An Evening with Doctor Drew Pinsky

Long-Time Listener, First-Time Caller

In the nascent days of my media career, I used to spend Sunday nights driving between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. My only companion was a quirky little radio show called Loveline that emanated from station KROQ ("ROQ of the Eighties"). The show was part voyeuristic sideshow and part medical Dear Abby - always seeming to border on the brink of total anarchy as callers from Southern California bared their souls to a Greek chorus of in-studio celebrities (rock stars, comedians, adult film icons) in a collection of sordid scenarios, chaotic relationships and a few truly somber heart-wrenching tales. Since that time, the show has become a nationwide syndicated radio phenomenon, seen more co-hosts (Jim "Poorman" Trenton, Riki Rachtman, Adam Carolla, et al) than Spinal Tap has drummers, and spun off into TV reality via various Celebrity Rehab incarnations on cable. Yet through it all, there has remained one constant; the anchor, the ringmaster, the voice of reason who seems to keep it all from careening over the edge – Board Certified Physician and Addiction Medicine Specialist "Dr. Drew" Pinsky.

So as I sat staring at the Arlington theatre stage Thursday night, barren except for a podium and stool, I couldn't help but wonder, "How will this evening play out? Where exactly, on the spectrum between radio anonymity and the glaring spotlight of televised celebrity meltdown, will this fall?" My curiosity was soon assuaged as Dr. Drew took the stage, grabbed the mic and requested that the night be a dialogue, not a lecture, with ample audience interaction, direction and Q&A.

The doctor launched into the origins of his mission, passion and fascination (addiction?) for addiction medicine, recounting his early days as an intern in a California psychiatric facility, where there were no structured, systematic protocols for treatment, addiction wasn't truly understood or even classified as a disease, and therapy options were scarce with counseling consisting of the advice, "Don't hang out in bad neighborhoods." From there, Pinsky, gave a fascinating crash course in the actual science of dependence and how even today, there remains a void in medical teaching and practice regarding addiction therapy and pathology.

Several microphones were disseminated among the theater audience to facilitate access and interaction, and the doctor took the opportunity to boldly call out any crack addicts present. Surprisingly, one brave soul, several months clean, came forth and the two discussed the euphoric high associated with the first hit and the insidious cycle of insanity that follows as the user continuously tries to emulate the feeling of that initial rush through subsequent hits, while the drug ultimately takes over the primal cortex of the brain that regulates affective systems.

The evening began to resemble the format of the radio show (albeit with faces to match the voices) as audience members took to the microphones, with questions, comments and confessions flowing freely. Dr. Drew actively engaged the audience, dispensing his renowned brand of unflinching admonition to all comers, from the frustrated girlfriend of an abusive alcoholic (advice: leave or go to Al-anon, but "get off the dance floor") to a recovering marijuana addict (today's industrial strength pot actually loses it's efficacy on the chronic user over the years often leading to depression and extreme susceptibility to meth – again, the cycle of trying to re-create that original "high").

Pinsky also revealed fascinating insights into the cult of celebrity and narcissism: Based on his own study (none previously existed), many celebrities have a history of childhood trauma, creating the desire for love and acceptance.

• The pharmaceutical industry: There are drugs on the market today that can trigger dependence instantly.
• California's recently defeated Proposition 19: No political view, but "Illegality precipitates treatment."
• Alcoholism: Markers for predisposition include early usage and high tolerance in adolescents. This same genetic tolerance also extends far into the animal kingdom, even among fruit flies.

And no evening with Dr. Drew would be complete without sex.

The doctor elucidated at length, today's "hook-up culture" prevalent at UCSB and other fine campuses across the nation. In essence, the social landscape at most universities is comprised of commitment-free sexual encounters ("hooking-up") 96% of which are alcohol fueled, in lieu of actual relationships. Why the drunken "friends with benefits?" Alarmingly, according to Drew, it's different for girls - many drink to alleviate any emotions or feelings associated with the intimacy.

With over 25 years experience on the air, you'd think the good doctor would have heard and seen it all by now. And yet the continuing necessity of programs like Loveline was reinforced by one of the last audience members to approach the microphone: a young mother who extolled the virtues of her two sons, "Leaders, not followers" who would never become addicts or engage in hook-ups, despite a father who held a gun to their head and told them he didn't need them. A collective cringe of disbelief fell over the audience as Drew winced and said, "They will. They will. It will most likely manifest in their future romantic relationships. I hope I'm wrong, but probably not."

And when that time comes, hopefully there will be a place like Loveline to turn for insight, information and tough love, still taking long time listeners and first-time callers.