I'm having a nice respite between clients as the gentleman I expected from London cannot make his way over here yet. The ash from Iceland's erupting volcano has grounded most of Europe's air traffic and new flights are not being booked yet. Hopefully, this will sort itself out before May 1st as it would be very convenient for me for him to arrive on that Saturday afternoon. I will be at San Francisco airport that day to drop my mother off for her spring and summer in Cleveland. So, we are trying to arrange for a Heathrow flight to coincide. It would save hundreds of travel dollars and hours and hours of travel time.
I'm looking forward to seeing "Joe". He has/had at least 6 addictions to substances (heroin, crack cocaine, methadone, marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes-I think I'm actually forgetting two of them), and has an ego torn by its desire to please others and a need to satiate various addictions. These two come into internal conflict often. Like alot of artists (in this case Joe is a world class rock musician having recently been nominated for a Novella Award-Britain's equivalent to our Grammy Award for Best song writer and having had a fairly big hit in Europe a few years ago), Joe feels his creativity is tied to his addiction(s). Mostly this gentleman is known amongst the London underground music scene where he is both worshipped and hated for his antics on and off the stage. He has been arrested numerous times on charges of drug possession and simple public drunkenness, and has been jailed several times in an attempt-by the British courts-to "mend" him. He first came to my attention in 2001when I was acting in a film called "Being Bonkers". I played, well, myself-a sort of wacky therapist. I met Joe at an after party. It was obvious from his hollow features and skinny body that he had been an addict for sometime. I later discovered that he has been an alcoholic since he was 8 years old and a heroin addict for a couple decades. Someone at the party put on his disc. Joe's music hit me like a pile driver-full of rage and passion, love and fear, desperation and abandon. We spoke. I took hold of his withered hand, looked him in the eye and told him that when he was ready to start living again to come and see me. He smiled, then passed me what I thought was a spliff (part cigarette/part marijuana) and I took a few puffs. Unknown to me at the time, it had been laced in heroin. I had never tried heroin. Suffice to say that after a short while I felt nauseated and, all-in-all, I did not like the drug, however my encounter with Joe was remarkable.
A few months later the film director who put us together contacted me on Joe's behalf. He was ready to see me. To make a commitment to living again. He came to stay with me in Sacramento and we hit it off immediately. I quickly discovered that Joe's image was actually quite far from his real demeanor. He is a quiet, thoughtful and sincere person who, through no fault of his own, was placed upon his drug and alcohol fueled path when he was only a child. Everyday after school his single father would send him off to the local pub to await him so his father could entertain women at home. He was thoroughly addicted to alcohol before he was 10 years old. And things went downhill from there.
Joe spent almost 4 weeks with me and was healthier than he had been in decades when his people in London thought it would be great for him to return and record. Of course, this was in fact the worst thing that could have happened since he was not rock-solid in his rehab. I objected, but to no avail. People wanted to make a new CD. People wanted to tour. People wanted to make money. So, Joe returned earlier than I had wanted and quickly came into contact with his old friends. The drugs and wine started flowing again, and...well there you have it.
Joe came to see me again in 2005 just after my brother had passed away. I had planned along sabbatical in southeast Asia and could only spend a few weeks with him. He was going to accompany me to Asia, but the day before we were to leave he got drunk and sabotaged his recovery with me. I sent him back to London with his tail between his legs. Yes, he was in better shape, but he still had not made the internal commitment needed to stay clean.
I recently discovered that Joe was involved in a young woman's OD several months ago. Joe apparently woke up and his friend he had been partying with had OD'ed and choked to death on her own vomit. Joe, of course, freaked. The girl was a from a prominent British family. Police investigated. Charges were drawn up. Joe went into rehab at London's Focus 2 recovery center. My book had just come out. The director who introduced us sent him a copy. Joe read it, owned it, and with the help of the folks at Focus 2, Joe is now, apparently, completely drug free. So...now what, Joe?
That's why he's coming here. Where traditional drug rehab ends, I begin. Now we can take a newly reformed Joe and find a niche for him in the world where he can be comfortable and thrive without resorting to his old habits and addictions. New habits, healthy habits, have to be introduced and continually reinforced so that new and healthy behaviors are cemented. I will try to get Joe's physical being into perfect tune with his new mental outlook. Together we will complete his restitution. I am looking forward to seeing Joe again, giving him a well deserved hug and high 5, and working with him to fulfill his dreams.


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PREHAB: The Essentials for Successful Change
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