- Season 24
- Season 23
- Season 22
- Season 21
- Season 20
- Season 19
- Season 18
- Season 17
- Season 16
- Season 15
- Season 14
- Season 13
- Season 12
- Season 11
- Season 10
- Season 9
- Season 8
- Season 7
- Season 6
- Season 5
- Season 4
- Season 3
- Season 2
- Season 1
- Specials
Highschool sweethearts Joe and Christine raised their three children in a middle-class neighborhood of Orange County, CA. But when Christine's brother died in a tragic accident, she turned to methamphetamine and her seemingly perfect family spiraled out of control. Now she, her boyfriend, and her three adult children not only live together in a small studio apartment, but they're all addicted to meth and dangerous amounts of fentanyl. Interventionists Ken Seeley and Sylvia Parsons team up on the biggest case of their careers and make a shocking discovery that could sabotage the whole intervention.
Raised in Northern California, Kenny excelled in football and had big dreams of playing in the NFL, but a misstep in high school triggered a series of events that left him homeless and addicted to dangerous amounts of fentanyl. Interventionist: Michael Gonzales.
When an unfortunate family secret is accidentally revealed to Brea, the world she's known her entire life is shattered. As she begins to tailspin out of control with the help of alcohol and pharmaceuticals, all her mother can do is fight to pick up the pieces.
At 16, while trying a difficult skateboard maneuver, Ryan severely injured his ankle. Doctors prescribed opioids, and Ryan, couchbound for a year, enjoyed the emotionally numbing effect of the drugs. When his ankle healed and his prescription was cut off, Ryan turned to street drugs for his fix. Now 26, he is addicted to fentanyl, and has nearly lost his life to overdose multiple times. Ryan's parents fear that without a successful intervention, he is sure to perish at the hands of his addiction.
Elliot overcame a traumatic childhood and moved to Las Vegas to pursue his dream of becoming a chef on the Vegas Strip, but the rampant drug culture in restaurant kitchens along with the sudden death of his brother sent Elliot reeling, and now he's homeless and addicted to heroin. Interventionist: Ken Seeley.
After a terrifying burn accident as a child, Jayden grew up hoping to become a firefighter and fight California's notorious forest fires. But now after a series of tragic events, 20-year-old Jayden is smoking dangerous amounts of fentanyl, and his family fears that his life will soon be snuffed out. Interventionist: Sylvia Parsons.
Despite being born into a family of addicts, Ashley was a straight-A student with dreams of attending one of the top universities in California. But her hopes were dashed when her stepfather introduced her to meth and heroin as a teenager, and now she's homeless and self-medicating with every drug she can get her hands on. Interventionist: Donna Chavous.
Jesse grew up gender fluid in household rife with addiction, trauma and dysfunction, and after nearly losing his mother to drugs, Jesse spiraled into an addiction of his own and now lives on the streets of Oceanside, California, smoking fentanyl while his now-sober family fights to save his life.
Growing up, Peter excelled in everything he did--school, sports and the arts, but the pressure of being perfect and the fear of letting his family down, coupled with a secret childhood trauma led Peter to fentanyl and now he's smoking 1000 times the lethal dose every single day. Interventionist: Ken Seeley.
Nicknamed "Krystal Cali," for her classic California looks and energetic personality, Krystal lived out her dream of getting married and dedicating her life to two young sons, but the effects of growing up in a dysfunctional family, along with the death of her father turned "Krystal Cali" into an alcohol, heroin, meth and fentanyl addict. Interventionist: Ken Seeley.
At 29, Maria, a young wife and mother decided to change her life. With her confidence at an all-time low, Maria underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose the 100 pounds she had gained after having her three sons. After successfully losing the weight she decided to have a breast augmentation and a whole new Maria was born. Maria began to socialize and frequent bars on the weekends, which put a strain on her marriage. Eventually, she and her husband divorced. Within a year she was dating a new man who liked to party and drink, but who ultimately left her too. With her self-esteem broken, Maria became dependent on alcohol. She shut herself in her apartment, sitting on her couch, drinking, not eating, and leaving her sons to fend for themselves. Her family is afraid that without an intervention Maria will drink herself to death.
