COMPLAINT I FILED WITH THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

First of all, when I first heard  Dr.  Pinsky was going to be admitting sex workers into treatment on his show "Celebrity Rehab" I knew they were going to have difficulty in finding sobriety without addressing these specific issues.

To my knowledge, no one on his staff, nor himself personally, have contacted us for information on how to work with sex workers effectively in finding sobriety, their unique challenges, bought any of our literature such as our "Recovery Guide" or training manual for professionals, nor have I been asked to provide any training to him or his staff as I have with other treatment centers across this country who were finding that sex workers achieving long lasting sobriety were having an almost 100 percent failure rate in achieving sobriety.

Contrary to the popular mainstream male thinking - these issues are NOT "sex addiction" related and they do require contact with other ex-sex workers just as you would not even think of helping an alcoholic to find sobriety without an AA Big Book, an AA meeting, an AA sponsor, or even some contact with an AA member.    You certainly would not attempt to treat an alcoholic without having cracked open an AA Big Book either for research purposes at least.

So when I heard about him filming this show using sex workers trying to find sobriety - I contacted his staff and offered to provide them with a free copy of our literature and materials, along with a free training workshop on what we have found to be vitally important things to understand when working with this community based on not only 30 years of experience now in the field (our program was founded in 1987), but also the 1000's of ex-sex workers I researched before founding our program for five years prior to the founding of Sex Workers Anonymous.

A group that was founded after learning that other traditional measures, treatment programs, therapy, etc., was having a 99 % failure rate with this community.  

I was told that "taping had already been done" by someone at his office when I called who refused to let me even speak to Dr. Pinsky directly about my concerns over his attempting to provide treatment to sex workers without hearing from us what we know about this subject first.  Knowing that our research and experience had shown an almost 100 percent failure rate with sex workers - you can see why I was trying to reach him before or while treatment was ongoing with these women.

I did leave numerous messages asking for him to call me back about this issue.   I then asked if since taping "had already been done" could our phone number for our program be provided to these persons anyway using their office as a relay to protect their anonymity.  I forwarded literature to them for that purpose which was not relayed to these women.

I then watched the show to see that not only did they do the exact opposite with these women than I would have recommended (including things like putting Heidi Fleiss into treatment alongside a man she had not only lived with but who APPROVED of her being in the sex industry who had no clean time himself yet - putting them into the ring like two pit bulls for the entertainment of the viewing audience as well as not even broaching the subject of how the parrots were being used to justify her criminal activities to make money which was later proven to be the case), but that not one of these women such as Mary Carey or Heidi Fleiss did achieve sobriety while under his care (and still haven't).

Seeing however they did not achieve sobriety even now as I had predicted to his staff would be the case without our involvement in their recovery journey - they then not only refused to forward our program information to these women but INSTEAD put together a whole other show based on their said lack of sobriety called "Sex Rehab" where they attempted to view this problem as a sexual addiction.   Much how before alcoholism and addiction were learned to be a biological and genetic disease it was viewed mistakenly as a "lack of will power" or a "lack of moral fiber" - our issues are currently mistaken for sexual addiction  by the uninformed also.

When approached as a sexual addiction - sobriety also fails which again was the case.  Mary Carey for example is still employed in the sex industry full-time as is Heidi Fleiss and they both are still using by their own admission in the media.   Heidi who further was allowed to leave the clinic in Pasadena in a highly emotional state alone driving herself whereupon a nearly fatal accident happened before she could reach her home 100's of miles away (a fact known to Dr.  Pinsky and his staff when she left alone to drive herself home).   A "highly emotional state" I felt myself was created by the program by pitting Heidi against Tim Sizemore within the house while the camera was rolling without ONE EX sex worker in sight to offer any support to her during this time.

After the total failure of "Sex Rehab" I again contacted the Dr. Drew staff again requesting our contact information for our program be provided to these clients so that we could work with them effectively.  Our effectiveness rates are averaging out to over 80 percent once we're allowed to make contact.    I thought after this second attempted failed he might be more open-minded about the need for our program's involvement.   We were rebuffed again.

