Two Steps Back

The President's niece has had her share of troublewith drugs.

By Colin Allen, published on October 01, 2002 - last reviewed on August 18, 2004

Noelle Bush, daughter of Florida Governor Jeb Bush, was placed under custody on October 17, 2002, for 10 days after she was found in possession of crack cocaine while undergoing treatment in a drug rehabilitation center. The highly publicized case highlights the difficulties faced in treating drug addiction. Even after successfully completing a treatment program, recovering addicts face a lifetime of recuperation.

Treatment programs are designed to be effective over the long-term. In rehab, addicts are taught about the life span of drug abuse, such as its progressive nature and debilitating effects. Intensive psychological therapy is also implemented to help addicts understand how poor mental health can perpetuate addiction.

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After 18 years of working in the field of addiction in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Sandra Davis, Ph.D., remarks that achieving full remission may mean finding new friends and new hobbies while leaving all of the old behind. "What you are saying to a person is, 'Oh, by the way, you are going to have change your whole life when you leave here,'" says Davis.

Thus far, Noelle Bush has apparently been unsuccessful in rebuilding her life. She was first admitted to the drug rehabilitation center in January after a failed attempt to forge a prescription for anti-depressants. This is her second incarceration since her enrollment in the treatment program.