Is Tough Love the Best Approach for Troubled Children?

Jan. 6, 2010— -- After ruling out foul play authorities say it may be weeks before they know the cause of death for socialite Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune who was found dead in her Los Angeles home on Monday.

The family of Johnson, dubbed the "Band-Aid princess," ranks tenth in Forbes' list of wealthiest families with a fortune estimated at $13 billion.

But the privileged life of the 30-year-old was not as it appeared and Johnson, who was engaged to reality TV star Tila Tequila, battled drug and alcohol addiction, had run-ins with the law and even reportedly struggled financially. The Johnson family reportedly cut her off and their tough love approach has sparked a debate over the best way to handle troubled children.

"I was used to going to Bergdorf's with a personal shopper and charging it to my dad. Growing up, when it was my turn to handle my own money it was a problem," Johnson told LXTV.com in an interview two years ago.

In December Johnson's Porsche was impounded and a nanny service won a $20,000 judgment against her, TMZ reported.

The Johnson family reportedly used a "tough love" approach with Casey and cut her off from the family fortune and took custody of her adoptive daughter.

Other high-profile families, such as Pierce Brosnan and Martin Sheen, have used a tough love tactic with their children. But Terry Real, a family therapist and relationship expert, cautioned families against taking drastic measures.

"If someone has a really bad drug or alcohol problem giving them money is putting bullets in a gun for Russian roulette," Real said on "Good Morning America" this morning.

While the details of what transpired between Johnson and her family are not clear, Real said "shunning" a child and cutting him or her off completely is "barbaric" and "destructive."

"Don't feed the addiction but don't cut off the person," Real said.

Instead Real suggested taking it step-by-step with your son or daughter and continue trying to communicate. Real explained that cutting a child off financially is different than cutting them off emotionally.