I find that as irresponsible as attempting treatment of an alcoholic while denying them AA, an AA Big Book, and also any knowledge of the AA 12 steps because our steps are different than AA's for obvious reasons.   Differences which to my knowledge have not been imparted to either Dr. Pinsky or anyone on the Celebrity Rehab staff.

While alcoholism and addiction again is a biological and genetically based disease that one carries for life - our issues however are not a "disease".   To convey to these patients that our program is not worthy of a referral to them through his highly televised position as an "expert" hobbles them against us and using us for their recovery - and this is proven by the fact each sex worker that I've seen come through his televised programs are still employed in the sex industry and not sober.

I consider this negligence considering we have offered to work with these clients without monetary consideration, and without being on camera in any way.  We also offered to work with these clients completely confidentially without being filmed in any manner and were still rebuffed.  So blaming his TV Show for this exclusion doesn't hold water with us.

My second complaint is that I was watching a show on Bravo about 1989 where Heidi Fleiss's personal history was discussed on camera.  Details about Alex, the woman dubbed the "Beverly Hills Madam", and her relationship with Heidi was discussed by Dr. Pinsky on camera.  Details that I've never heard Heidi say herself during any public interviews, nor in print anywhere were discussed by Dr. Pinsky on this show.   I consider this a violation of Heidi's privacy as a patient.   I doubt she's going to file a complaint herself because she's still getting high, and selling drugs and sex,  in Pahrump, Nevada according to the newspapers.

This is not the first time I've heard Dr. Pinsky discuss one of his clients' cases in the media eye either.    I point to the fact he's had more than one client die who has also been under his negligent care and then he's used their deaths to elevate his media position.  Note these links where he again discusses things that should not be discussed - http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20675079,00.html  There he talks about Mindy's death.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dr-drew-no-more-celebrity-rehab-after-cast-member-deaths/  There he talks about Jeff Conway's death.  Also Rodney King, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dr-drew-no-more-celebrity-451576  Mike Starr, and Joey Covar.

Which yes I also hold him responsible for their deaths after watching each episode carefully.   I failed to see where these addicts were provided with proper access, or even respect given, to the program of Narcotics Anonymous.  A program that was DESIGNED because AA was failing addicts and also they found addicts needed something different.  Yet all I saw being offered those in his care was AA meetings, AA sponsors, AA halfway houses, and AA philosophy.

NOT ONCE did I see the NA perspective addressed with anyone on his show in his care.  If this perspective had been respected, he would not have been giving these addicts five different medications coming in the door and then calling it "detox".   One can not properly determine if psychiatric symptoms are present in an addict who has not been clean long enough for the drugs to have even left their system.

Therefore, I'm filing a complaint against Dr. Pinsky for his irresponsible and negligent care of addicts and sex workers and would like him further investigated by the proper authorities.  I see not one valid reason for the man to not also pass along a referral to a sex worker who is clearly not responding to his methods to us where we could get them the care they need that has shown itself to be effective.  I have interviews up at www.leavingtheliferadio.com and also quotes in interviews up at www.hightechmadam.com attesting to how effective we are with sex workers at not only getting them out of the sex industry but also finding long term sobriety.  I myself have been clean from all drugs and alcohol and sex work since 1985.

Thank you for listening and your time.

Addendum:  I found this article stating the health dept. did investigate the house under Dr. Pinsky's care which DID find him at fault in two deaths.  http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/21/local/me-lasencinas21  His rebuttal?  He "wasn't directly involved in their care".  He's still the one responsible for what went on at the end of the day.   If he had been bringing in people who know addicts better - those deaths could have been avoided.  Also, anyone would have known that Rodney King should have had a full physical done with emphasis on his heart being at his age with a history of drug abuse.  I saw no physicals being done on anyone to determine if there was any physical sourcing for the symptoms or the use of drugs/booze to self-medicate.  For example, low thyroid mimics the symptoms of bipolar disorder almost identically.  A lack of B6 vitamins has been known to be linked to hallucinations.  I witnessed low magnesium levels causing what appears to be memory loss and confusion almost mirroring Alzheimer's.

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