Demi Moore had to be hospitalized recently after a concerned friend called 911, telling the operator that the 49-year-old actress was having convulsions and “burning up” at her Los Angeles home. The health issues were attributed to Moore smoking an unknown substance that could have been similar to bath salts, according to the recently released recording of the 911 call.

A rescue crew arrived 10 minutes after the call went out and Moore was rushed to a local hospital. She is now seeking “professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health,” according to her rep, Carrie Gordon.

That response seemed to frustrate addiction expert and TV host Dr. Drew Pinsky.

“That’s spin — nothing more than spin,” he said on his HLN show. “I have a stronger word for that, but not able to say it on television. I’m sick and tired of reps shooting things out that don’t make sense. Exhaustion isn’t a diagnosis that requires hospitalization.”

Downplaying addiction issues doesn’t help anyone, but why was Dr. Drew so bothered? Do public figures owe us the details of their addiction issues? Is their treatment negatively affected by downplaying the problems in the press? We know honesty is important to the healing process, but are getting clean and coming clean related?

It’s a topic that’s certainly open to discussion and debate. For now, Dr. Drew is trying to stay focused, saying, “Treatment works, and I hope she engages in that treatment.”

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The public’s understanding of addiction seems to be growing, with a more general acceptance of the scientific reality that it is a disease, not a personal weakness. At the same time, non-chemical addictions are still more of a mystery. While some are skeptical, studies have shown that gambling, sex, food, even video games or the Internet can produce addictive behaviors. One recent study even found that Internet addiction can change the brain in a way that is similar to the effects of cocaine.

To determine this, Chinese experts scanned the brains of young Internet addicts, discovering that their addiction actually changes the way their brains function, according to a BBC report.

The results are helping to expand our understanding of these “process” addictions (aka addiction that aren’t drug or alcohol related but instead involve an activity or process) and how they work. The study’s findings suggest that the brains of the addicted appeared to show the same changes to the brain’s “white matter” — the connecting web of the brain — as those found in individuals addicted to alcohol, cocaine and cannabis.

The study, conducted by Hao Lei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, looked at the brain scans of 35 men and women aged between 14 and 21. Of those studied, 17 were thought to be Internet addicts, a status that is more rare than you might think in this technology age. While many of us joke about being addicted to our computers, smart phones or other tech devices, the truth is just 5 to 10 percent of users are thought to be addicted.

“Modern life requires us to link up over the ‘Net in regard to jobs, professional and social connections — but not in an obsessive way,” says Henrietta Bowden Jones, consultant psychiatrist at Imperial College, London, an expert on Internet addiction.

The exception seems to be gamers. That co-worker who shows up at the office bleary-eyed because he spent a dozen hours playing his favorite video game last night and it’s a regular occurrence that he cannot stop even if he tries, that’s the sign of a growing problem.

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Look around at a bar full of people. How come some can have one or two drinks – or even choose a nonalcoholic option – while others can’t stop drinking until they’re well past the point of intoxication? It’s not because they’re unaware of the health risks, the dangers of driving drunk or the other negative consequences alcohol abuse can cause. Instead, the reason may be because their brains react to alcohol differently.

A new study confirms what addiction experts have been espousing for decades: alcoholism isn’t about a lack of will power, it’s about a powerful chemical. The Science Translational Medicine journal reports findings that explain just what makes alcohol so addictive to some people and not others.

Researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to look at the distribution of chemicals in the brains of participants, which included 13 heavy social drinkers (a woman who consumes 10 to 16 drinks per week or a man who indulges in 14 to 20 drinks per week) and 12 healthy control subjects (women who drank fewer than five drinks per week and men who drank less than seven). The heavy drinkers in the study didn’t meet the criteria for alcohol dependence.

During the study, scientists found some people’s brains give them more of an opioid release when they drink, leading them to perceive alcohol as more pleasurable than other people. In the heavy drinkers who were studied, a single drink led to the release of more opioids in the orbital frontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens — two regions that play a role in reward. That reward makes the individuals in that group subconsciously learn to want that rush of pleasure again — making them seek and crave alcohol in a way they’re not even aware of.

