London, Jan 9: Chevy Chase says that he is grateful to former US First Lady Betty Ford, wife of former US president Gerald Ford (1974-77), for helping him to get treatment for an addiction to painkillers at her clinic in 1980s.

Writing in the New York Times column following the former President's death on December 26, 2006, the 63 year old comedy actor admits that if it wasn't for Betty Ford, he would not have received the required help for his problem.

"If it hadn't been for the courage of Mr Ford's wife, Betty, for admitting to an alcohol problem, I would never have received the help I needed," the BBC quoted him, as saying.

Chase required rehabilitation in a Betty Ford clinic in the 1980s to counter a painkiller habit after suffering back problems.

"During my short stay there, he often saw Mrs Ford personally surveying the clinic and generously offering a helping hand, "he said.

The 'Fletch' actor became famous as former US President Gerald Ford's impersonator after depicting him as an accident prone, awkward person on 1970's TV programme 'Saturday Night live'.

Chase was later requested to lunch with the Ford family, and observed that the President too had a great sense of wittiness about his reputation for clumsiness, joking that he would not activate a video recorder in Chase's company in case he got electrocuted.

Chase added that he has been requested by many to comment on his rapport with the President, but he declined to do it out of the immense reverence he had for his family.

--- ANI

http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=76972

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NOTE from Addiction Alternatives [publisher of this site, AddictionInfo]: The Betty Ford Center is a 12-Step oriented program; to learn about criticisms of this approach, and alternatives, see the section Self Help Groups
http://www.addictioninfo.org/categories/Help-Yourself/Self-Help-Groups/