Elann has suffered through more loss than most 28-year-olds. Unable to process the untimely deaths of her father and brother, Elann obliterates her emotions with an ever-present bottle of vodka. Seeing her daughter's mental health in steep decline, Elann's mother believes this intervention is the only hope of pulling her back from the abyss.
Clayton, once a devoted family man, swore he would give his child the love and attention that he himself never received. When Clayton was just ten years old, his father's gender dysphoria led to a breakdown of the family. Caught in the middle between his warring parents, Clayton turned to drugs and alcohol to escape. Now a full-blown heroin addict, Clayton has lost his right to be a father to his 8-year-old daughter. With nothing left to live for, Clayton's family is terrified that he will not survive without a successful intervention.
An entrepreneur from a young age, Travis turned a modest lawn-mowing business into a multi-million-dollar landscaping company. To get it done, he worked long hours and dabbled with stimulants. When his beloved sister tragically succumbed to cancer, Travis was devastated. Rather than fulfill the promise he made to her to take care of her children, Travis escalated his cocaine use massively to help him cope with the grief. Within a few short years, everything he'd worked so hard to build--including his marriage--had crumbled amidst the chaos of his now daily use of lethal amounts of crack cocaine. With his business near bankruptcy and his family at a breaking point, can Travis turn it all around before tragedy strikes his clan a second time?
An adopted child whose parents divorced when she was a teenager, Caitlin hid from her attachment wounds by overachieving in school and sports. Her focus and drive led her to a promising career in nursing, but she would regularly binge drink alcohol on weekends. At 24, she tried crack cocaine at a party and was instantly hooked on the numbing effects it provided. Before long she'd lost her job, blown $60,000 in savings and racked up a substantial criminal record. Later that year, when a close friend overdosed and died, Caitlin's descent into addiction became unstoppable. Now 26, Caitlin continues to bury her grief with crack cocaine, as her parents and friends attempt to intervene and save her life.
The youngest of three siblings, Nicholette was a bright, creative child. Growing up, she developed a very close relationship with her father, despite the fact that he was a binge drinker who would disappear for days at a time. Nicholette's mother kept the family functioning, but when she was diagnosed with cancer, she separated from Nicholette's father to beat her illness. Nicholette started dating, partying and dabbling with drugs. Now 27, Nicholette's addiction is out of control, and her family fears that without a successful intervention they will lose her to drugs forever.
Kelsey was a standout student, extremely talented at soccer and could charm her way through anything. Everything changed when she was sexually assaulted at her first high school party at the age of 14. She didn't tell anyone about the attack and instead began using alcohol to mask the pain. Drugs soon followed and Kelsey went all-in, using cocaine and alcohol daily. Today, the change in Kelsey is shocking. She is unrecognizable; gripped by psychosis, her kind, gentle soul has turned aggressive and destructive. Her family is terrified that, without an intervention, they may never get their little girl back.
When Pamela's mother remarried, Pamela thought she'd finally regained the father figure she'd been missing for most of her life. But it was a short-lived dream as friction between Pamela and her stepfather forced her to leave the home in search of her long-lost father. Adding layers to Pamela's plight, while living with her biological father she was further traumatized by exposure to his drug addiction. Surrounded by drugs and with no responsible adult to guide her, Pamela quickly turned to a life of partying and drugs. It wasn't until Pamela had a son that she found purpose and sobriety. But because she had only a vague idea of what a stable family looked like, Pamela found motherhood a struggle and turned back to the one thing in her life that was consistent: alcohol and drugs. Now she's estranged from her child, and her family fear that without a successful intervention, Pamela's future is in serious doubt.
Dan, a talented hockey player, struggled to live up to his alcoholic father's expectations, and frequently bore the brunt of his dad's booze-fueled rage. Dan's desire to have an amicable father-son relationship came to an abrupt end when his father died in a car crash, prompting the 28-year-old Dan to descend into his own alcoholic abyss. After years of heavy drinking, he lost his job, wife and three kids. Now 45 and in poor health, Dan faces a desperate battle to beat his alcoholism. His children hope an intervention will save him before it's too late.
