Michael Lohan interview-opens up about his daughter Lindsay and their battle with addiction

Lindsay and Michael Lohan

When you hear the name Lohan, you think celebrity and celebrity rehab in the same instant.  Michael Lohan’s long struggle with substance abuse has been public and painful for himself as well as his family.  It contributed to his stint in prison and helped lead to the dissolution of his marriage.

As if to magnify the  havoc addiction can wreak on a family, his daughter Lindsay has followed in her father’s footsteps of addiction to drugs and alcohol. 

The talented actress has damaged her promising movie career and her reputation, with many public and embarrassing moments over the years.  Some of this behavior has lead to legal troubles and jail time…..she is presently in court ordered rehab at Cliffside Malibu.

Following his 2011 stint on TV as a patient in Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Celebrity Rehab, Michael says he’s done a lot of reflecting.  He realized in his explosive last episode, that a switch of anger had been turned on by the dysfunction of his relationship with his girlfriend Kim.  This lead to an emotional shouting match and confrontation on television…Michael was ultimately jailed for domestic abuse following another argument with Kim after release from Celebrity Rehab. At the time Dr. Drew called his relationship with Kim, “toxic.” See Dr. Drew calls it quits in "Hollywoodite"

Michael and girlfriend Kim

Michael says he’s now clean and sober, working with others to promote a way, for not only celebrities to seek treatment for their addictions, but for those in all walks of life.  He is actively working with the Lukens Institute, expanding their services through A.I.R., Aid in Recovery. 

Recently Michael met and befriended the “Tan Mom,” Patricia Krentcil and helped her into rehab.  Known for her leathery skin due to her addiction to the tanning booth, Krentcil gained national infamy for supposedly dragging her 5 year old daughter into the booth as well, trying to tint daughter like mother.  She was subsequently arrested for child endangerment and was just recently reported to be in rehab for alcohol addiction. See catching up with Tan Mom

As I talked with Michael, the conversation easily flowed,  he was especially animated about how the Lukens Institute focuses on treating the trauma in an addict’s life. “People need to get to the root of their problems before they can address their other problems.” “They treat the trauma first, not just putting a band aid on the wound.” People have a switch that can be triggered by their trauma and it can lead them back to their addictions. 

Michaels divorce from his wife Dina inflicted a great trauma on his children, including Lindsay and that can be hard to heal. He feels that has played a role in Lindsay’s struggles with drugs and alcohol and the divorce was particularly hard on Lindsay, impacting her as the eldest child.

Lindsay Lohan

But those hurts can be healed, as Michael shared:

“People don’t realize I now have a great loving relationship with my kids including Lindsay” and “I’m the only one Lindsay wanted to have visit while she was staying at the Betty Ford Rehab Center.” She stayed at Betty Ford prior to being moved to her present facility, Cliffside Malibu.  Michael said he is happy she is as Cliffside because they treat the trauma that is at the root of addiction.

Michael is hoping his daughter will get the treatment she needs at her present facility….But grim statistics show that many thousands of people die from the epidemic of addiction in our country 

I asked Dr. William Hanna, Clinical Director at the highly rated west coast addiction treatment facility called Reflections, to offer an opinion, regarding trauma being at the root of addiction:

“It has become apparent that this increasingly undeniable recognition, on the part of myself as therapist, clinician, and clinical director; has propelled me to assist hundreds of individuals through "trauma-work".

“Once the traumatic genesis of symptoms has been established, then the meaningful psychotherapy begins.  In trauma-work, the therapist's presence is ideally that of an authentically-interested and involved and utterly reliable witness who is able to willingly hear, absorb, and accept profoundly-impactful, emotion-laden, and frequently disturbing information about the life of the resident.  Therapy for the trauma client must take place in a context of safety and trust in which the resident feels free to engage in unrestricted memory and affective experiences.  Under these conditions the trauma client is much more likely to be revealing and willing to participate in the process of disclosing, healing, and recovery.  Louise McCallion, Executive Director and myself  have carefully and strategically chosen Reflections' "clinical team", in order for us to be professionally-competent and significantly-empathic to do the deep work that we are known for.” For more from Dr. Hanna at Reflections, click here

Celebrities like the Lohans can be ridiculed for their public meltdowns and failures, but more than likely if they weren’t under the influence of their addictions to drugs and alcohol, none of that behavior would have occurred. 

Very few addicts get the national exposure the Lohans attract and perhaps through their public ordeals, there can be some triumphs that can help lead others to a new way of living.