Rehab and relapse . . .

Again, another new television series focusing on the problems of addiction. This time it features celebrities—some well-known names, others lesser known.

VH1 will begin airing “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Pinsky” this coming Thursday and it may be helpful in educating the public about addiction as a life-long struggle. During the series, actor Daniel Baldwin says he’s been in rehab at least nine times. Just like the addicts in our families.

So many people don’t understand the battle. Parents and other family members do, though.

It can be so disappointing when a loved one relapses. With relapse comes a flood of memories, some of them very painful, when our child's previous drug or alcohol use had created a crisis involving their health, the well-being of family members, or the legal system that intervened. Followed by apprehension about what will happen next.

Maybe as this new series offers insight into the pain and emotional scars of these celebrities who battle their addictions, we’ll find new insight into coping with the ups and downs our own family members face. Let me know what you think.

The show debuts at 10 p.m. Thursday, January 10, on VH1.

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