As a four-time Canadian champion, 35-year-old Tim was well on his way to the big leagues in the lucrative world of mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, Tim's family had a history of addiction and that cycle was an opponent he just couldn't pin to the mat. Horribly addicted to crystal meth, Tim has traded the limelight of the octagon for days spent obsessively inventorying the last of his belongings in a musty storage locker and violently fending off imaginary enemies with a bullwhip. Can Tim break this cycle of drug abuse and violence for the sake of his son, and ultimately, to save his own life?
Elizabeth's single mother suffered from depression and alcoholism, and committed suicide when she was 8. She was shuffled in and out of foster homes before her father decided to try and raise her. In high school, she turned to alcohol to cope with her feelings of abandonment and isolation. Eventually Elizabeth began dating a drug dealer and replaced alcohol with opioids. Now 22 and hooked on a deadly combination of fentanyl and cocaine, Elizabeth sells drugs to fund her nearly $400/day addiction. Her father and half-sister are hoping an intervention will save Elizabeth from following her mother's path to an early grave.
Twenty-nine-year-old Mike was a loving dad and partner who was determined to be the father that he never had. After a workplace accident his dream came crashing down as he developed an addiction to prescription painkillers. Eventually Mike's family left him and he turned to heroin to numb the pain. When he and his current partner Collette met, both were sure they'd found their soulmate, that is until Collette discovered Mike was hiding a severe opiate addiction. Now, seven months pregnant, Collette fears that without an intervention Mike will die before he gets a second chance at fatherhood.
Brilliant and athletic, Amber was a star hockey goalie with dreams of playing for the Canadian national team. But at age 15, a head trauma sustained in a brutal on-ice collision benched her for good, leaving her to live with excruciating, chronic pain. It was 12 years before a surgeon finally discovered that Amber's spinal cord had also been injured in the accident. Surgery improved the underlying injury, but by then she was hopelessly dependent on pain medication. Now, at 29, Amber is addicted to cocaine, alcohol and morphine. Her family fears that without an intervention Amber's days are surely numbered.
Jake moved to Las Vegas to work on a US Senator's re-election campaign in Nevada. But when he came out as gay, he was rebuffed by both his family and colleagues, plunging him into a deep depression which he futilely attempts to mask with alcohol.
After being seduced at a young age by the notorious party scene of Las Vegas, Lexi finally got clean and started a family of her own--only to lose it all to a dangerous meth and heroin addiction.
Born in Las Vegas, Erika overcame a heroin addiction due to childhood trauma, but now anxiety from the COVID-19 pandemic has caused her to relapse, placing her life--and her dream of being a loving mother to her young daughter--in jeopardy.
"I don't reach out to the people close to me because they don't get high." So simple, so resonant. This was a really interesting intervention – no blood family members invited, just his chosen family that he had long distanced himself from and didn't think he'd ever see again. When he saw them, hugged them tight, realized that they had all come so far to just let him know much they love him and that they were still there for him, it was really powerful and inspiring. That love that he felt was missing from his own family was there in that room with them and he felt it hard. Good stuff. And the follow-up! So lovely. Michael seems like a really wonderful and likable guy, I'm fully expecting he'll get his life back and do well in recovery.
Devastated when she lost custody of her son, Amanda began drinking heavily and moved to Las Vegas for a fresh start. Once there she became seduced by the city's notorious party culture and started using methamphetamine. Her family encouraged her to seek help, but she cut off all ties with them. She is now homeless, living the in the flood tunnels of Las Vegas, and smoking meth daily. Her family is concerned that Amanda's dependency on meth is only escalating, and the dangerous lifestyle she leads will result in her death.
