In the land of fame and fortune, one vacation option is on the up. Amy Winehouse said "no, no, no" to it, but more and more stars are saying "yes". Rehab — it's the new holiday choice for troubled souls.
It's a getaway and self-improvement camp rolled into one, offering five-star amenities, dazzling settings, exorbitant room rates plus a panel of world-class doctors to treat addictions, neuroses, depressions, angst, stress, sadness and strain.
Rehab — a rite-of-passage for any self-respecting celebrity. Some use it as a public apology (Isaiah Washington was sent there after his anti-gay slur). For others, rehab is a chance to deal with family issues, often the underlying causes of addiction (Lindsay Lohan worked out her father issues).
When an escape from scorn and scandal is needed, rehab is often the first port of call (Kate Moss fled to Arizona's Meadows after being outed in a tabloid-cocaine bonanza; Mel Gibson checked in after his drunken anti-Semitic rage).
In 2007 Lindsay Lohan spent a considerable amount of time at the Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah; so did Eva Mendes , Mary Kate Olsen and Kristen Dunst dropped by to treat her — ahem — depression.
Overlooking Robert Redford's Sundance resort in the Rocky Mountains, the lodge derives its name from the gorgeous glacier-carved Cascade Cirque high in the Wasatch Range. Once a television studio, there is an impressive indoor climbing course on its 17,000-foot converted soundstage.
The retreat offers two main facilities in an après ski setting for troubled souls — the Lodge and the Studio. Privacy is closely guarded and the facility holds family week each month.
Hidden in London's Roehampton, The Priory draws stars such as Pete Doherty, Kate Moss and Jade Goody in behind its gothic arches and sanitised white walls. It's the oldest private hospital in London, the answer to America's Betty Ford Center.
Ms Moss checked in after her relationship with Johnny Depp ended in 1998, emerging two months later to claim she spent the whole of the '90s drunk. She nearly set fire to the place with a meditation candle — a Freudian slip if ever there was one.
After her cocaine scandal in 2005 Moss checked into Arizona's The Meadows, joining an alumni that includes Robbie Williams, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Elle Macpherson.
Based high in the Sonoran Desert and bejewelled by clear skies and mountain views, The Meadows treat the root problem of an individual's disorder and not just the symptoms, such as addiction. The centre also offers holistic therapies such as yoga and acupuncture as well as art therapy and small group sessions. Participants taking part in group activities are asked not to wear distracting clothing, such as mini skirts and halter tops.
Some celebrities such as Eric Clapton, have opened their own rehab centres. His Crossroads Centre in Antigua is a palm-fringed paradise where Britney Spears spent 24 hours in 2007. With a breathtaking backdrop, a holistic yoga teacher and acupuncturist, this one guarantees to be a relaxing time.
Within a stone's throw to Beverly Hills you have three rehab treatment facilities favoured by the Hollywood elite. The Wonderland Center has seen celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Mike Tyson check in to this hotel-style retreat in charming Laurel Canyon. Earlier in 2007 the celebrity press published articles claiming Lohan was getting special treatment. Her agent barked back: "This isn't the Betty Ford Clinic, it's not a lockdown facility. This is personal time." Personal time, Beverly Hills style.
At Passages Malibu stars such as Natasha Lyonne have taken refuge in the plush surroundings and beachside location that make Passages a luxury-boutique rehab experience if ever there was one. For around US$40,000 a month they are definitely at the high end of the rehab spectrum. The centre hosts around 30 patients a month, and all have relaxing views over the ocean, as well as luxuriously appointed rooms.
Charlie Sheen, Ben Affleck, Britney Spears and — again — Lindsay Lohan have payed US$1600 a night to stay at the luxurious Promises rehab centre. Here, a detailed program including cognitive behaviour therapy, massage, group counselling and relapse prevention workshops are tailored to fit each client's needs (patients here are called clients, giving it an air of showbiz formality).
With a maximum of 18 clients in residence at any one time, each individual is assigned a 'core treatment team': a primary therapist, family therapist and, if necessary, drug and alcohol detox specialists.
Promises states on its website that it's not a day spa, country club or networking opportunity. Even the rich and famous aren't allowed to run down to the beach (rumours about Lohan's escapades here must have been just that).
The centre's slogan — 'where hope and healing begins' — touches the lives of many types of people (examples given on the website include celebrities, business executives, grandparents, heads of state and college students).
The original — but apparently not the best ... for those celebs who like the plush side of penance. You won't find water views, five-star rooms, pampering spas or award-winning cuisine here. Instead you'll get a simple program based on the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous one, beginning with a request for help from god — any god will do, as the centre is non-denominational.
Betty Ford has housed a who's who of stars, including Drew Barrymore, Tony Curtis, Billy Joel, Tammy Wynette, Robert Mitchum, Liza Minnelli, Bobby Brown, Elizabeth Taylor, Stevie Nicks, Johnny Cash, Alice Cooper, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Urban and David Hasselhoff.
Run by a group of Buddhist nuns and monks, this retreat costs you nothing and is based on the Buddhist principle that we alone are responsible for our own suffering. The practices monks use on addicts include forced vomiting and bitter herbs to expel impurities, with a secret detoxification potion made up of 100 Asian herbs.
The opium and heroin rehabilitation program started in 1959 and has treated 100,000 addicts, including Pete Doherty. The centre also housed the Hmong refugees who fled from Laos after the Vietnam War, and at one time the centre housed 16,000. Many of these refugees have also been treated for opium addictions, since it is found easily in the highlands of Thailand.
Be sure to check out our photo gallery of celeb rehab by clicking here: 
Are celebs making a mockery of rehabilitation and addiction by their frequent forays and inevitable slip-ups?
