Expert: Octomom's rehab, porn career bode ill for her 14 children

Octomom Shows off Her Bikini Body?

It's true. She is wearing a bikini. On a magazine, no less.

LOS ANGELES – Nadya “Octomom” Suleman has parted ways with her 14 children for at least a month, having checked herself into the Chapman House Drug Rehabilitation Center in Southern California last week for prescription pill addiction as well as “anxiety, exhaustion and stress.”

“Ms. Suleman has been taking Xanax that was prescribed by her doctor to deal with her anxiety but she felt she needed a treatment program to help with her recovery,” a rep for Suleman told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “She will be in treatment for 28 days or more if needed.”

Despite initial reports that Suleman is receiving treatment free of charge, despite being able to afford it herself due to her burgeoning career as a porn star, her rep also insisted that she is paying her own way.

“Although the rehab offered to treat her at no charge, Ms. Suleman opted to pay for the program,” the rep continued.

And while most addiction specialists acknowledge that Suleman’s health and well being is of primary importance, there is some concern over how much her bevy of kids may suffer without motherly contact for such an extended period of time.

“Children always suffer when their mother is absent for that many days straight, but if Nadya has an addiction problem then she is most likely already absent from her children either mentally, emotionally or even physically,” explained Patrick Wanis PhD, human behavior expert and teaching consultant at Milestones Ranch Malibu Treatment Center. “Hopefully the clinic will get to the root cause of her problems and any past traumas, as well as help her find a support system for when she leaves the clinic and goes back to the real world.”

However Velvet Mangan, founder of Safe Harbor Treatment Center for Women, one of the leading women’s drug and alcohol treatment programs, stressed that the stigma of leaving children behind when entering treatment is the reason why many women do not get the help they need.

“It is absolutely a step in the right direction that she checked into rehab. Hopefully she will continue to stay on the long road to recovery,” she said.

Despite the concern for her children’s care, caretakers for the young ones are reportedly pleased she is temporarily out of the picture.

According to TMZ, Octomom has enlisted three nannies and two friends and calls twice a day with specific instructions regarding how to care for each child. While on nanny told the website that it has been helpful to hear from her, it’s apparently easier to tend to the children without her constant presence barking orders.

Yet there is also some cause for concern with regards to Suleman’s newfound career in the adult industry. Suleman is reportedly no longer be drawing welfare as she is attracting six figures through stripping,  in addition to lucrative deals starring in such films as the X-rated flick “Home Alone.”

“A porn career is highly detrimental for children because it will create a host of problems for the children ranging from potential abandonment issues to attachment anxiety, betrayal, self-image issues, sexual objectification, disruption of their own natural sexual development, self-loathing, shame and confusion over personal boundaries,” explained Wanis. “Also children naturally copy and emulate their parents so it is also highly likely that the children will also grow up with extremely low self-esteem and believe that their only self-worth comes from selling their body and sex. As the porn career begins to destroy Nadya on many levels, it will also create even more trauma for the children.”

Los Angeles-based therapist Dr. Nancy Irwin noted that many porn stars have children, and their chosen profession isn’t necessarily a problem, but with 14 “the chances of one or more of them being ridiculed and shamed are high.”

“That being said, Octomom has been ridiculed and maligned for years anyway. At least now she is working and supporting her extra large family,” she said.

Adding fuel to the fire however, TMZ also reported on Tuesday that one of the nannies has made explosive claims to the Orange County Dept. of Children and Family Services that in June, Suleman’s eldest son – aged 11 – found the website that posted his mom’s masturbation video and subsequently watched it. However, a rep for Octomom was quick to shoot down such claims.

“That report has zero truth to it. The woman Gina Bryson making the claims is a distraught former babysitter who only worked a few times at the house. She continues to try and contact Nadya and the kids even though she has been told not to,” claimed the rep. “She is out to make money and it is very sad when you start making false allegations against the children, this is what creates bullying for the kids.”

Earlier this year, Suleman’s fitness as a parent was also called into question after her hair stylist claimed that the children were living in neglectful and unsanitary conditions. The stylist, who took photographs while on the house visit, also asserted that the controversial mom spent $600 of her $2,000 per-month government assistance on having her hair done even though the house’s plumbing wasn’t working properly and the children were using portable training toilets in the backyard. The allegations reportedly prompted a visit from Social Services Agency's (SSA) Children and Family and Services. Just days after that particular scandal hit headlines, Suleman filed for personal bankruptcy before turning to the XXX arena to earn her keep.

Representatives for SSA and the Chapman House Drug Rehabilitation Center did not respond to a request for comment.