Promises Treatment Center CEO's insights on Redmond O'Neal's addiction and rehabilitation problems

The unfortunate story of Redmond O'Neal continues to make headlines. He has been an admitted addict since he was a teen and has had multiple drug arrests. He recently appeared in court for a status hearing on his latest stint in rehab.

Dr. David Sack, addiction guru and CEO of the world famous Promises Treatment Center, weighs in on O'Neal's problems with addiction and rehabilitation. He believes that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Redmond.

According to Dr. Sack…

Redmond O'Neal is like so many people who start treatment for drug dependency. Two steps forward, one step back. Or maybe one step forward, two steps back. But it would be a mistake to think that this means he won't overcome his addiction. Many people believe that the only way a person can get sober is if they really want to change. These same people don't believe that ordering someone to treatment can make a difference. They are wrong on both accounts.

Extensive research shows that people who are ordered into treatment through the legal system do as well as those who seek treatment on their own. The external pressure of a legal involvement tends to encourage people to stay in treatment longer and actually reduces the risk of suicide, the leading cause of death among drug and alcohol abusers. Why is this so?

First, voluntary treatment isn't so voluntary. Nearly all people who seek treatment for dependencies are facing crises. They don't just wake up one morning, look out their window and think, "Gee, this is a good day to get sober." They are usually being confronted by serious consequences related to their drug use. Health consequences such as heart attack, stroke or bleeding ulcer, termination at work for inappropriate behavior, missed deadlines, aggression, divorce due to spousal abuse, infidelity or abandonment, are but a few of the crises that bring people into treatment every day.

And importantly, the decision to engage in treatment for most people, does not occur in a single moment or action, but through a back and forth process, as the individual weighs their consequences and fears against the urge to get high. The ability to stop depends on a person realizing that there are things about their life that will be better if they stop using.