Several days ago, Dr. Drew Pinsky was talking about Lindsay Lohan’s cracked-out shenanigans on his Facebook page (in comments later reprinted by Radar). Dr. Drew commented: “If she were my daughter, I would pack her car full with illegal substances, send her on her way, call the police, and make sure she was arrested. I would make sure she was not allowed to get out of jail. I would then go to the judge and make sure she was ordered to a minimum of a three year sobriety program.” Dr. Drew later added to Radar: “I absolutely wish no harm to her, but I just have a feeling that something awful is going to happen to her, like she is going to lose a limb. I hope Lindsay gets help before something terrible happens. I have said this many times before, I believe that Lindsay will make a wonderful sober person, someday, if she survives this.”
Totally harsh, right? Like, it’s one thing for all of us out here in the cheap seats to comment on Lindsay’s cracked out shenanigans and puffy vampirism, but it’s quite another when a licensed psychiatrist (or whatever he is, I don’t feel like looking it up) is all “You should get a bunch of cocaine and meth and put it in her car, and hopefully the po-po will taser the f-ck out of her and send her cracked-out ass to jail.” And beyond that, it’s a horrible plan. What if Lindsay was the one to get to her car before the po-po? She would just smoke, snort, inject whatever she “found” and there would be no evidence for the cops to process. Bad plan, Dr. Drew!
Anyway, people are totally enraged about this whole thing, including our beloved crackhead. The Milkaholic ran to Gossip Cop (via OK Magazine) to call out Dr. Drew on his bullsh-t. Note something weird: I completely agree with Lindsay‘s assessment of Dr. Drew. Lindsay said: “He’s a quack and a sell-out… Please tell him to stop! I’m fine I don’t get what’s wrong with people.” Slow clap for Lindsay.
Lindsay’s not the only one whose pissed. HuffPo is now running a piece about how everyone on Facebook was freaking about Dr. Drew’s comments:
Celebrity addiction specialist Drew Pinsky — who goes by Dr. Drew — is taking an online beating for suggesting that the best way to deal with Lindsay Lohan’s drug problem is to “pack her car full with illegal substances” and then call the police.
Dr. Drew’s Facebook page was quickly lit up with criticism following the publication by Radar of his comments. Framing Lohan would itself be a crime and, critics of Dr. Drew are pointing out, would put her at risk of being beaten or shot by the cops.
“If she were my daughter, I would pack her car full with illegal substances, send her on her way, call the police, and make sure she was arrested,” prescribed Dr. Drew. “I would make sure she was not allowed to get out of jail. I would then go to the judge and make sure she was ordered to a minimum of a three year sobriety program.”
Dr. Drew, who hosts a celebrity recovery show and gives professional advice, apparently lives in a world where people found with a “car full with illegal substances” are able to ask the judge to be sent to rehab for three years, instead of prison, and not have their request laughed out of court.
Blogger Scott Morgan at the Drug War Chronicle was among the first to lash out at, arguing that “when you sell Beverly Hills addiction therapy as pop-culture entertainment media, you forget that those same rules don’t apply in Ohio and any parent taking Dr. Drew’s reckless advice is putting their family in the drug war’s deadly crossfire.”
Dr. Drew’s Facebook fans didn’t appreciate the suggestion. A sample of the responses:
Katharanie Celantano: “Dr. Drew, I’ve had several friends die of addiction. I’ve also watched friends struggle to get treatment and have their efforts thwarted by the criminal justice system. These have been some of the most difficult experiences of my life, and it pains me to hear that someone of your influence would say something so destru…ctive and misguided. I know how ugly addiction is, and that is why your words break my heart. Just because my medical challenges do not involve illegal substances, I go to the doctor when I’m sick. And because some of the medical challenges of my friends do involve illegal substances, they don’t get to go to the doctor – they end up incarcerated. And let me tell you – I’ve seen with my own eyes that PTSD just makes a bad situation worse.”
Tom Wytiaz: “Dr Drew, you have to do better. Doctors are supposed to do no harm. You should be advocating for drug law reform and harm reduction, not horrific police tactics and coercive treatment.”
Julia Peterson: “Dr. Drew, you should do a little research about how our criminal justice system treats addicts before you suggest to their families to have them arrested. Only 11% of prisoners with addiction problems get treatment in prison. Besides, prison can be more damaging to a person than an addiction….Prison is not the right solution for addiction.”
[From Huffington Post]
Yeah, I think Dr. Drew is a quack. As CB says, “He’s the Gloria Allred of doctors.” Or, as I say, “What Dr. Drew is to medicine, Lindsay Lohan is to acting.” He shouldn’t have suggested anything like this – although it’s the kind of dumb plan most of us would have hatched, right? I mean, I’ve often thought, “Damn, maybe jail is the only thing that could get Blohan clean.” But I’m not a doctor, and I don’t pretend to be an addiction specialist for money. I just dish out common sense on crackheads on a gossip blog.
I don’t like him. I never have. “Sell-out” is the most polite thing I can think of to call him. He’s also as vain as they come and as full of himself as he can be. And as full of shit as a Christmas goose, to quote my grandma.
