Media coverage: 2 November 2003
The Priory,
rest home for troubled stars, is accused of 'cynical commercialism'
It is the most famous name in British psychiatry and the clinic of choice for troubled and addicted celebrities such as Michael Barrymore, Paula Yates and Caroline Aherne.
The Priory has pioneered the treatments for our times, for drug, alcohol and even sex addictions. But its latest range of therapies, tailored to the way we live now, for illnesses ranging from mobile-phone texting addiction to compulsive spread-betting, is under attack. One critic even goes so far as to accuse the Priory Group of operating its businesses "like a McDonald's restaurant" and condemned its "cynical" commercial drive to sell therapy to the mass market.
The healthcare company, which treats more than 6,000 addicts a year, says it is committed to destigmatising mental illness and is merely ahead of the competition in identifying the latest trends in addiction. High-earning clients such as Kate Moss and Ronnie Wood expect to pay more than £2,000 for a week's stay, but half of the patients treated by the Priory are referred by the NHS. Karen Croft, spokeswoman for the Priory Group, said its charges for NHS patients were "comparable with or below" official guideline prices and that patients referred to them from the NHS required more intensive one-to-one sessions than private clients.
"We offer a very intensive, tailor-made service which you can't get care of the NHS," she said. "Every patient is treated as an individual. What we want to do is to raise the issue of addiction. We have seen a rise in behavioural addictions. Gambling is a well-recognised behavioural addiction. Sex addiction is an issue. If we notice a trend, it's a genuine trend."
"Counsellors and psychotherapists are puzzled by this labelling process," said Phillip Hodson, a fellow of the BACP. "There is no physiological basis for this use of the term 'addiction'... Labels like 'sex addiction' and 'love addiction' are nothing more than a response to the body's own adrenaline production."
In his opinion, people are paying for the kudos attached to the Priory name.
"Their service is first class and they use a lot of first-class therapists - the question is what's the actual bill," he said. "They've noticed the publicity they're getting and they're realising the investment. I don't think it's a question of making money, it's a question of how much. If therapists on average cost X pounds or less and a private clinic costs X more, you have to ask why. The Priory is very expensive."
Extract Source: Independent, 2 November 2003