Celebrity addiction has become so common in this country, it no longer makes front page news. At times it can feel like we read about a new celebrity either coming down with or fessing up to a substance abuse problem every other day. Dr. Drew Pinsky is a board certified internist and addiction treatment specialist who rose to fame on syndicated radio show Love Line. He's said to have become frustrated with the glamorous and extravagant light celebrities afflicted with drug and alcohol problems were being painted with in the media, and he wanted to create a television show that exposed the real side of celebrity addiction, complete with interventions, withdrawals and even overdoses. Whether you are a fan of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew or not, it cannot be denied that this television show did help thrust several real life, horrific examples of what addiction can actually do to an individual into millions of households in this country who may not have otherwise seen one.

While the Celebrity Rehab team has aired a few seasons, the most recent episodes airing now are some of the most interesting views of celebrity addiction. The multi-part mini season called Celebrity Rehab Revisited is checking in with previous participants of the show, two, three and four years later to see where they are presently in their recovery. The results are of course across the board, many of whom have struggled with relapse, several who are back using currently, a few sobriety success stories and sadly more than one death as well. You candidly hear the recovering addicts discuss how staying sober is still a struggle every single day but how grateful they are for treatment which gave them a second chance at life.

What was so groundbreaking about this show was its determination to pull the veil off of celebrity addiction as the producers were committed to showing how drug and alcohol abuse had without hesitation veered each and every one of their once bright futures off track and into despair. While tabloids were continuing to showcase substance abuse as the exciting extracurricular activities of the rich and famous, Celebrity Rehab was exposing the masses to the links between sexual abuse and addiction as well as how several of these former stars were able to squander away hundreds of thousands of dollars on drugs in a matter of months.

While some addiction treatment specialists have criticized the show's treatment methods, others have applauded it for removing some of the social stigma the general public has towards addiction. Whether you are a man or a woman, rich or poor, homebody or celebrity, addiction is something that affects all of our lives, directly or indirectly.