This may also explain why alcoholics who truly desire to stop drinking may have so much trouble doing so. Once that part of the brain learns that drinking is important, it compels the individual to continue drinking – even despite negative consequences.

The researchers’ ultimate objective was to come up with new ways of treating alcohol addiction, according to Jennifer Mitchell, adjunct assistant professor at University of California, San Francisco and lead author of the study. Currently, the main drug used in alcohol treatment is Naltrexone. This drug binds to the same receptors in the brain that opioids would bind to, making the alcohol provide less of a reward. It means that pleasurable feeling that alcoholics get from drinking is greatly diminished.

Still, doctors are often hesitant to prescribe Naltrexone, partly because of the side effects, which can include headaches, nausea, irritability and achiness. Studies like this latest one help justify the search for new alternatives to Naltrexone. To do that, researchers will likely look at the role that other opioid receptors play so they can determine which receptors a drug should affect in order to get the benefits without the side effects.

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Actress Heather Locklear has been in the news lately, but it’s not welcome publicity. The former Melrose Place star landed in a Los Angeles-area hospital after her sister called 911 on January 12. The brief hospitalization was attributed to mixing prescription drugs and alcohol, according to People magazine.

Her parents quickly issued a statement through the hospital that Locklear was in no immediate danger and was healthy, while other sources suggested she was being urged by loved ones to seek treatment. Locklear, 50, has had issues with alcohol in the past, undergoing treatment in 2008 for what her reps classified as “anxiety and depression.” Just months later, she was arrested for DUI in Southern California. Now, many worry that she’s relapsed. People.com recently ran a story that cited sources who claimed the troubled actress was “out of control” in the weeks leading up to the incident.

While Locklear’s rep hasn’t commented on the actress’ condition, others suggest the end of her engagement to longtime beau Jack Wagner in November may have been a trigger. Wagner, who has been successfully in recovery, issued a cryptic message after the relationship ended, saying, “We took the pressure off and said, ‘Let’s just love each other the way we are.’” More recently, reports surfaced of a physical altercation between the exes in late December that drew the police. No charges were filed, but the incident is being reviewed by the authorities before it is determined if it will be pursued any further.

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Prescription painkillers are big business in the US, with pharmaceutical companies racing to provide the next big thing to bring in huge profits from an overmedicated American public. Now the Associated Press reports that another drug company has confirmed it has plans to market a new form of hydrocodone. This announcement has experts concerned that this new version of the powerful and addictive painkiller will only worsen an already dangerous national prescription drug problem.

The latest contender is Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals, which says its product, TD Hydrocodone, could be worth as much as $500 million annually in sales. While not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the drug is in the final stages of testing.

Teva isn’t alone in its pursuit of the next popular painkiller. Four companies have been quietly working to develop their own pure forms of hydrocodone, the AP reports. (For those not in the know, hydrocodone is the main ingredient in Vicodin, Lortab and other currently available painkillers.)

While the others have remained quiet about their products in progress, execs at the North American division of Teva offered a preview of TD Hydrocodone during an investors conference in San Francisco recently, boasting that the drug could be on the market soon.

Teva did not divulge details of the drug, but the AP cites documents filed with the National Institutes of Health that show the company has been testing 12-hour, extended-release pills containing up to 45 milligrams of pure hydrocodone. That’s in stark contrast to meds like Vicodin, which are not extended-release and contain no more than 10 milligrams of hydrocodone, mixed acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Hydrocodone, oxycodone and morphine fall into a category of painkillers known as opiates because they are chemically similar to opium. They are extremely powerful and can create a physical dependence. Users who try to stop can suffer intense withdrawal symptoms, such as muddled thinking, stomach cramps, heart palpitations and nausea.

While many experts in pain management insist opiates are needed for legitimate pain control, especially among the growing elderly population in the US, analysts see a market worth billions.

