There is a popular misconception in society that addiction does not strike high profile, professional individuals. This misconception states that it is low income earning, blue collar types who are prone to addiction, not the upper echelon of society. This notion could not be farther from the truth. Addiction has been called the “great equalizer” because it strikes people of every demographic in the same way, and with the same strength. Addiction is a very common human response to mental strain and high profile, working professionals are just as prone to addiction as any other group of people.

High profile addiction can take many forms: alcoholism, drug addiction, sex addiction and more. High profile people are outwardly successful, but their inner lives can be broken and hurting just like anyone else. Sometimes, when a high profile person is addicted, their addiction can be more difficult to treat because their life of addiction is so far removed from their life of success. They have become an expert is compartmentalizing the two different sides of their identity, where as a person of lesser status may not feel the same urgency to conceal their addiction. What is typically true of addiction among high profile individuals is that the addictive tendencies are meant to numb the stress and emotional faculties of the high profile person, which is essentially a way of self medicating. Finding an alcohol and drug treatment program is sometimes essential before an addiction becomes a problem.

High profile individuals exhibit these addiction tendencies due to stress. The stress may be due to legitimately difficult circumstances or it may be self imposed. High profile individuals do tend to face heavier responsibilities than most people, which can mean higher levels of stress. There are very high expectations placed on high profile individuals and, because of the nature of their position, they carry a reputation that they tend to want to protect. These things can cause self imposed stress, which is due to negative self talk rather than legitimately difficult circumstances.

The reasons that high profile individuals turn to addiction are not more profound or more tragic than that of the working class. They are simply unique in nature. They are born of a different type of stress and cycle of negative thought patterns. In order for a high profile person to receive treatment that is relevant to them, they should seek the services of an addiction rehab that was created specifically for people like themselves.