Does Blohan need help? Well, DUH! But not that way. Will she get it? Probably not.
Addicts can be forced into rehab, but they can’t be forced to clean up. That’s something that they’ve got to decide to do on their own. Shouldn’t an addiction specialist, of all people, know this?
I just dish out common sense on crackheads on a gossip blog.
ha. love. it.
The only reason I would like to see crackhead Lindsey get help is because if she were to O.D., or become a permanent vegetable from drugs, we would NEVER hear the end of it- it would be “societies shame” that we failed her and she would become some kind of martyred icon. Personally I think she’s a worthless blight on society, but I blame her lovely parents for that.
Frame her? Maybe the cops should arrest her for the things she’s already done on her own, like violate probation, skipping court dates, depositions, & her “alcohol awareness” classes. I don’t know WTF they do in CA, but in NJ, if you get a DUI, you have mandatory AA meetings & have to get papers signed at the meeting to prove you were there.
She will never get sober until she wants to be…and who knows if that will ever happen?
Sometimes I like Dr. Drew and sometimes I don’t, but I gotta say he’s totally right about this one. Unless it’s something serious, like a 3-pound ziplock freezer bag full of coke under the passenger’s seat, Blowhan is going to keep skating juuuust under the hand of the law. She gets away with SO MUCH SHIT just because she’s a big name. And she needs to be in jail or in a straightjacket NOW.
@ dread pirate:
In Hollyweird, I guess different rules really do apply (as long as you’re semi-famous and not that tranny prostitute who deals on the corner). But in the rest of CA, it’s different: I knew a person who got a DUI and she lost her license for 3 years, had to go to mandatory classes, meetings, and pay an astronomical fine.
I think this is just his way of being like ‘WTF’ to Lindsey’s parents.
Why didn’t he do this to Seth “Shifty” Bitzer (?) instead of letting him return to Celebrity Rehab Sober House for the upteenth time? He’s entitled to his opinion no matter how harsh.
He’s disgusting. Who has he really helped in all of his quacking? Anyone I’ve heard of that he’s dealt with still uses.
No, Lohan isn’t okay, but until she wants to get sober, nothing much can be done about her. People can still try to talk to her and get her help, but she’s the one who has to accept it.
Considering he just advocated participating in a crime, perhaps the cops need to look more closely at him. Just what has he been doing lately, and have any of the people he’s “helping” been arrested with drugs in their cars? They might want to double-check if so.
Excellent point Lisa. And Lohan’s already been through rehab at least 2 or 3 times – it’s not working for her because SHE doesn’t see a problem.
Once again with Drew, I see his point and in a way he’s probably right, but he crosses the line, has no business saying this, and if he still does have a medical license, maybe it’s time someone put that up for review to make him remember the limits of that.
What an idiot… self-serving publicity seeking stunt. He probably votes for Kate Gosselin on DWTS too. Moron.
I have been wondering what month Lindsay will check out, will she even make it thru the summer?
Oh for Christ’s sakes –> “Dr. Drew’s reckless advice is putting their family in the drug war’s deadly crossfire.”
C’mon!! This was not his literal plan – he was joking the way we all joke. ON HIS FACEBOOK, no less. This wasn’t “Dr. Drew” speaking, this was Drew, joking to his friends.
Secondly, Dr. Drew may in fact be a sell-out (I’m coming to that realization) but by NO means is he a quack. If you did a little googling about the begginings of his career/schooling you would find all of the amazing work he has put into his career. He was hesitant to do Celeb Rehab for a long time, and of course he has said he recogonizes the dichotomy of the show (help/ but also ratings etc.).
I wish on the one hand he would have never done it (or continue to do it) if he had such misgivings in the first place, but I must say, coming from a person who was deeply entrenched in the addiction cycle during the first airing of celeb rehab/sober house that show actually did help me. Having access to a real addicition specialist’s advice/analogies/ etc. and seeing myself mirrored in these pathetic individuals was one component towards me finally being ready to get real help.
If you’re going to comment on this, please don’t tear my personal story apart. I’m talking as one person for myself – not for anyone else. I’m just saying, there may be benefits to what he’s doing (which is what dr. drew has said is the benefit of the show).
He’s right-but it’s very unP.C. for him to say so. She’s gotten away with tons of drug and alcohol related incidents, the city allows her to blow off court appearances, and walks around whacked out of her mind. If she were my kid I’d handcuff her to her bed for two weeks while she detoxed. Its worth a try-I’ve watched enough Interventions to know who hard it can be to get addicts clean. It might be child abuse to lock her to her bed, but its also child abuse to sit back and watch your child slowly die.
I see nothing wrong with what he said. Maybe he should have worded it differently. But the point he was trying to make was, drastic measures will have to be taken to get LL help. She needs help no matter what the cost.It’s that simple. Her parent are taking no action at all to help this girl nor the people around her. Her mother is the worst because of her denial of the problem that exist. And her dad is going about helping her the wrong way. When’s she’s dead, people will say Dr. Drew was right. Help, whatever it takes.
“I’m fine” – they can write that in her eulogy.