After a series of tragic losses, Tristan relocated to Las Vegas to pursue a career in construction, only to spiral out of control and become a raging alcoholic
Susan grew up in a devoutly Mormon household. As an adult, she suffered a back injury and was prescribed OxyContin. Not only did the medication ease her back pain, it also numbed the memories of her turbulent family upbringing and a recent breakup. She became addicted, and when her doctor stopped prescribing them, she turned to heroin. After losing custody of her young son, Susan's addiction escalated. Fired from her job, penniless and living out of her car, Susan had no choice but to return home to the same family she had worked so hard to leave behind. And since she's been back, her usage has only gotten worse.
When Natasha's parents divorced, her mother, Linda, soon remarried. Natasha's new life was a far cry from her father Wayne's strict household. Alcohol and drug-fuelled parties were the norm and it wasn't long before Natasha was partying with those who were supposed to take care of her. To many of Natasha's friends, it was not a surprise that she began using harder drugs like crystal meth and heroin. Now a full-blown addict, Natasha, 22, has a chance to start her life over. But will Linda be able to convince Natasha to say yes to help when she's never been able to say no to her daughter?
Shandon's early life was disrupted at three years old when her parents divorced and her mother moved out of the country. Growing up without a maternal figure, Shandon felt abandoned and became very introverted. In high school, Shandon was badly bullied and she turned to drugs. She began acting out and resisting authority, so her father sent her to live and reconnect with her mother. Shortly after arriving, her mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and died within a year. Sixteen-year-old Shandon returned to live with her father and hid her grief by abusing even harder drugs - heroin, opioids and eventually fentanyl. Now in her mid-twenties and saddled with a $200 a day intravenous habit, she prostitutes herself in order to feed her addiction. Her family is at its wits end and is desperately hoping an intervention will save her life.
Coleman grew up with the stigma of having a father in prison. His mother did her best to raise seven children but, as the middle child, Coleman got lost in the mix. Today, Coleman is hopelessly addicted to fentanyl, stealing to support his habit with the help of his opioid-addicted girlfriend, Nikki. The longer his addiction endures, the less chance Coleman has of ever seeing his daughter again, and his family worries his addiction may kill him first.
An adventurous child with a love for animals, Courtney dreamed of growing up to be a veterinarian. Tragically, when she was just seven years old, her best friend died in a drowning accident and Courtney was never the same. The loss left her closed off and moody. In her teenage years, that moodiness turned to rebellion and she began to experiment with drugs. Today, Courtney no longer cares about her health or safety. Her alarming re-use of dirty needles has taken her to the brink of death. If Courtney doesn't accept treatment, her life is surely at risk.
An outstanding athlete, Nathan excelled at sports at an early age. It was obvious to all around him that he was professional material. His status as the town's star hockey player made him a popular kid with a bright looking future. But when he was 19, a fight at a local bar left him with a ruptured ACL, a painful injury that left him with an addiction to prescription opioids. Fortunately, Nathan was able to get clean after a wake-up call from the law. He moved to a new town and got a good job. All was going well until an explosion at a St. Patrick's day riot left Nathan with third and fourth degree burns. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Nathan, again, became addicted to painkillers. He's been spiraling ever since. Now, the only thing Nathan lives for is his next fix. His family is afraid that without an intervention, Nathan will soon meet an unfortunate end.
Chelan was a devoted wife and mother until the breakup of her marriage sent her spiraling into the world of prescription opioid abuse. Three short years later, Chelan is homeless, supporting a full-blown heroin addiction by working as a prostitute and is no longer allowed to see her three little boys. Her family are afraid that if they don't intervene now, Chelan will lose her life to this gripping addiction.
From sports to academics, Robin was the apple of his parents' eyes. He did everything to impress them, even forgoing his childhood dream of becoming a pilot. Once in college, Robin soon learned the pressure to be perfect could be washed away with a few nice drinks. And he soon found he needed alcohol to get through the day. After hearing incessantly about his desire to become a pilot, Robin's best friend took the initiative and enrolled him in flight school hoping that this may pull him out of his funk. Robin stopped drinking and became a successful pilot, eventually moving up to flying big commercial jets. But the stress of being away from his wife and children drove him back to booze and it didn't take long before Robin's problem was back on the radar, ultimately destroying his career and family. Robin's parents and brothers believe the brilliant pilot is still in there somewhere, but without an intervention, they're fearful that Robin may spiral to a horrible death.
