Have You Rehabilitated Yourself?
Contributor: “Dr. J”Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.
In his famous anthem, Alice’s Restaurant, Arlo Guthrie tells the story about his adventure with the Selective Service System. Near the end of the song, he is asked the classic question, “Kid, have you rehabilitated yourself?”
It seems being rehabilitated is all the rage now-a-days. Of course, recently, Tiger Woods put rehab squarely in the public’s eye, but many others are also doing the rehab thing. Charlie Sheen and his wife, Brooke Mueller, are both in rehab for “undisclosed reasons.” Although, it is also being reported as “preventative rehab.” I’m all for prevention.
The long list of famous people in the news who have been in rehab may have first started long ago with Betty Ford. She was being treated for alcoholism, and now the center is named after her.
Have you noticed some of the names of these popular rehab centers? Tiger Woods went to the Gentle Path Rehabilitation Facility. Many of these centers have soft and kind names like that.
I thought about opening up a rehab center at one time. I envisioned having a group of people including MDs, psychologists, therapists, trainers, nutritionists, etc., all working together to help the patient/client find their way. Being from the Rambo psychiatrist school of thinking, my original name for this center was The GYST Center, as in Get Your $hit Together Center!
What Is Rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation, as related to matters of physical and emotional well being, refers to any process that seeks to restore the patient to their previous level of health. At its core, rehabilitation has the goal of assisting individuals to achieve the highest quality of life and health as possible.
Addiction rehab is a form of retraining that also is likely to involve both physical and emotional therapy as part of the rehabilitation process. This can involve helping the addict to deal with physical cravings and the emotional bonds that entwine the addict to his or her habit.
Often, centers that deal with these types of problems actively measure the progress of each patient. In addition, they do their best to provide an atmosphere that is welcoming, as well as encouraging for the client.
Rehab for Eating Disorders
In the area of health and fitness, the use of rehabilitation to treat an eating disorder can be a savior for some individuals afflicted with this condition. Though not as likely to be all over the news as Tiger Woods’ sex addiction (something, which I do not agree is an addiction in his case, by the way), eating disorders affect many more individuals, and in my opinion, cause much more damage to people’s overall lives and health. If you have this problem, it would be in your best interest to seek treatment. I’m sure you can find a kind and supportive center near your area that will help you, and I implore you to consider this option. If you are concerned about maintaining your privacy, there are many well-established centers all over the country where you can go and your anonymity would be protected. The National Eating Disorders Association is a rehab organization dedicated to providing education, resources and support to those affected by eating disorders.
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Sagan!
I’m glad that you have her also! As with many issues, it’s better to address them when we first begin to tip rather than waiting until we fall completely over :-)
How timely!
When my sister first found out that I suffer from disordered eating, she tried to convince me to “get help”. My objection was that because it’s disordered eating, rather than an outright eating DISORDER, no one would be able to help me.
Sometimes I can be really silly, evidently. I’m glad that I have my nutritionist that I discuss these things with now.
Hey John!
In my opinion, rehab is a viable option for those that can’t help themselves. I do agree that if a person does not want to escape their addiction, relapse will happen, but at least they will be clean for a while, and perhaps the rehab center can educate them enough to get them to want to be free. It may take several attempts.
I love your offbeat way of seeing things with that great sense of humor!
Hey Dr. J,
I know girls with apparent eating disorders and reasoning does not seem to work. I think part of the problem is coming to the self realization that one cannot eat junk food and candy and drink diet drinks AND maintain a healthy lifestyle. The diet drinks do not cancel out the poor meal planning.
One of my son’s used to think lunch consisted of a snickers and a coke in high school… but in his case he hardly ate anything… unhealthy to be sure but he did not put on weight.
My question about the Rehabs is what I believe to be the obvious… why not just educate yourself and transition to a better way of eating? I mean that is what most of us have to do anyway. Not that rehabs do not have their place but unless a person really buys into getting help – they will eventually relapse.
Ok – I’m probably over thinking this… on the lighter side – I blame Tiger’s issues on subliminal brainwashing… he really took those Esso commercials to heart (put a tiger in your tank). ?
Thanks Roy!
Not sure how I missed this until now, but alll well said.
Not sure how I missed this until mow, but alll well said.
Setting a good example seems to be the best course, yet everyone has to find their own path.
The GYST Center. Ha. I like that. :)
I sometimes worry about my kids developing an eating disorder at some point when they’re older (they are 8 and 10). I guess the best thing I can do is to model good, healthy eating habits.
Diane!
Perhaps with more time being normal, she will see herself clearly unless there are secondary gains that are more “important” to her.
I’m a tennis player :-)
Hey Brandon!
Life like flying always presents new challenges. Hopefully we stay up to the task.
Charlotte!
You definitely know the enemy. I wish the learning process could always be
easier for all of us.
Sahar!
We’ll keep a room with a nice view available for whenever you visit :-)
The GYST Center – love it! I may need to spend a weekend or two there. :)
Oh how I love the name of your rehab center!! You should still totally do that! As for rehab – well, I’ve done a fair amount of eating disorder therapy so hopefully I can check that one off my list for good! Although I’m discovering EDs take constant vigilance or they come sneaking back in. Crafty buggers.
Tiger doesn’t like hockey; therefore I don’t like him. :-)
addiction treatment in adults seems to be right in like with ADD treatment in teenagers and children. Everyone has a problem and therefore there must be some sort of “magic pill” or “feel-good session” that can make that person better. Whatever happened to manning up? Granted, I understand that things like drug addiction, gambling, and alcoholism, as well as eating disorders, are sometimes things that people can’t get control of on their own and need outside help. I get that. I had two alcoholic grandparents and was well on my way down that path. But I manned up and quit on my own.
People need to be responsible for their actions. In all aspects of life. Oh, and Dr. J, you’re gonna love what our current CEO said about shutting our airline down. We should be grateful that we are losing our jobs because we are helping other people succeed.
I have a family member who suffers from an eating disorder. Getting help is vital. Even after she went through counseling she still considers herself an anexoric in treatment. It’s sad.
Tiger Woods annoys me.
Jody!
Thank you! I often remind myself to GYST :-)
POD!
I think that at this point, Tiger may have what is termed a Borderline personality disorder with narcissistic tendencies. Not a minor problem by any means, and very difficult to treat.
I guess I’ll be “away” for awhile. (rehabbing)
I’m a bit curious about the sex addiction issue raised though, and whether or not a male *could* (or would) ever consider having sex with multiple partners, causing tremendous suffering to his relationship with his family, not to mention sponsors and millions of dollars in future earnings, a sex addiction or would they just chalk this kind of ‘behavior’ off as lust or typical poor judgement?
What is the kind of ‘sleeping around’ that Tiger Woods did called if not an addiction or do you think all his cronies decided to say he was addicted to sex to CYA?
Great post DR. J. There are a lot of eating addictions & disorders out there & important to get help! Although I do love your center name: Get Your $hit Together Center. Now that is where many of these celebrities & stars need to go cause most of them or full of shit!
Thx for a good read & putting it all in perspective!!
PS: Lots of posts in a few days for you! You must have had a build up being gone so long! :-)