Addiction Experts Weigh in on Cory Monteith’s Death: Patients Need Longer in Rehab to Successfully Overcome Their Demons
He was said to been healthier than he had been in some time, but today (Monday) new pictures emerged of Cory Monteith which suggest he was drinking alcohol with his friends in Vancouver just days before his death.
The 31-year-old, who completed a month-long stint in rehab for substance addiction in April, was seen “laughing and drinking beers” with friends on July 6, reports TMZ.
On Saturday, he was found dead by hotel staff.
While the official cause of the “Glee” star’s untimely passing will not be known for several days, or even weeks, this blind item seems to pertain to the actor, which suggests that perhaps, he hadn’t quite conquered his demons.
Monteith admitted to having been in rehab twice before. Once when he was 19 years old (after an intervention) and the second time he voluntarily admitted himself into a rehab facility just several months ago.
Richard Taite, CEO and founder of Cliffside Malibu Treatment Center and bestselling author of “Ending Addiction For Good” strongly believes that rehab should last longer than the accepted 30 day treatment programs. “Monteith said he entered a treatment program in April and we are just at the beginning of July, so I was wondering why is he out of treatment already? 30 days doesn’t allow the addict to get to the root of their addiction,” he tells CelebZter.
“Perhaps one of the most critical factors in addiction recovery is the duration of treatment. We’ve so often heard addicts believe that they are supposed to be better in 28 or 30 days. But this is a model that the insurance company have developed based on what they are willing to pay for, not what is actually in the best interest of an individual’s recovery. It is my hope that others will learn from the premature deaths of those who have not completed treatment – stay at the level of care you require until you are fully able to live comfortably in the outside world.”
He adds: “I don’t know if Cory Monteith died from drug addiction or alcoholism, but if this death is drug and/or alcohol related, maybe the message should finally be not that rehab doesn’t work but that rehab doesn’t work unless you finish treatment. And 30 days isn’t finishing treatment for roughly 85% of addicts.”
Dr. Damon Raskin, an addiction specialist and Cliffside Malibu medical consultant, concurs, telling CelebZter: “I have seen numerous cases where patients have detoxed, and when they relapse they go back to using the same amount of drugs they were doing before their relapse. Because they have lost the tolerance to those high doses they were using previously, they can easily overdose and die.”
“Although the exact cause of death is still unknown, medically it appears from all circumstances that this was a drug related death,” he says. “As a child celebrity myself who now treats addiction, I have personally witnessed how hard living in the spotlight can be for younger people. The pressure to perform combined with struggling with addiction appears to have overwhelmed another young star. Industry insiders, media, friends and family need to step and give them time to heal before rushing them back into the spotlight. It must be more about the health of the individual and less about the bottom line or how many tabloids are sold. ”
According to Chief Constable Doug LePard via CNN, the actor checked into the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel on July 6 and had several people in his room Friday night. He was seen on a surveillance camera returning early in the morning to his room alone.
Monteith’s body was discovered on Saturday after staff members went to check on the actor after he missed his checkout time. His cause of death was not immediately known, but no foul play was expected.
An autopsy was performed Monday, but the Coroner’s office tells Us magazine: “We might well have an update tomorrow, but final cause of death might be several days or even a couple of weeks after that.
According to the Vancouver Sun, Monteith’s fans have created a memorial in his honor by placing flowers and heartfelt notes outside the hotel.
Where Cory died.
