Rapper Coolio has Pleaded Guilty in Los Angeles to Felony Cocaine Possession

"Rapper Coolio has pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to felony cocaine possession in a deal that requires him to spend 18 months in rehab. District attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison says the 45-year-old rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, entered his plea Friday in Superior Court. Coolio was arrested March 6 at Los Angeles International Airport. He allegedly grabbed a screener's arm to prevent a search of his luggage. As part of the plea deal, misdemeanor charges of battery and possession of a smoking device were dismissed. A judge ordered Coolio to enter an 18-month drug rehabilitation program. He can request the judge dismiss his case if he successfully completes the program. He's due back in court Sept. 28 for a report on his progress." ---Associated Press, June 26, 2009.

This is a familiar story, very similar to many stars who have gotten caught up with drugs. Robert Downey, Jr. is a person who was ordered to drug and alcohol treatment over and over. But, unfortunately he continued to relapse and could never seem to get it. Prison was the only thing that made him realize that he needed to change his ways.

Recovery has to be something that you want and until you are truly ready to recover success will be impossible. No one can force you to change your life, changing one's life starts with the individual. On the other side though, every now and then, people who are forced into treatment come to realize that they want more out of their lives. They come to realize that there is a better way to live and it is never to late to change their life.

I will be following Coolio's story to see how residential treatment works out for him. I hope that he can find what so many others have found in drug and alcohol treatment...the will to live!

David Sheff's "Beautiful Boy" and Nic Sheff's "Tweak" Books On Addiction

David Sheff's "Beautiful Boy" and Nic Sheff's "Tweak" books on addiction, compliment each other in a revolutionary way. "Beautiful Boy" is a father's take on his son's addiction to Heroin and Methamphetamine, whereas "Tweak" is Nic Sheff's autobiography about his own struggles. Both sides of the gun, you might say, are revealed from the view of two amazing writers!

In October of 2008 I had the opportunity to hear David and Nic speak about their books. Naturally, I was very excited about this opportunity; having read their books and felt their pain, both emotional and physical, I wanted to see where they stood now. I showed up a little bit early, and to my surprise the two of them were sitting outside the bookstore talking. I walked up and introduced myself and we started talking, I had the occasion to look them both in their eyes; it was an emotional experience to say the least. After we finished talking, it was time for them to begin their talk about their books.

Each of them spoke for about a half hour about their own book and then they fielded questions. I had no questions for them as I already had the opportunity to meet them privately. With every word that they spoke I could see and feel the pain in Nic's eyes. It was as if Nic were reliving his nightmare over and over at each book-signing/reading event that they did around the country. I do not believe that David knew how painful his words were for Nic; it wasn't how David spoke or what David said that I think affected Nic, rather it was the fact the Nic would never be able to move forward, that he would have to fight his demons forever.

I'm not a doctor, but I know that what I saw was not healthy! Deep down inside I had the feeling that as long as Nic continued doing book tours he would be drawn back to the drugs. An addict and the parents of the addict have to find a way to move forward with their lives, at first talking about the experience with each other is a healthy way to recover. But, at a certain point families need to move on and start a new chapter in their lives. I wish both David and Nic the best and I hope that together they can find a way to grow together and not apart.

The connection that families make in their journey towards recovery is ever so crucial for success. Family Programs are perhaps the most intricate part in a successful recovery. Once again I encourage anyone to read "Beautiful Boy" and "Tweak", and may they do for you what they did for me.

"Beautiful Boy" A Father's Struggle With His Son's Addiction.

"Beautiful Boy" is a real life account of a father's struggle with his son's addiction. It is by no means a how-to book on dealing with a child who has been caught in the grips of addiction; rather, David Sheff shared his experience so he could better understand the process of his son's addiction and possibly it would help other people in similar situations. He makes it clear that his way may not have been the best and at no time was it easy. There are many accounts of an individual's addiction; but, for whatever reason there are not that many accounts from parents. Maybe it is too hard for most families to relive chaos by putting it on paper, or perhaps words cannot describe the hell they had to endure over and over.

