“People in the entertainment business are introduced to illicit substances so early in life,” says Stephen Della Valle, author of the new book Rising Above the Influence and president of the board at Turning Point rehabilitation center. “Before they realize it, drinking and using drugs becomes a way of life. And if they’re not careful, they end up in one of three places: rehab, jail or a coffin.”
Hollywood is no stranger to substance abuse. But with today’s level of media scrutiny, thanks to paparazzi and the Internet, the subject is getting more attention than ever. These days, it’s commonplace to see even underage stars getting busted for DUI and spending a day or two in jail, or a week in a rehabilitation facility.
“It’s sad that many of them never get a chance to live a clean life,” says Mr. Della Valle. “Many stars are given access to drugs and alcohol at a young age, and it’s tough to break those habits once they’re started—especially when you work in an industry with so much pressure and so little real accountability.”
Young celebrities have long battled addictions in Tinseltown. Some of the more famous cases include:
· Drew Barrymore—started drinking at nine, used marijuana at ten and cocaine at twelve; was in rehab by thirteen
· Lindsay Lohan—entered the Cirque Lodge rehab just after turning twenty-one
· River Phoenix—died of a drug overdose outside a nightclub at the age of twenty-three
· Brad Renfro—battled a heroin addiction that recently cost him his life at the age of twenty-five
Mr. Della Valle is no stranger to this phenomenon either, having picked up his first drink at the age of twelve. He spent over twenty years as a drug addict and alcoholic before finally committing himself to a recovery program and turning his life around.
“Everyone has their ‘bottom,” he says, “their own point where they look at their life and think, Things just can’t get any worse. It’s sad that so many people in Hollywood hit that bottom so young.”
Stephen Della Valle is president of the board of directors at Turning Point rehabilitation center in Verona, New Jersey. Currently celebrating twenty years of sobriety, he lives in Oak Ridge, New Jersey, with his wife, Donna. He has three children.
Rising Above the Influence is available now (ISBN: 0-9801776-0-
