Sherry Gaba LCSW, Psychotherapist, Life & Recovery Coach is featured Celebrity Rehab on VH1. Sherry is the author of “The Law of Sobriety” which uses the law of attraction to recover from any addiction. Please download your copy of “Manifest Holistic Health” from Sherry’s Enrich Your Life Series. Contact Sherry at sherry@sgabatherapy.com for webinars, teleseminars, coaching packages and speaking engagements

This season of Celebrity Rehab 5 has brought us another group of celebrities struggling with addiction. Amy Fisher, best known as “The Long Island Lolita” made headlines in 1992 when she shot Mary Jo Buttafucco, the wife of Amy’s lover Joey Buttafucco. Her book, “If I Knew Then…” provides insight on that situation. Decades later, Amy faces her struggles with alcoholism on this seasons Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Amy spoke with Dr. Drew, in a past episode, speaking about how the media has ruined her life. She blames the media for putting the cameras on her at the age of 17, even commenting on “how cruel can the world be?” She blames the world for the choices she has made, her newest choice being a star in the adult entertainment business. She defends her choice to make adult movies by saying the world and society expect this type of behavior from her. Is Amy taking responsibility for the part that she played in the choices that she made?

Addicts often project responsibility for poor choices on the world around them. Instead of examining the motivation for their decisions, they use blame as a coping mechanism. If Amy focuses the negativity in her life on an outside source she can remain in a cycle of addiction, having her negative beliefs reinforced. Shame and guilt begin to manifest when an addict starts to detox. These newfound emotions can be frightening and hard to deal with. As Amy continues her stay in treatment, she will be given tools to empower her to work through her shame and guilt. This will allow her to take responsibility for the choices she makes, hopefully resulting in making decisions that will be positive for her life and her future.