Of note to those in the field of addiction treatment, the TD in Teva’s TD Hydrocodone is said to stand for “tamper deterrent.” This is in response to the known practice of addicts crushing extended-release opiate pills to get an increased high. As a result, many drug companies are working to develop tamper-resistant technologies to combat abuse.

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Has VH1 pulled the plug on the popular show Celebrity Rehab? The network has no current plans for 2012 versions of Celebrity Rehab, or its spin-off Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House, but the official word from the network is that programs are not cancelled and future editions are off the schedule due to scheduling issues, EW.com reported.

While the Dr. Drew-hosted show has been popular, drawing a lot of publicity for the network, the idea of taking the very private process of substance abuse treatment public and showing it on the small screen has been questioned. Proponents argue that the celebrities who appear on the show ARE getting professional help — despite the cameras.

Tragedy struck last year, though, when two previous participants died. Jeff Conaway, who appeared on season two of Celebrity Rehab, passed away from complications from taking prescription medications. Season three participant and former Sober House resident Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr died after mixing Xanax and alcohol.

The network aired five seasons of Celebrity Rehab, including two editions in 2010, EW.com reported. The show, set at Southern California’s Pasadena Recovery Center, was considered a success for the network, averaging about 1 million viewers per episode, higher than the network’s 600,000 primetime average.

The shows could still return, but they remain off the schedule for now and Dr. Drew is currently focusing on his daytime CW talk show, Lifechangers.

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A princess may seem like an unlikely proponent for drug treatment, but Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has included an organization that helps those struggling with addiction in the short list of charities she plans to champion in the service of her country.

In a first step toward carving out a public role for herself separate from her husband, Prince William, the newly minted royal announced Thursday the UK charities she has chosen to support as patron. The list includes the Art Room, a group that provides art therapy to children, the National Portrait Gallery, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, the Scout Association, and Action on Addiction, which runs a network of addiction treatment centers across England.

The latter is a potentially controversial choice, but the hope is that her patronage can help remove the stigma from addiction in the way Princess Diana’s support for people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS changed public opinion about that disease.

“It’s not an easy subject for some people — but I think this sort of patronage will change that,” said Nick Barton, chief executive of Action on Addiction.

The charity helps those with addiction issues as well as providing support for families of addicts, training for professionals, and backing for research.

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When will people learn that drugs, alcohol and marriage just don’t mix? Commitment is hard enough without adding substance use or addiction to the equation. Don’t take it from the treatment professionals, though. There are plenty of celebrity examples ready and willing to serve as cautionary tales, with new ones cropping up every day.

Irish singer Sinead O’Connor just announced that she is walking away from her 16-day marriage to fourth husband Barry Herridge. The couple tied the knot Dec. 8 in a drive-through Vegas ceremony, but it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. Still, the planned union turned sour that first night, according to O’Conner’s account in Britain’s Sun newspaper.

In the interview, O’Connor admits she went on a frantic hunt for cannabis on their wedding night. “We ended up in a cab in some place that was quite dangerous,” O’Connor is quoted as telling the Sun. “I wasn’t scared — but he’s a drugs counselor. What was I thinking?” The night only got worse from there. “Then I was handed a load of crack,” O’Connor continues. “Barry was very frightened — that kind of messed everything up a bit, really.”

Still, it was O’Connor who ended the marriage, saying she did so out of “respect and love for the man.”

Meanwhile, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville rang in the New Year in Las Vegas by tying the knot with her good friend Darin Harvey, a mixed martial arts manager. It’s a union she confirmed with multiple Twitter posts that seemed alcohol-fueled, to say the least.

“I’m married again – suuuuuuck it!” Glanville tweeted, adding, “It wasn’t planned and we will handle it, but good times!” She also posted pics of the nuptials on the social media site. The newlyweds then headed to a strip club to celebrate.

By Monday, the alcohol had worn off and the groom tweeted it was just a “drunken BFF thing.” Glanville went further, denying the marriage was even legal and tweeting, “We were just having fun!”

