Veteran journalist and public relations pro Keith Jajko has released a raw memoir, "Rehab All-Star: Experiences & Escapades in Substance Abuse Treatment Centers," pulling back the curtain on the multi-billion-dollar recovery industry. The book chronicles Jajko's 14-year odyssey involving 13 rehab stays across five inpatient centers in two states.
KAHULUI, Hawaii, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Author Keith Jajko pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion-dollar substance abuse treatment industry in his raw memoir, "Rehab All-Star: Experiences & Escapades in Substance Abuse Treatment Centers." The book details Jajko's 14-year odyssey with 13 rehab stays at five inpatient centers in two states, offering both anecdotal observations and real-life examples of life inside rehabs.
Jajko's journey is rooted in contradiction: he spent decades as a high-achieving professional, becoming a staff writer for a major Los Angeles-area newspaper, serving on nonprofit boards, and working as a political aide and business operator. All the while, he secretly maintained an "unhealthy consumption of alcohol and drugs" that eventually became "too enormous to hide." He began an institutional odyssey with outpatient medical care, leading to his first inpatient treatment in 2012.
The book's title highlights the author's paradox. Inside treatment environments, Jajko becomes an "all-star," abiding by rules and expectations, while utilizing his skills and experiences to help other clients and even some facilities. However, outside the structured environment, he is a self-described "Little Leaguer," unable to consistently apply lessons learned, resulting in recurring relapses.
"Rehab All-Star" offers a unique perspective on a system not many experience multiple times, covering facilities from the mountains and the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California, to Hawaii. Jajko notes recovery experiences during monumental changes in the industry, observing how federal health policy, specifically the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has mandated health plans cover behavioral health services, fundamentally changing how the recovery industry operates.
Foreword author James Swanson describes the book as shocking, detailing periods of unmanageable chaos including "hookers, hotel rooms, drugs, guns, and sleeping on the streets in winter." Jajko's goal in sharing his difficult story is to help others avoid his cycle and to ease anxiety for those first considering substance abuse treatment. He provides comprehensive insights into rules, structures, financial incentives, and personalities involved.
The book is for those enduring addiction, as well as parents and friends of sufferers who seek help for an illness often misunderstood. Jajko stresses the importance of recognizing the problem as a "life-threatening mental malady" requiring daily attention.
Keith Jajko, a veteran journalist and public relations professional, began his recovery journey in mid-2009.
Media Contact
Keith Jajko, Keith Jajko Communications, 1 8083030390, [email protected]
SOURCE Keith Jajko Communications
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