''Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew'' is a VH1

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...

show that documents people being treated for

sexual addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The c ...

by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. Premiering on November 1, 2009, ''Sex Rehab'' was a spin-off of ''

Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', later called simply ''Rehab with Dr. Drew'', is a reality television show that aired on the cable network VH1 in which many of the episodes chronicle a group of well-known people as they are treated for alco ...

'', in which Pinsky treats celebrities for substance abuse.

Premise

''Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew'' is a spinoff of '' Celebrity Rehab'', in which celebrities who have substance

addictions Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...

deal with their illness. Unlike its predecessor, this show specifically addresses

. The participants live in a facility for 21 days with Dr.

Drew Pinsky David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958), commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American media personality, internist, and addiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show '' Loveline'' from the show's incept ...

and Jill Vermeire providing daily one-on-one and group therapy sessions in order to address the psychological and psychiatric roots of their compulsive behavior.

Cast

Staff

- Pinsky is the star of the show, and the lead specialist who treats the patients. A

board-certified Board certification is the process by which a physician or other professional demonstrates a mastery of advanced knowledge and skills through written, practical, or simulator-based testing. Certification bodies There are more than 25 boards that ...

internist and

addiction medicine Addiction medicine is a medical subspecialty that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, evaluation, treatment, and recovery of persons with addiction, of those with substance-related and addictive disorders, and of people who show unhealthy u ...

specialist, he rose to fame as the host of the nationally syndicated

radio talk show Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

, ''

Loveline ''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pin ...

'', and star of ''

'', of which ''Sex Rehab'' is a spinoff. *Jill Vermeire, MFT - A sex addiction therapist. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC #41255) who received her Masters in Clinical Psychology at

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and th ...

. *Selma - Lead Technician. She was fired in Episode 6 following an altercation between her and patient

Kari Ann Peniche Kari Ann Peniche Williams ( ) (born March 20, 1984) is an American actress and entertainer from Fairview, Oregon. She has held the Miss Oregon Teen USA and Miss United States Teen titles. She was stripped of the latter title after appearing nud ...

. *Louis - Resident Technician. *John Sealy - A psychiatrist who appears in two episodes for one-on-one sessions with Kari Ann and Duncan. According to cast member Duncan Roy, he also acts as a consultant for the production.

Roy, Duncan Duncan Roy (born 8 July 1960) is an English film director and producer, script writer, art director and television personality. Early life Roy was born on 8 July 1960, in Whitstable, Kent, England to Frances Elizabeth Spark and Kuros Khazaei. Fr ...

"Is Dr. Drew a Phony?"
''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

''; December 17, 2009 *Shelly Sprague - An alumna of ''

'', Shelly is a Resident Technician who runs the floor, and a recovering addict herself. She met Pinsky through

Bob Forrest Robert O'Neil "Bob" Forrest (born February 15, 1961) is an American musician who is best known for his work with the Los Angeles bands Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief. Forrest, a recovering drug addict, has worked for years as a recover ...

, a fellow recovering addict and colleague of Drew's with whom Sprague used to do drugs. She runs a center at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, California. Nicknamed "The Shark", she arrives in Episode 6 to replace Selma.

Patients

Jennifer Ketcham Jennifer "Jennie" Ketcham is an American writer, reality television personality, blogger, and artist. Before 2009, she worked as a pornographic film actress and director under the name Penny Flame. She later appeared on a number of television ...

– porn actress (Penny Flame)/director/businesswoman * James Lovett – Surfer/ wakeboarder *

Nicole Narain Nicole Narain (born July 28, 1974) is an American model, actress and Playboy Playmate of Afro-Caribbean descent. Career She was chosen as ''Playboy'''s Playmate of the Month in January 2002 and has appeared in numerous ''Playboy'' videos. ...

– Model/

Playboy Playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Play ...

– Beauty queen/model /fashion designer *

Kendra Jade Rossi Kendra Jade (born April 19, 1977) is an American model, actress, and former adult film star. Jade appeared on the VH1 reality television series ''Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew'' and ''Sober House''. During these shows, Jade was treated for sex addic ...

– Ex-porn star/music manager * Duncan Roy - Producer/writer/director *

Amber Smith Amber Smith is an American actress and former model. Early life Amber Smith is the daughter of Carol Smith. During her 2008 and 2009 appearances on the reality television programs in which she sought treatment by Dr. Drew Pinsky for addiction, s ...

– Model/reality TV star/actress * Phil Varone – Musician/comedian

Production

Patient

's aggressive and erratic behavior marred her participation in the treatment program. She would verbally abuse the staff and other patients, refuse to participate in group discussions or obey rules, and voice various bizarre or paranoid ideations, such as people laughing at her when they apparently were not, and smiling uncontrollably even when angry or discussing very sad topics. Dr. Pinsky became suspicious that she was using illicit substances, or had been prior to being admitted, and the staff psychiatrist diagnosed her as having Borderline Personality Disorder, both of which require treatment before any treatment can be done for sexual addiction. She was eventually discharged involuntarily for failing to obey the rules. Pinsky offered her an alternative program at a psychiatric hospital nearby, but she angrily refused.

Criticism

Drew Pinsky, producer John Irwin and Irwin Entertainment, which produce the show, have been criticized by addiction specialists in regard to '' Celebrity Rehab'', from which ''Sex Rehab'' was spun off, for allegedly poor treatment techniques. With respect to ''Sex Rehab'' in particular, alumnus Duncan Roy has criticized the show's producers for prioritizing titillation and drama over rehabilitation for the patients in terms of casting, filming tactics and their editing choices, claiming that they instigated the behavior that resulted in

's expulsion from the program in order to create a more watchable program. Roy has also questioned Pinsky's competence, saying that Jill Vermeire and Dr. John Sealy were his true source of therapeutic insight, and that while Pinsky is adept at treating drug and alcohol addiction, he is not knowledgeable in

sex addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The c ...

, and merely repeated Vermeire's ideas. Roy further alleged that Sealy, whom Roy perceived as genuinely interested in helping sex addicts, confided in him that the producers had other motivations, and kept his involvement in the show minimal because he was not telegenic enough.

Episodes

After filming

Duncan Roy moved from his

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...

estate to a small Hollywood apartment, where he is co-star

's neighbor. Kari Ann Peniche appeared on the third season of '' Celebrity Rehab'', during which it was confirmed that when entering the unit in ''Sex Rehab'', she had smuggled

speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude Magnitude may refer to: Mathematics *Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction *Magnitude (ma ...

in a

teddy bear A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy b ...

. Peniche, Rossi and Ketcham later appeared on the second season of '' Sober House''. Ketcham, along with Pinsky, discussed her path into porn and her addictions to both sex and drugs, as well as her recovery, in a March 17, 2010 appearance on '' The View''. She explained that she had taken a vow of abstinence for a year when she completed treatment, but that after nine months, she met a man with whom she was in a committed monogamous relationship, and who supported her recovery by attending meetings with her.Ketcham described her early life and her path to porn and sex addiction in her March 17, 2010 appearance on '' The View''.

References

External links

* {{VH1 original programming 2000s American reality television series 2009 American television series debuts 2009 American television series endings English-language television shows American television spin-offs VH1 original programming