Rehab for Rehab

Decades back, I had a close friend whose father was the administrator of one of the early treatment centers that today we would call a "rehabilitation facility" or more commonly just "rehab". A nationally-known music star was there drying out, but in the course of "embracing sobriety" had a Christmas show to perform which he said he could not give unless high, so the staff dutifully facilitated the administration of sufficient narcotics so that the singer/musician could make his show. Hence, this early rehab could be seen at the least as an enabler or even as a drug dealer of a sort. Back then in the mid-1980s, that and Betty Ford and a literal handful of others were the only facilities that existed to offer help for drug and drinking programs outside of the "anon" groups and clearly there was a need for them. Today, though there is still a shortage of in-patient beds, there is an odd proliferation of "rehabs" for problems that we have never before recent times called and treated as addictions or disorders in human history. Some are no doubt legitimate as the issues being treated are no doubt real and destructive, others not so much. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia must be battled because they have the capacity to kill, but a "rehab" center to fight "food addiction"- you can not be serious- all who are alive are food addicts, just try going cold turkey on that one and see how long you live. And have you ever noticed those with "gambling addiction" never complain about it when they are winning. What about "sex addiction"- with the possible exception of a virgin birth more than two thousand years ago, none of us would be here without the dread procreative act. And then there was disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner who was going to rehab for whatever his problem happens to be, but when his wife Huma returned from her travels with Hillary and Representative Weiner resigned, suddenly no more talk of rehab. This just goes to show they have not constructed a treatment facility for being a scoundrel yet. At some point, they may even develop a rehabilitation center to treat "rehab addiction".