Next Steps for America's Pop Tart

Next Steps for America's Pop Tart

LOS ANGELES, March 2, 2007— Having seemingly settled into a rehab clinic after two false starts, the next step for Britney Spears will be finding a way to cope with life once she's back in the real world after her discharge from the luxurious confines of the Promises treatment center.

Last week, pop's former princess checked into the Malibu rehab center after increasingly bizarre behavior that culminated in her shaving her head.

And experts predict that once she is allowed to return home, Spears will certainly have a tough road ahead of her. She will need her friends to rally around her, which should lessen the chance of a relapse, while her handlers must do their best to ensure that this episode provides a positive message to her army of young fans. "A support network of the right people will be vital to Britney when she gets out," Dr. Edward Dreyfus, who specializes in clinical psychiatry, told ABC News.

And if her hair has grown back by the time she checks out of Promises, then Spears could well be tearing it out again because of the paparazzi frenzy that awaits her discharge. "Stars are treated like royalty by those who surround them, but often it's people who don't care about the person inside and are just trying to get their 10 or 15 percent," said Dreyfus.

A spokesman from Promises told ABC News Tuesday that they "have an aftercare program," and they "do not want to either confirm or deny" news reports that Spears has paid for a number of rooms so she that has the privacy of an entire wing to herself.

Upon release, Spears will be given details on nearby AA-style programs and will be encouraged to stay in contact with a counselor at the clinic. Wednesday night, she attended a 12-step meeting near the clinic, the first time she was seen outside its walls.

"The chance of relapse varies with each individual, but there's a fairly high risk of it," said Dr. Bruce Spring, an assistant professor in clinical psychiatry at the University of Southern California. "Factors such as personality, life situation and genetics all play their part, but if a patient's friends are addicts, then they're in trouble. Follow-up treatment is extremely important."

Maintaining focus is vital for those fresh out of rehab. Russ McDowell is program director at People in Progress, a clinic in North Hollywood. Though it is a very different environment from the plush surroundings of Promises, McDowell says that while media attention can exemplify stress, post-treatment recovery is no different for those in the limelight.

Source: ABC News