Two nights ago I was sitting cross-legged on the floor of my new apartment (I’m currently couchless), chatting with two of my girlfriends about the important issue that is Lindsay Lohan’s career. They both spoke positively about the idea of her receiving prison time for her latest arrest July 24 for felony charges of cocaine possession and transportation of a narcotic, and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.
Although the girls felt that a sentence was the way to go, I can’t see how getting locked up will solve Lohan’s drug dependencies.
The troubled starlet has already made two appearances in rehabilitation facilities this year and even submitted to wearing an alcohol-monitoring ankle band. Unfortunately, none of these options slowed her lifestyle down, as she reverted back to drinking and alleged cocaine use before her arrest.
Alcoholism is a serious disease, and drinking stems from various reasons, from social to emotional. Lohan is in a very powerful position where she has the money to get whatever she wants – be it drugs or alcohol – and without a strong family base (her mother is a tanorexic living out her dreams through her daughters, and her father has been in and out of prison for most of the star’s life) to tell her she has a problem.
Her bouts with the disease aren’t going to be solved behind bars – as soon as she is released she will, more than likely, be back to her old habits. What Lohan needs is treatment at a rehab facility that is isolated from the hubbubs that are Los Angeles and Hollywood.
Enter Sierra Tucson. Located in the Foothills, the treatment facility treats many disorders and addictions, including those involving drugs and alcohol. Not only would this act as an oasis and getaway for the celebrity, the center focuses around the successful 12-step program when dealing with alcoholism and also incorporates psychiatric therapy.
Sierra Tucson also offers programs for eating disorders, chemical dependency and sexual compulsivity – three problems that Lohan has been rumored to have that might lend to her alcoholism.
The facility has helped its fair share of celebrities over the years; Michael Douglas checked in for alcohol abuse in 1994 and Rush Limbaugh, Martin Lawrence and Patrick Swayze have also been patients. The staff would know how to deal with her problems, and no one would be willing to dish out the familiar celebrity treatment that has held her back from receiving real help.
After completing her stay at Sierra Tucson, it would be best for Lohan to lay low, possibly seeking refuge at her mother’s New Jersey home, and stay far away from the nightlife in L.A., New York and Las Vegas. Then slowly by slowly, she should rebuild her career.
Lohan’s a talented actress and a pretty face, and she shouldn’t go to waste letting her problems stew in a California prison. Let’s hope that her court sentence leads her to receive help in Tucson, rather than lead her to the bottom of her downward spiral.
Jamie Ross is a journalism junior and the arts editor for the Arizona Summer Wildcat. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
