The second A in AA stands for Anonymous, unless you're a celeb in need of a brand rehab.
It would be interesting to find out which PR maven first advised a client that the best way to save their Q rating was to make sure everyone knew they were entering "rehab." If you could copyright a spin tactic this one was worth a fortune. I say "was" because just like the people who use it this method of spin control is suffering from overexposure. Rehab these days is now the approved cure for everything from anti-Semitism (Mel Gibson) to gay bashing (Whatshisname from Grey's Anatomy) to being gay (Rev. Ted Haggard) to hitting on congressional pages (Mark Foley) to bad haircuts (Brittany) to whatever else (Patrick Kennedy). If it could be applied posthumously then I'm sure someone would have already enrolled Anna Nicole.
There was a time when admitting you were powerless over a substance was not something to be proclaimed in the headlines. There was a great deal of shame attached to being a drunk or an addict. That's what made Betty Ford's decision to go public noble and not narcissistic. While it is generally a good thing that this attitude is changing, just because you're not ashamed of something doesn't mean you should put it on your resume (Unless you're planning on being a substance abuse counselor).
The public is now becoming inured to this tactic, though. They are increasingly (and correctly) cynical as every time a name in the news does something regrettable it's off to rehab they go.
A friend tells me that there is a suggestion made to newcomers at 12 Step meetings -- "Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth." Translation: Shut up and listen. This advice should go to the PR types, too.
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