Glanville was previously married to actor Eddie Cibrian, with whom she has two children. The couple divorced in late 2010 and Cibrian wed LeAnn Rimes in 2011.

While adults are free to marry and divorce whomever they please, incidents like these (along with the quickie Vegas marriages of Britney Spears and Jason Allen Alexander, Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra, Nicky Hilton and Todd Meister) help make the case that heavy partying and lifelong commitment don’t mix well. Drugs and alcohol aren’t just dangerous, they also impair the ability to make good decisions. You don’t need to have a substance abuse problem or be battling an alcohol addiction to be negatively affected, either.

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Any death is sad, and death as a result of a disease — especially one that could have been treated — is especially tragic. As 2011 comes to an end, it’s time to look back at the famous faces we lost this year to the tenacious disease of addiction. Some deaths were directly traced back to current substance use, while others were the result of poor health related to past substance abuse.

While 27-year-old singer Amy Winehouse had accomplished so much in her young life, her talent was often overshadowed by her alcoholism and drug use. The performer was reportedly working to overcome her addiction when she was found dead July 23 in her London apartment. The cause of death was determined to be alcohol poisoning.

Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr had a very public battle with drug addiction, chronicled in part on the third season of VH1′s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. He was found dead March 8, at age 44.

Another bassist, Mikey Welsh, who had played with the rock band Weezer before retiring to pursue an art career, died in Chicago on Oct. 8. He was found dead in his hotel room from a suspected drug overdose that led to a heart attack. Two weeks earlier, Welsh predicted his death in a Twitter post, saying, “dreamt i died in chicago next weekend (heart attack in my sleep). need to write my will today.” followed by “correction – the weekend after next.” Welsh played on Weezer’s 2001 Green Album, featuring the hit song “Hash Pipe.”

Jeff Conaway was best known for his roles in the movie Grease and the TV series Taxi. In later years, he also became known for his longtime battle with addiction. Conaway died May 27 after two weeks in a medically induced coma. The official cause of death for the 60-year-old was pneumonia, but his problem with pain meds surely played a role.

Jackass fans were stunned to hear of the death of 34-year-old Ryan Dunn, known for his dangerous stunts and tricks. He was killed June 20 in a fiery car crash that police later said resulted from alcohol and driving at high speeds. Dunn tweeted pictures earlier in the evening that appeared to show him drinking at a Pennsylvania bar.

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Longtime fans of MTV’s The Real World may remember watching in shock as cast member Ruthie’s alcohol problem surged out of control during 1999’s Hawaii-based season. Over on Survivor, Jessica “Sugar” Kiper was reportedly suicidal following the show and engaged in several addictions, landing her on the fifth season of Celebrity Rehab. Reality TV’s meteoric rise in popularity has come with an interesting side effect: A firsthand view of addiction. Many of these programs have inadvertently showcased meltdowns by reality stars that continue to publically spiral downward or enter treatment.

The latest reality TV personality to hit bottom while the cameras rolled is Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards. A former child star and aunt of celebutante Paris Hilton, Richards entered treatment last week for what People magazine called “alcohol abuse and other problems.”

As with many who struggle with addiction, it isn’t her first time seeking professional help. Last season, her substance abuse issues were the subject of a major blow-up between Kim and her sister Kyle, who also appears on the show. This season, her erratic behavior has continued. In one episode, Richards seemed to be slurring her words, causing co-stars to question her sobriety. The official explanation was that she was taking anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications, along with an anti-seizure medication, which can be used to treat alcoholism.

According to the People article, Kim’s family is relieved she’s getting help and fans of the show are wishing her well. It also raises the question of whether these reality shows expose people’s weaknesses and pain. Obviously, reality star wannabes don’t sign up to appear on TV, thinking their biggest problems will be made public. On the positive side, the pressure cooker that is reality TV may bring simmering issues to the surface faster than they would if the cameras weren’t there. If this results in individuals getting help, that’s a good thing.

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