Celebrity Rehab Revisit with Leif Garrett a Fail?

Celebrity Rehab revisited some of their former patients to see how the celebrities are doing today with their sobriety. One special interest is Leif Garrett, who has been battling addiction problems to various drugs for over thirty years. Garrett met with Rachel Uchitel and Bob Forrest to check in with his progress. The results of the revisit were a bit shaky, to say the least when Garrett felt he was being attacked by the pair.

What is so interesting about the revisit is that Leif Garrett did something that he rarely, if ever, does. When Garrett has been asked in the past if he has used drugs after going through rehab or arrests, he adamantly denies it only to be found out later. Garrett made progress with the revisit show and that is a good sign. Leif admitted to using marijuana, going on a cocktail binge to prove alcohol was not his problem and to being on addictive pain medications.

He is taking pain medications, (mentioned in all fairness to Leif), because he was in a grave motorcycle accident that left him with serious injuries, including a shattered arm that is now restructured with metal. He was seen at the beginning of the visit in a wheelchair and later walking with a cane. Leif looks a bit disheveled with his curly hair poking out from his bandanna, a signature look for him that has worn out its welcome with many fans. The motorcycle accident did a lot of damage, but Leif seems to be doing well considering the situation.

Rachel and Bob were very forthcoming about their feelings in that they were worried about Leif. Leif admitted, after all, that he had used marijuana and has consumed alcohol as well. Garrett said he "dabbled" with marijuana, but dabbling for Leif would be considered heavy use for most people. The point is, Leif quit using heroin. I may regret saying this later, but I believe him and so does Bob Forrest, one of the addiction counselors and former drug addict from the Celebrity Rehab show.

If Leif truly kicked heroin, how hard should anyone be on him for using the other drugs? At the moment, he cannot be trashed because he is using pain medications prescribed by the doctor. It is legal and he is obviously in dire pain. Is it a good idea for someone with Leif's history to take such medications? Probably not, but it is likely anyone with that type of pain would also imbibe in drugs that make the pain a little easier to cope with.

As far as the marijuana and alcohol use, no, he should not be using them because it is dangerous to his sober being and could, at any given time, send him back on the downward spiral so many people have seen him on for the past thirty years. With that said, it would have been nice for fans and for Leif to have heard Uchitel or Forrest tell Leif they were proud of his progress so far before they slammed into him about his use of other drugs. A pat on the back is always nice when a person does something the right way. A drug addict who uses heroin, especially in such a large volume, for long periods of time find the odds greatly against them when trying to recover. Leif knows that better than anyone.

Ever the eternal optimist, I still believe that there is a chance for everyone to make sobriety work for them. Leif can be successful and I, for one, will believe him, once again. Has he truly learned his lesson? He is the only one that knows that and the result is between him and God. Leif can have a great influence on the people who have watched his rise and fall lo these many years. The better thought is that he can have a tremendous influence and be a role model for teenagers worldwide that life does not have to be drug or alcohol induced. If it is drug and alcohol induced, there is a way out and Leif has the power in his hands to show people that.

Leif's friends, Bob and Rachel meant well in trying to point out that his recovery was not as on track as he thought it was. The road to purgatory is paved with good intentions though. Leif was proud of being heroin free and well he should be after the wars he has been fighting with it. It would not have been a bad idea for that to be more front and center of the revisit than the fact that he admitted to using marijuana and alcohol, only making a brief mention of the problem areas. Had it been approached differently, maybe Leif would not have walked out on the revisit with the pair.

Credit is given to Bob Forrest who did meet up with Garrett at a later date. He, in effect, said that a person entering rehab with Garrett's status of "hardcore" drug use cannot be expected to walk in and instantly become sober without any type of struggle, including using some type of drug.

An online article stated that Garrett stormed out of the interview. That is a misrepresentation if ever I did see one. Garrett could not have stormed out of the process if he wanted to. He has serious injuries. He did not get belligerent, although his knickers did get in a bit of a bunch. He quietly stood up, said he was done and walked away. That is as much a part of Leif Garrett as "I was Made for Dancing" and drug addiction. It will be very difficult for him to stay in a room where he feels too much confrontation. That is not him giving up on the process. Walking away , for him, is his way of ending any conversation before it becomes explosive. That is a trait he probably learned very early on when his parents would fight. It is easier to walk away than to explode, at least in Garrett's eyes.

Advice for Rachel Uchitel on friendship: Do not call your friends out on national television. It is horrible protocol. Uchitel has obviously been in contact with Garrett since rehab. Since that is obviously the case, because we have photos to prove it, why not discuss the issues with Garrett in private and away from the cameras. True concern for a friend does not have to do with opening up his sober shortcomings in front of the world. It almost appears as though Uchitel is attempting to look like a good friend in front of the cameras so the world sees it. It comes off insincere to say the least.

As for you Leif, everything is in your favor if you keep making the effort, which eventually leads to total success. People are watching. Some people want you to fail and others are rooting for you to end over thirty years of addictions without death being the only solution. The fact that you admitted use of alcohol and marijuana in public is a huge step in the right direction. It sure beats you sitting on stage at the Ellen DeGeneres show flying high all the while claiming to be stone cold sober. It beats watching you laugh at the unlaughable in interview after interview, telling the world that you are clean. It is just as refreshing as you being upfront and honest on the interview now dubbed "Learning to Love Myself". It definitely beats the mug shots and the subway station incidents that resulted from heroin addiction . Thank you! Thank you for finally facing it with a little more conviction to the public. You just may be able to salvage some of your reputation, even after all these years.

Drug addiction is a serious problem in the United States today. Heroin and other opiates, such as methadone (used to treat heroin addiction), are the most dangerous addictions there are. Prescription pain medications are a huge part of the drug problems in the United States. Opiate drugs are sold on the street after they are stolen or by a person with the prescription attempting to get "better" drugs. It is time that Americans take a much closer look at how they address the drug problems throughout the country. It is likely that every person in the United States has been affected in some manner by opiate drug addiction, so vast is its reach.

Leif's drug addiction admittedly began at a very young age, just like millions of other people around the United States. The only difference between his addiction and theirs is that he happened to be a high profile person who had the money to squander on drugs and alcohol. What happens when the money and ridiculous fame are gone? He turns into the exact image of every other drug addict.

Kudos on your progress Leif. You have had a lot to wade through since you were a teenager, so hang tough and learn to accept that friends and family confront you because they do not want you to be under the illusion that you will ever be safe from your addiction, even when they do not approach it in the right way. You keep getting second chances, but others have learned that second chances eventually run out and that is when it becomes too late. Just remember that "when the music changes, so does the dance", as an African Proverb states.