Melanie was just eight months old when her dad committed suicide. Her mother's subsequent trauma went untreated, and she struggled raising her three kids. Melanie, the youngest, suffered the most. She began acting out and getting in trouble to gain attention. When she was nine, she was diagnosed and medicated for ADHD. Then, at 14, Melanie was introduced to crack cocaine by an older boyfriend. She was instantly hooked and ended up in rehab at 15. Melanie got clean and turned things around, going back to school and becoming a Personal Support Worker - a vocation that she loved. At 19, shortly after a breakup, Melanie found out she was pregnant and her ex-boyfriend wanted no part of being a father. She loved her son and was a good mother but, four months after giving birth, she became depressed and starting using crack cocaine again. Now, five years later, Melanie is saddled with a severe addiction. Without an intervention, Melanie will lose custody of her son, or worse, lose her life.
EJ's lies and deceptions cause a rift in his family, as some continue to enable him while others holds a firm bottom line. Interventionist Ken Seeley intervenes on EJ, who must finally decide if he is ready to accept help and go to treatment. Janine, Nicole, Bill, Alana, Amanda and EJ give final updates about their recoveries and hopes for the future.
Amanda is torn between her jailed addict boyfriend and her ex-boyfriend, an EMT who is still in love with her; EJ's heroin use escalates after his mother's unexpected death; Nicole and Janine reveal updates about where they are in their recoveries.
Michael Gonzales strategizes with Bill's family on ways to intervene once Bill is released from jail; Alana's mother suspects that Alana may have relapsed and kicks her out of her home; Janine must decide if she's ready to get clean.
Alana tries to stay sober while maintaining a relationship with her addict boyfriend; Nicole's fiancé's reaction to Nicole getting help throws her whole intervention into question; addict Amanda risks losing custody of her 2-year-old son.
Donna Chavous must rethink Janine's intervention now that she's in jail; Jim Reidy meets with Nicole's family and learns how she ended up on the streets; the city of Philadelphia organizes a mass eviction to remove addicts from Kensington.
The interventionists arrive at Philadelphia's "Heroin Hub" and meet Nicole, a 39-year-old heroin addict and prostitute who's lived in the area for five years, and Janine, a 22-year-old addict whose father recently died from a fatal overdose.
At the young age of 20, Morgan and Brett are both battling addiction. Brett was an only child when his alcoholic father abandoned him. Raised by his mother in her parents' home, Brett was on his way to success despite their struggles. But when his mom moved them into a new home with her violent boyfriend, Brett's addiction spiraled. Morgan is married, has a one-year-old daughter, and is addicted to the only drug she ever tried - heroin. Without an intervention, the once picture-perfect child may now be in danger of leaving her own child motherless.
John and Tom are brothers who spent their formative years working with their parents and grandparents in a successful business. While they appeared to be a close-knit, hard-working family, a dark family history of drug abuse entrapped the brothers. Their mother realizes that without help, all could be lost.
Fully committed mother Sandra's abuse of prescription pills after an injury leads to an opioid and heroin addiction; escaping an abusive marriage, Mallory turns to drugs to cope with the fallout, becomes withdrawn, and loses interest in her children.
Jade lived normally, but at 10, her father's depression had him divorcing and attempting suicide. Jade turned to drugs and alcohol for comfort. She now has a severe addiction to prescription opioids and cocaine, and suffers from intense suicidal ideations.
At the age of 22, Shiann has already faced a lifetime of pain. The shocking death of her sister, a diagnosis of A.S., a progressive and debilitating disease, and an unexpected divorce, sent this once vivacious fitness model and bodybuilder down a path of meth-fueled binges. With no help in sight, her family fears losing another loved one to an early death.
Abbie escalated into a full blown alcoholic after years of physical and mental abuse from her boyfriend. Her parents are raising her daughter while Abbie lives nearby with a new boyfriend who enables her addiction. Her alcoholism has gotten so bad that Abbie already has chronic liver, kidney, and bone marrow damage. Without help, Abbie's family fears that her daughter will lose her mom for good.
