsay left Wonderland after completing a month long programme and even attended AA meetings to maintain her clean lifestyle. But that wasn't the end of her rehab journey. Lindsay hit headlines again in May when she smashed up her car after reportedly driving under the influence of cocaine- she was then hauled off to Promises, another celebrity filled rehab.
According to the centres website, Promises is “Tucked into the Santa Monica Mountains with a gorgeous panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.” and “offers an unparalleled recovery experience.”
“Our Malibu facility offers uncommon luxury and is the rehab facility of choice for business executives, professionals, celebrities, government officials and anyone wanting the finest rehab program in the world.”
Promises has centres in Malibu and West LA and offers a wide range of treatments including 24-hour detox coordination and facilitation, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and art and drama classes. This is the centre Britney Spears checked into after her famous head shaving inccident.
Another member of the Promises alumni is Kelly Osbourne. In 2004 Kelly was caught buying drugs by a British tabloid. Although no charges were made, her brother Jack intervened and drove his sister to Malibu to start a programme at the centre.
Rehab isn't all about drugs and alcohol. In the case of Mary Kate Olsen it was an eating disorder that led to her stint inside the Cirque Lodge centre in Utah.
Mary Kate and Twin sister Ashley were stars from a very young age but a couple of years ago they decided they were through with being just 'cute' little girls but Mary Kate seemed to take things a little too far. In 2004, pictures of the teen suggested her waif-like bony figure had been the result if extreme dieting and later that year she checked into rehab.
Cirque Lodge is also the centre which Lindsay Lohan is currently a resident for her third rehab stay this year. The lodge is set in the stunning surroundings of the Sundance mountains in Utah and is described as a 'world class' facility. Rooms at the centre can either be private, or shared, depending on the needs and desires of residents. The bedrooms feature cosy down duvets and pillows, reading and relaxation areas, fireplaces or wood-burning stoves, and large bathrooms with slate tile and jetted tubs.
Other rooms in the lodge include the central living room with comfortable couches and chairs. Also a dining room with large windows providing spectacular views of the Sundance resort and the surrounding mountains. There are individual drug rehab counselling rooms, group rooms, an exercise room, and a circular meditation room on the top floor.
But it's not all fun and games in the Utah mountains. Cirque Lodge also provides individual counselling, group therapy, extensive education, 12 step programming as well as hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ropes course and other experiential activities.
Another popular rehab set in the middle of nowhere is Sierra Tucson in the heart of the Arizona desert. This is where Nicole Richie was treated for her teenage addiction to drink and heroin.
“The desert is a healing place and our philosophy was and is to get people out of their environment,” says Keith Arnold, chief executive of Sierra Tucson. “What you see with celebrities is they get there and other patients are impressed and very quickly within a matter of days they're just an addict.”
“Sierra Tucson offers a full continuum of treatment services from the medical aspects of what we have to cognitive behavioural therapy, shiatsu massage and tai chi.”
The centre also pioneered a specialised treatment called Equine Assisted Therapy. Patients on this programme interact with horses and the animals intuitively pick up feelings from the addict which help therapists identify underlying issues.
“Horses don't think in terms of right and wrong or bad and good. They simply think in terms of what's safe and what's not safe,” says Susan O'Day, the Equine Specialist at the centre.
So does rehab really work? With an increasing number of celebrities heading in and out of centres whenever they get caught up to no good we need to question whether it is just for the publicity and an easier ride in court.
“Part of the purpose of rehab unfortunately for many celebrities is the reverse public perception,” says Joe Levy, executive editor of Rolling Stone.
But singer and ex rehab resident Erin Hamilton believes this isn't always such a bad thing: “I don't care how you get into rehab- even if it was a PR move- something is clicking in them and they're thinking maybe their behaviour is outrageous, great.”
As Lindsay Lohan endures her third attempt at rehab in one year and Britney Spears heads closer to the edge we need to ask are these luxurious, expensive, glamourised holiday centres really the last hope for our teen stars?
To let us know what you think click here
For more exclusive insights into the world of celebrity rehab check out E! Entertainment's 'Out of Control: 10 Celebrity Rehabs Exposed' which premieres on Sunday 14th October at 8pm only on E! Entertainment Television (Sky: 152/ Virgin Media: 173).
Caz Moss- Female First
my blog