I am a closeted television watcher; nothing short of a couch potato. Possibly a lovely genetic gift from my father who, if given the choice, would watch TV and fish for the rest of his days.
I am not proud of my television addiction. My hours spent in front of the tube often fill me with the same remorse that binge eaters feel after polishing off a gallon of ice cream. This guilt can be attributed to the program selections I make. I am rarely (although it has been known to happen) soaking up facts from the Discovery Channel, experiencing the world's cultures with Nat Geo, or traveling in time with the History Channel. Unfortunately, my fingers hit the remote and go straight to Vh1... mtv... and the worst of them all E! Ugh, typing it here has not relieved the guilt. These channels so often have nothing to offer. That is until my unlikely super hero of 3-3-10: Dr. Drew Pinsky.
Dr. Drew's contributions to vh1 and mtv include: 16 and Pregnant, Sex with Mom and Dad, Celebrity Rehab, Sober House, and Sex Rehab. While I am not an avid watcher any of these shows, save for Celebrity Rehab season 3, I have seen episodes of each.
Dr. Drew has advised people since 1984 on the radio show Loveline. In 2008 Dr. Drew expanded his audience by actively involving himself in television. The television programs I have listed are watched by young-adults everyday and for this I respect and appreciate Dr. Drew's influence. Particularly in his shows concerning drug addiction.
Having personally witnessed drug addiction and distribution ruin lives has ignited in me a fascination with the world of drug abuse. Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew does not sensationalize drug abuse but instead it features celebrities who have serious issues. This kind of exposure to addiction is valuable for anyone considering experimentation with drugs. Not everyone who does drugs ends up where Tom Sizemore or Mackenzie Phillips are but some of us a predisposed to be addicts. For those people it is crucial to see where drug abuse can lead.
I also argue the shows value for anyone who wonders whether their friend, mother, cousin, or brother is an addict. Often drug users display typical behaviors. These are seen and pointed out on the show. While the show has entertainment value it also serves as an educational tool.
Whatever encouraged these celebrities to broadcast their addiction to nation wide audiences becomes inconsequential in comparison to the impact their experiences have on those watching at home. So what if it was to get publicity? They get more than they bargained for in the one-on-one and group therapy sessions.
In honoring Dr. Drew I am also paying homage to honesty. Sugar-coating drug addiction is a disservice and a shame. Some of you are well aware that there is a very dark world out there full or very sick people. Shedding light on that world can help us combat drug addiction in the U.S.
As a side note, this blog was inspired by an episode of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in which a loved one of an addict said, "You can live and you can live a long life. You don't have to live a fantastic, incredible, celebrity life. You want a boring, predictable life and you cannot believe how rich that is until you're in it."
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Unconditional Positive Regard
Psychologist Carl Rogers developed the concept of unconditional positive regard with therapists in mind. He suggested that therapists should perceive each client with, you guessed it, unconditional positive regard.
I am not a therapist but I think Carl Rogers' theory has broader implications than that of a client - therapist relationship. So you may be thinking, I thought I was going to be reading about the adventures of an underdog, instead I am getting a lesson in psychology. Grumble no more because here it is - my unlikely super hero for 2-19-10: P!nk. Shocked? Yeah, me too but let me explain.
P!nk is a pop artist who has had a rocky past both in and out of the public eye. For example her hard and fast marriage to motocrosser Carey Hart. She has always had a "if they can't handle it then fuck 'em" attitude. That is not why she is my hero of the day. She is my hero for her honesty in her lyrics. I was particularly amazed when I watched her 2010 Grammy performance:
Not only were her cirque du soleil style aerobatics incredible but the words to her song "Glitter in the Air" had an honesty that you don't find in everyday pop music.
Now I would like to believe that I can gather from this song and P!nk's other recent music, videos, and performances that she works hard to perceive herself with unconditional positive regard.
None of us are perfect and often we don't let ourselves forget it. Sometimes we slip into a role whether it is the story teller, the quiet one, the drama queen/ king, or the comedian. When things get tough we let these roles define and confine us. It is one of the greater challenges of the human condition to break these boundaries and see ourselves for the complex beings that we are. It can be difficult to appreciate our complexities - we hate the way we are intimidated by certain people because we regard them as more clever, more attractive, more creative, more popular, more than ourselves.
This brings to mind two things. First is the lyrics of a Regina Spektor song, "Now, this is how it works / You peer inside yourself / You take the things you like / And try to love the things you took" from "On the Radio." We all have qualities that make us beautiful human beings - inside and out. It is OUR job, no one elses, to find those things we deem as beautiful and remember those when we feel weak.
Secondly I can't help but recall the letter at the end of "The Breakfast Club" brought to us by the late, great John Hughes and his incredible cast of brat packers.
"Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did WAS wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...
...and an athlete...
...and a basket case...
...a princess...
...and a criminal...
Does that answer your question?... Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club."
We are many things, it is up to us to honor those things. So cheers to P!nk and anyone of you that strives to regard yourself with unconditional positivity.
I am not a therapist but I think Carl Rogers' theory has broader implications than that of a client - therapist relationship. So you may be thinking, I thought I was going to be reading about the adventures of an underdog, instead I am getting a lesson in psychology. Grumble no more because here it is - my unlikely super hero for 2-19-10: P!nk. Shocked? Yeah, me too but let me explain.
P!nk is a pop artist who has had a rocky past both in and out of the public eye. For example her hard and fast marriage to motocrosser Carey Hart. She has always had a "if they can't handle it then fuck 'em" attitude. That is not why she is my hero of the day. She is my hero for her honesty in her lyrics. I was particularly amazed when I watched her 2010 Grammy performance:
Not only were her cirque du soleil style aerobatics incredible but the words to her song "Glitter in the Air" had an honesty that you don't find in everyday pop music.
Now I would like to believe that I can gather from this song and P!nk's other recent music, videos, and performances that she works hard to perceive herself with unconditional positive regard.
None of us are perfect and often we don't let ourselves forget it. Sometimes we slip into a role whether it is the story teller, the quiet one, the drama queen/ king, or the comedian. When things get tough we let these roles define and confine us. It is one of the greater challenges of the human condition to break these boundaries and see ourselves for the complex beings that we are. It can be difficult to appreciate our complexities - we hate the way we are intimidated by certain people because we regard them as more clever, more attractive, more creative, more popular, more than ourselves.
This brings to mind two things. First is the lyrics of a Regina Spektor song, "Now, this is how it works / You peer inside yourself / You take the things you like / And try to love the things you took" from "On the Radio." We all have qualities that make us beautiful human beings - inside and out. It is OUR job, no one elses, to find those things we deem as beautiful and remember those when we feel weak.
Secondly I can't help but recall the letter at the end of "The Breakfast Club" brought to us by the late, great John Hughes and his incredible cast of brat packers.
"Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did WAS wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...
...and an athlete...
...and a basket case...
...a princess...
...and a criminal...
Does that answer your question?... Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club."
We are many things, it is up to us to honor those things. So cheers to P!nk and anyone of you that strives to regard yourself with unconditional positivity.
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