There are choices we make at a very young age that can forever alter the path we move along; decisions, which on the surface appear to be small and insignificant, but actually are the first steps on a hard road of chaos, pain, and destruction. I think as human beings it is natural to envision a life of happiness, one overflowing with achievement and respect. Nobody wakes up one day and says, "I want to be a failure, I want to be the source of pain for every person that walks into my life". Furthermore, it is impossible for a child to foresee terrible and unforgettable turning points in their life; traumatic events like divorce, disease, and death are the last thing on a child's mind. Sadly events like those happen, turning children upside down with nothing to hold on to.

Nicholas Sheff was one of those children, a child barely aware of the odds of existence; faced with his parents' divorce, his father's philandering, and the death of particular role models. Nic was a child whose brilliance was off the charts; a writer, musician, and an athlete who excelled at what ever he put his mind to.

Underneath his exterior exists a world of sorrow, his mind drowning in isolation and existential thoughts; his family was completely unaware of what was taking place inside of Nic, until it was too late. At the age of twelve Nic's addictive gene became triggered by alcohol, while on a family trip to Lake Tahoe. That was the point when he began climbing down the ladder of drugs, with the first rung being pot. He slowly graduated to Methamphetamine and Heroin; drugs became "the pinnacle of his existence", a full time job with the potential for early retirement.

There is no right way of looking at things when dealing with any kind of -ism, especially when it is your own child. A parent wants nothing but the best for their children; they want to shield them from all external nightmares that live around every corner. Unfortunately, it is the internal nightmares that can cause the most heartache; there are not any kinds of markers or red flags that can signal a parent and warn them that their child has the disease of alcoholism or drug addiction. Most parents believe that using drugs and alcohol is choice, and if someone cannot stop they are lacking will power. This mind set only makes things worse and further alienates a child who already feels inadequate and different than their peers.

"Beautiful Boy" deals with the different stages a parent goes through when they find out the news that their child has a problem. David Sheff went to any length to investigate the nature of Methamphetamine (Nic's drug of choice). A parent will look at a loved one's addiction and make it their own. They ask them self "if only" or "why" did this happen to me; the more they ask the questions the further they get from the answer. After countless nights of not knowing where your child is, whether they are alive or dead, and countless treatment facilities and overdoses; David came to the realization that "our children will live or die without us", that other peoples fates are out of your hands.

"So many times in the past decade I made mistakes out of ignorance, hope, or fear. I've tried to recount all as and when they happened, in the hope that readers will recognize a wrong path before they take it. If they don't, however, I hope they may realize that this is a path that they can't blame themselves for having taken." -David Sheff-

The family dynamic of addiction is powerful. Whiteside Manor 'believes that family involvement in substance abuse treatment is crucial for recovery; therefore, Whiteside Manor has developed a family program to meet these needs. The goal of our Family Program is to introduce participants to the principles of recovery along with providing necessary social and emotional support. It also assists the client and family members in understanding the complicated disease of addiction and its impact on the family.'

I encourage you to read David Sheff's "Beautiful Boy", inquire about Whiteside Manor's Family Program and let me know what you think.

Southern California Drug Alcoholism Treatment Center

Southern California Drug and Alcoholism Treatment Center Whiteside Manor is happy to announce the creation of our blog. In keeping with our Mission Statement, we believe our blog will be a helpful service to our recovering clients and their families. Since 1972, Whiteside Manor has been offering help for anyone whose lives are impacted by the disease process of addiction and alcoholism. Moving forward our blog will offer topical information about addiction and recovery and we hope you will be a frequent reader and commenter. Stay tuned for insightful and engaging topics that we can have a conversation about!


Whiteside Manor Mission Statement
Our addiction treatment mission is to rebuild lives, restore families and improve communities. This is accomplished by providing quality, individualized and comprehensive addiction treatment for those experiencing problems with alcohol, drugs and associated mental illnesses. We are committed to excellence in the delivery of care and services to our recovering clients and their families.

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