Bobbi Kristina's 'Self-Medicating' Could Lead to Death, Says Recovery Professional
Whitney Houston's 19-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, may have adopted her mother's addictive personality, according to a professional who recently witnessed a video of her smoking what appears to be marijuana from a bong.
Ben Levenson, CEO and co-founder of Origins Recovery Centers in South Padre Island, Texas, shared with The Christian Post why he believes Brown may need to re-think which people she associates with. According to Levenson, some of Brown's friends may be acting as enablers, which could lead the teen onto a path of addiction.
"Addiction needs resources to survive; whether it's a blind-eye, denial, or in the form of financial and emotional support, enablers rarely realize when they are doing more harm than good," Levenson told CP. " In the case of Bobbi Kristina, she has a network of friends, family and staff that have clearly demonstrated they are ill-equipped to properly combat addiction."
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The addiction expert said Brown needs to seek professional treatment, and may need boundaries set for her until that happens.
"With regards to Bobbi Kristina, these boundaries must include discontinuing access to trust funds, closing credit card accounts, having locks changed at her residences, not allowing her to see her nieces, nephews and cousins, and more," Levenson said. "Ultimately, the constellation of enablers surrounding her must strongly dis-empower her continued walk into the darkness. They must make it impossibly expensive, through taking away the things she values (money, relationships, perks) until and unless she enters a long-term, clinically-sophisticated treatment center like Origins."
Brown, who is reportedly in talks to star in a new reality television show about life after losing her mother, may have a higher chance of battling substance abuse because of her background with fame. Levenson said this could be dangerous for her and a reason that she is self-medicating, if that is indeed the case.
"Let's not beat around the bush. By virtue of the world of privilege and fame she grew up in, Bobbi has extensive clinical challenges ahead of her that will complicate her ability to recover," Levenson said. "She's in tremendous internal pain and strife right now -- an addict's worst nightmare. She is medicating, just as her mom and dad have, in order to mitigate her spiritual turmoil."
The recovery specialist said that Brown may be on a path of destruction that may ultimately lead to her death.
"I was exactly where she is," Levenson said. "Her mom died this way and if her addiction and other clinical problems (e.g. grief and loss, trauma) continue to progress un-arrested, she will die too!"