Why does he think that would work? She’s been in trouble with the law plenty of times, and she always walks away with no consequences. (See: this week’s “deposition”)
I don’t know what would make Lindsay decide to change. I don’t think arrest is likely to be the answer. Maybe once she believes she’s losing her looks… she obviously is, but I don’t think she acknowledges it. She seems shallow enough for that to work. Or when enough clubs stop letting her in, maybe.
LiLo is most certainly not ‘fine’. But I have to agree that Dr Drew is wrong on this, and I am no lawyer but isn’t his ‘idea’ criminal to begin with? How can you teach a person to live within the law by breaking one? She needs rehab, but not at one of those shi shi hollywood pansey a** places that are more like a spa, she needs to go to Hazelden or something like that. She needs to go to somewhere that will get both her addiction and her attitude adjusted.
Dr. Drew is as much of a fame-whore as Lindsay Lohan. Compromising his patient’s recovery by putting their supposed-to-be anonymous treatment on television and unethically trying to diagnose people after 30 seconds on the telephone with him. He seriously needs to get over himself and clearly needs to take some of his own advice.
Dr. Drew has his favorites that he will do anything for.
On another note, I totally think he is hott!
Lisa: I completely agree with you!!! But, Dr. Drew is a CELEBRITY, not a “real” doctor… well, yes he is, but he’s gotten TOO Hollywood, ya know what I mean? Now he just pontificates on all the people that SHOULD do this and SHOULD do that, but I don’t think he even holds down a normal practice anymore. So, he’s no better than the people he bitches about. In my unsolicited opinion.
I gather that Dr. Drew was most likely being facetious in his Facebook post. I don’t have a problem with that, seeing how Lohan is a walking punchline to begin with.
The problem I see is that Dr. Drew is promoting himself as an expert – an authority figure on addiction. And what was meant as macabre sarcasm on Facebook, could be taken as truth to some idiot in Bumblef*ck, USA.
I know Dr. Drew probably wouldn’t be held legally responsible if some scared sh*tless mama takes his Hollywoodified “advice” and ends up sending her baby to jail – but I feel that in some way he’d be morally responsible.
Addiction is a very, very ugly beast. The addict isn’t the only the only one who gets desperate.
I think there should be a way of forcing someone into rehab that doesn’t also involve getting them arrested for a felony.
I don’t wish for anything bad to happen to Lohan or anyone else, but I’ll be surprised if she lives much longer.
Somebody should report this guy to his state licensing board. That’s the most unprofessional comment I ever read in my life.
He’s an absolute idiot but I do hope that LiLo gets clean and gets her life back on track.
I don’t know who is worse these days- Amy Winehouse or Lindsay. 🙁
Come on you guys, don’t be so hard on him. First of all, it’s on Facebook, not a scholarly journal. Second, he starts by saying “IF SHE WERE MY DAUGHTER”, so he’s speaking as a parent, what he would do. He’s not giving medical advice.
I can relate to his comment because I have teenage daughters, one of whom is with an opiate addict, and I don’t know what to do about it. I am completely helpless to get her out of that relationship, and the thought has crossed my mind to report him to the police. The reason I haven’t is because she could get in trouble and/or she would find out I did it and never forgive me or speak to me again.
When it’s your daughter, and you are powerless, it’s harder than when you are sitting on the sidelines, being judgmental.
Again….a celebrity’s comments are taken out of context.
Dr. Drew is right. When you deal with an addict, you have to ‘take the bull by the horns’ and force them to own up to their own responsibility. Even if it means through extreme measures.
While his response didn’t allow him complete immunity from misinterpretation, I can see how some parents would become so desperate to save a child.
If Dr. Drew did the same thing with this daughter, I would have nothing but confidence that he did it for pure love and guidance – not recklessness and deceit.
MsTriste….
You may just have to call the police. It’s your daughter.
If she were to die of an overdose out on the streets, you would never forgive yourself. You would constantly live with the guilt reminded of only how you could have done something to save her.
Going to a group counseling session with parents of recovering addicts would certainly alert you of your legal and moral options in care of your daughter.
I hope you never have to join a group that counsels those who have lost loved ones to addiction. That is a club that no one wants to belong to.
In time, she will see you did it to save her and will respect your decision. You see her addiction. She is blinded by it.
Your dutiful actions may even bring you closer together as she realizes your attempt was only to save her from fatal
self-harm.
I think it’s really irresponsible for these Hollywood psychologists to make public diagnosis and recommendations based on what they’ve read it tabloids. They do this for Britney too. What if the person they are discussing has a contributing factor like sexual abuse that isn’t evident from the media coverage? These people should have their licenses revoked, with Dr. Drew going first.
A lot of thoughtful and well-made points in the comments section! Made me re-think my opinion as I read…
Ultimately Mollination’s comments resonated with me the most.
I do acknowledge, as many other posters pointed out, that this is speculation on our parts. I guess I feel that if LiLo had been doing ANYTHING, put out any projects that were successful in the past 4-5 years that maybe I could give her the benefit of the doubt but she just appears to be such a directionless mess….