A woman stuck in a loveless marriage gradually begins to drink and soon becomes a full-blown alcoholic guzzling up to a gallon of wine a day; despite wrecking three cars and losing her nursing license, Jackie continues to drink.
A couple's drug-fueled codependency becomes the basis of their marriage; after losing their children from previous relationships and their careers as well, family members fear that rock bottom for the troubled couple will mean both of their deaths.
David and Kiersten's intervention hits a roadblock when David changes his mind about getting help, and Interventionist Donna Chavous struggles to get him back on board for treatment. Taylor endures a trip to the dentist, who deals with several infected teeth--a painful side effect of Taylor's drug habit. Then, with the help of Heather Hayes, Taylor's family intervenes on her. We check in with Toni, Allen, and Angela, to see their progress in recovery. As 90 days in The Heroin Triangle winds down, our interventionists reflect on their time there and share what they've learned about the addicts, their families, and the community.
Angela comes face-to-face with a deadly relapse trigger, forcing Interventionist Ken Seeley to enlist the help of Police Sergeant Josh Liedke so they can quickly intervene. Taylor's mother, Katherine, has trouble keeping her emotions in check after her daughter's dangerous lifestyle escalates. Interventionist Donna Chavous is forced to employ tough tactics in her double intervention of Kiersten and David, after their intervention takes an unexpected and dramatic turn.
Taylor's mother searches Taylor's bedroom and makes a disturbing discovery. Angela's frustration with her ex-husband severely challenges her ability to stay clean. Kiersten tries to reconcile with her parents, but her heroin use stands in the way. Heather Hayes meets with Taylor's mother and sister and digs into Taylor's childhood, as well as her mother's past, which may have contributed to Taylor's current addiction.
Ken Seeley and Allen's family try to convince him that treatment is the best option, but police are called to the scene when the situation escalates. 24-year old Taylor dances at a local strip club to finance her heroin habit. David and Kiersten's relationship comes to a dramatic head when David's mother loses her patience with Kiersten. 31-year old Angela quits heroin cold turkey, and is now "white knuckling" it through her day while trying to win back custody of her two children. Toni disappears and the search is on to find her before it's too late.
Interventionist Michael Gonzales attempts to get Toni's mother, father, and sister on the same page to intervene on Toni, but Carla's belligerent behavior threatens to derail the process before it even begins. We meet Kiersten and David, a young, heroin-addicted couple living in a co-dependent relationship with David's mother, Linda. Kiersten prepares for a mandatory meeting with her probation officer by hiding synthetic urine in her boot, in case of a drug screening.
Toni reveals intimate details from her past relationship with Micah, and the months they spent living together in the woods. Interventionist Ken Seeley meets with Allen's sister to hear more about his past. Heather Hayes and Candy Finnigan are forced to switch gears in their triple intervention of Tiffany, Billy, and Tracey, taking their families on a frantic mobile intervention after fearing the kids might've run.
23-year-old heroin addict Toni finds herself in danger when her pimp sends her out on a call that goes wrong. The Heroin Triangle expands its reach, putting first responders at risk, and increasing police presence in the area. Police Sergeant Josh Liedke reaches out to a young homeless addict and tries to get her into a detox center. 55-year-old Allen finds himself squatting in an abandoned house, having squandered millions from his trust fund to feed his heroin addiction.
Interventionist Heather Hayes enlists the help of colleague Donna Chavous to further investigate the opioid epidemic north of Atlanta; Zac's family history of violence and drug abuse threatens to undermine his intervention.
In a collection of affluent suburban communities north of Atlanta called "The Heroin Triangle" the rise of the nation's opioid crisis, from prescription pills to full-blown heroin epidemic, is documented through city officials, community leaders, and addicts themselves. Tiffany and Billy, a volatile couple living out of their car, receive a sizable tax return that sets them up to score a large of amount of heroin. Their addiction threatens to destroy the family they're building. As a homeless and gay man, Tracey faces unique challenges as he spends his days hopping busses and hiding out in bathrooms stalls shooting heroin. Zac's a free-spirit but his musical gifts are undermined by his crippling heroin addiction. Interventionist Heather Hayes enlists the help of her colleague Donna Chavous to further investigate the city's handling of the epidemic.
