Detoxing the 1% –
Dec. 5, 2019 – At the International Conferences on Addiction and Associated Disorders in London in April, Chris Coplans of Narcotics Anonymous told a reporter for Tatler magazine: “The trend is now towards luxury. Rehabs have realised the money’s in luxury, celebs and ultra-high net worth.” Indeed, the luxury rehab industry is cut-throat competitive – so much so that some rehabs have been using dirty tricks to drum up business. Last year, a Times investigation revealed luxury rehabs had been paying psychiatrists six to seven figure kickbacks to refer addicted patients on to them. The rehabs caught paying psychiatrists included Life Works in Surrey, part of the Priory Group, and the Kusnacht Practice, an elite clinic near Zurich, which paid a British doctor £150,000 to persuade the late singer George Michael to stay there for six months in 2015 … Being rich and powerful can actually act as a barrier to dealing with a drug problem, says Gerber. Because of their charmed life, they are shielded from the consequences of addiction for longer than most. “You can’t be fired for taking drugs at work if you own the company,” he points out. So it’s harder for them to reach “rock bottom” – the moment of utter despair that can act as a trigger for many addicted drug users to get help. In addition, Gerber has seen many people turn to drugs after selling the company they have spent years building, only to find themselves kicking their heels, surrounded by a pile of cash. It’s not only the wealth creators who run into trouble, but those who become super rich by inheriting it. “We have helped people who have inherited fortunes but who have no job or purpose,” says Gerber, “and many people fill that void with drugs or alcohol.” Gerber says some rich kids suffer “affluent neglect”
