Is rehab a place for kids?

Dr. Michelle Golland: Whitney brought her teenage daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to her 30-day rehab stay so she could fully explain to her what had gone wrong in her mother's life. She believes this was an invaluable experience for her and her daughter. While on Oprah, Whitney went on to say that she couldn't lie to her daughter, and wanted her to know that her horrible drug addiction problems were associated with the lifestyle they were keeping. I also wonder if she did not want to leave her at home with her father, Bobby Brown.

It seems to me that there is a case to be made for why Whitney felt the need to bring her daughter with her to rehab. It may be best for her daughter, who may have grown up relatively fast with two drug-addicted parents, to understand the danger and damage that drugs and drug addiction can cause. This may be an effective tool to help her daughter avoid the perils and pitfalls that she herself did not avoid.

I am assuming that being in this program together allowed the two of them to be in counseling individually and together. I also hope her daughter was able to be involved in group therapy with other children of addicts. Being able to understand the experience of other kids going through the same issue would be tremendously helpful for Bobbi Kristina. This would allow her to not blame herself for her parents' addictions, and realize the emotional impact it had on her to grow up in a home with drug- and alcohol-dependent parents. Whitney's daughter is going to have a lot of feelings of anger and sadness, which will need to be dealt with in her own therapy -- that is clear.

Drug and alcohol addiction is a family affair. Nobody comes out unscathed from living in this type of chaotic environment -- least of all the children. Whitney bringing her daughter to rehab may have been one of the smartest things she has ever done -- other than leaving Bobby Brown.

Dr. Michelle Golland is a USC graduate and a licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY#16974). She works with adults, teens and is an expert in the field of marriage and relationships. Dr. Michelle Golland has given her expert advice on CNN, HLN, MSNBC, ABC, and Fox news. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two wonderfully exhausting children.