Monsters and Critics / Dr. Damon Raskin ‘Celebrity Rehab’ with Dr. Drew Pinsky ends run, addiction specialist speaks out May 7, 2013

‘Celebrity Rehab’ with Dr. Drew Pinsky ends run, addiction specialist speaks out

Dr. Drew Pinsky’s track record for treating addicted celebrities on his VH1 reality show “Celebrity Rehab” was less than perfect He announced that he was ending “Celebrity Rehab” because of the “heat” directed his way following the deaths of celebrities he treated.

“Celebrity Rehab” aired for six seasons, from 2008 to 2012.

Pinsky, who was interviewed by Zach Sang and the Gang said he was “tired of taking all the heat” following the deaths of celebrities who had appeared on his VH1 shows “Celebrity Rehab” and spinoff series “Sober House.”

All in all, five celebrities who were booked talent on these shows died in the years following their appearances, despite Dr. Drew’s best intentions.

The dead include troubled country singer Mindy McCready, “Taxi” star Jeff Conaway, rocker Mike Starr, “Real World” star Joey Kovar and Rodney King. None of their deaths were ever linked directly to the show or to Dr. Pinsky but were related in different ways to their health compromised by their inability to get clean and sober.

“It’s very stressful and very intense for me,” Pinsky said about the criticism leveled at him following each death. “To have people questioning my motives and taking aim at me because people get sick and die because they have a life-threatening disease, and I take the blame? … Rodney King has a heart attack and I take blame for that?”

“I don’t have plans to do that again,” he said. “I’m tired of taking all the heat. It’s just ridiculous.”

In the radio interview, Dr. Drew defended his record of success in treating the celebrity patients who appeared on his shows. “It’s sad that we’re not doing more shows because people did get help,” he said. “A lot of people are sober because of ‘Celebrity Rehab’ who wouldn’t have been sober without it.”

Board certified internist Dr. Damon Raskin is also an addiction specialist for Cliffside Malibu (www.cliffsidemalibu.com), and frequently comments on celebrity stories posted on M&C.

“This show was clearly not about helping patients get better, but about entertainment. Unfortunately, these were real people’s lives at stake who weren’t getting the proper care for their addictions. Part of successful addiction treatment involves confidential counseling to get to the root of the underlying issues that perpetuate the drug or alcohol use. This cannot be done on a television show such as this, says Dr. Raskin.

 

Original Article

Dr. Damon Raskin

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Celebzter / Dr. Damon Raskin Lindsay Lohan FINALLY Checks Into Rehab May 3, 2013

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Lindsay Lohan FINALLY Checks Into Rehab

She’s back in a place she knows well — Betty Ford Center.

After a dizzying day of drama, Lindsay Lohan finally checked into rehab late Thursday, narrowly dodging arrest.

The Betty Ford Center is the same place the 26-year-old sought help in 2010 and famously made headlines when an employee went public with claims the actress was “out of control” and had alcohol on her breath during a tussle between them. A police investigation followed.

Lohan ended up in Betty Ford after rehiring lawyer Shawn Holley and firing her previous one, Mark Heller.

The troubled starlet apparently begged Holley to return, and the lawyer, who appears to be a glutton for punishment, agreed and worked “all night” to get the actress into Betty Ford, sources told the Daily News.

 

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Celebzter / Jill Miller Fitness Expert Devises ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Injury Prevention Guide April 30, 2013

Fitness Expert Devises ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Injury Prevention Guide

Every season, stars succumb to injuries on “Dancing with the Stars.” The latest victim is Mark Ballas, who revealed on Sunday that he suffered a lower back injury last week.

“While trying a lift, I compressed two discs in my lower back and could hardly move for two days,” Ballas said.

Now, fitness and pain expert Jill Miller (aka The Body Whisperer), has devised an injury prevention regimen for the celebrities participating in “Dancing with the Stars” … and those viewers inspired to follow in their footsteps. Dancing – whether it’s televised or not! – uses a very specific group of fascia (connective tissue) that can freeze up and cause injury if they’re not dealt with proper stretching and strength-building exercise.

Jill is a leader in the growing Self Care fitness movement, which involves self-administered therapeutic techniques to deal with everyday pain while staying fit. (Yes, we must exercise to stay in shape. No, we neither need to accept pain nor pops pills to deal with it!) Her technique focuses on the manipulation of “fascia” – the soft scaffolding of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels and nerves that, in effect, holds us together. “Fascia maintenance: promises to be one the hot health and fitness story for 2013.

She is the creator of Yoga Tune Up®, which boast 200 instructors worldwide, and she is an elite instructor at fitness chain Equinox for whom she has created a curriculum for “Self Care” pain management certification.

She has been featured in Self, Prevention, Redbook, Yoga Journal, Women’s Running, Fit Yoga and on The Today Show; the Los Angeles Times calls her “kinetically arresting.

Typical injuries dancers face:
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Monsters & Critics / Jill Miller The Tao of Posture: One Woman’s Fight to Save You From Yourself April 30, 2013

The Tao of Posture: One Woman’s Fight to Save You From Yourself

The TODAY Show featured one of the most celebrated fitness experts in the United States, Jill Miller, whose exercise philosophy is rooted in her own trial and error to wellness.

Miller’s path to enlightenment came through many obstacles, including overcoming bulimia, to become one of the most respected and called upon experts in anti-aging posture practice, pain management and her signature Yoga Tune Up® courses taught at Equinox fitness clubs across the country.

Miller educated the masses on the Today Show (April 29, 2013) on the curse of the modern age: The “C slump,” where gravity sucks you down and compromises your core muscles and your spine, causing everything from pain to incontinence as it ages your body before its time.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Miller’s approach is a high energy saturation of information presented in interesting and easy to follow snippets of physiology and anatomy that empower anyone in her audience to instantly improve their overall wellness.

Ban the Slump!

Our bodies like to take the easy way out. Gravity is irresistible at times, and it takes awareness and strength to maintain an organized upright posture, especially if your job involves sitting at a desk all day or other repetitive tasks.

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The Plastic Princess / Jill Miller Fitness guru Jill Miller reveals how to get great posture April 30, 2013

Fitness guru Jill Miller reveals how to get great posture

Posture can make or break a woman. While perfect posture signals poise and class, bad posture can actually affect your health.

Fitness guru Jill Miller was featured on the Today show Monday morning for a segment on posture and shared the do’s and don’ts.

Jill is teaching people about their Body Blind Spots — these are areas of the body that are overused, underused, misused or abused and catalysts for injury. She recently explained the notion of Body Blind Spots otherwise known as proprioception on WebMD.

Watch Jill on Today, and below she shares her tips for perfect posture.

1. Aside from back pain, what are some of the lesser known real dangers of poor posture?

They are numerous and serious. For starters, what people tend to not realize is that poor posture creates multiple distortions throughout the ribcage. This may not sound like much, but these bony changes are disrupting vital systems of the body such as breathing and digestion. Your long-term slumping or leaning literally reforms the bones of the ribcage and spine, thus creating your own scoliosis. The imbalanced rib cage and spinal vertebrae then shift the line of pull on the most central muscle of the human body, the respiratory diaphragm.The diaphragm is your primary breathing muscle and when it becomes loaded with its own trigger points, stiffness, or weakness, it can create a host of physiological dysfunctions. The diaphragm is directly linked to the stress response and the emotional centers in the brain. Hence, improper breathing accelerates sympathetic overwhelm in the nervous system.

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