Ashley was a child prodigy on the TaeKwonDo octagon, headed for international competition had she stayed the course. But when the haunting memory of childhood molestation caused her to turn to the numbing effects of drugs at the age of 15, her athletic career was pinned to the mat. Now 21, Ashley is deeply addicted to crack cocaine and IV opioids. As she and her girlfriend are evicted from their apartment for their disruptive fights, excessive drug use and partying, her family fears that, without an intervention, Ashley will disappear into the streets forever.
With the birth of her two daughters, Samantha gave up using crystal meth and heroin. But when she began consorting with figures from her druggy past, she fell back into addiction and soon lost custody of her children. Samantha's family are desperate to help her be the good mother she once was, but now she is addicted to fentanyl and her very life hangs in the balance.
The only child of a single mother and world-class fiddle player, Alex was surrounded by music from birth. His mother married when Alex was five, but after a few years the marriage deteriorated and life became difficult at home. Friction with his stepfather left Alex increasingly isolated and he turned to the fiddle to try and gain acceptance. Alex's skill developed and he had some early recognition, but living in his mother's musical shadow was difficult and he began to compensate with alcohol as a young teenager. Just as Alex was beginning his professional career, his mother and stepfather divorced. The combination of his family's dysfunction and life spent on the road soon turned his fondness for drink into a debilitating, fall-down addiction. Now in his mid-twenties, Alex's career is at a standstill and his health is rapidly deteriorating. Without an intervention, he could lose his career, his family and his life.
Austin had everything he could have wanted growing up: the love and support of a close-knit family and an invitation to go to a school for gifted teens. But not wanting to be separated from his pals, Austin turned the offer down in favor of the local high school, a decision that led to a life of partying, and ultimately down the rabbit hole of heroin and fentanyl addiction. Now his family can only watch in horror as Austin wastes his considerable gifts on the relentless pursuit of his addiction.
As a child Melissa endured an unstable and tumultuous upbringing. As a teenager, she found a friend in crack cocaine and began a life of partying and drugs that continued until her son was born. Eager to create a stable life for her child, Melissa went cold turkey and enrolled in nursing school. But the good times did not last long. Melissa fell narrowly short of graduating, and slipped back into a life crack cocaine and heroin abuse. Now, at 32, Melissa sells her body to support her habits and has lost custody of her son. Her family fears that she has nothing left to live for and, without an intervention, will soon be dead.
Clint, 36, was raised in a tight-knit, middle-class family. His parents expected success for their four children who were all precocious and engaged in school. But in high school, when his siblings had gone off to college, Clint fell in with the wrong crowd and began to struggle. The only graduation he would see was to a life controlled by crystal meth and opioids. At a loss as to where it all went wrong, Clint's parents have seen their son's excesses progress to crazy and dangerous levels. Without an intervention, they know he will die.
By the age of 21, Joshua had the world in his hands. A six-figure salary managing a dozen convenient stores, marriage, and owner of his own home, Joshua was a great provider for his wife and her children. But a back surgery in 2010 led to a severe addiction to pain pills that morphed into an extraordinary addiction to hand sanitizer that has cost him everything. Now, his family is petrified that without help, Joshua's his addiction will blind him, cause a massive stroke, or death by organ failure.
Tanisha was living the dream life as an assistant to rap icon, Snoop Dogg. But when her fiance was brutally killed in front of her, grief-stricken, Tanisha turned to her mother, who introduced her to heroin. Tanisha has become a full-time junkie, and her family is terrified that without help, they will lose her.
Katherine was a bright college student with dreams of becoming a journalist until she was abducted and brutally assaulted. Katherine swiftly spiraled, becoming dependent on a dangerous mix of drugs to mask the trauma. Her parents have already purchased a burial plot for her and are certain that it's only a matter of time before they bury their only child.
Sweet, adorable and with a shock of blond hair, young Robbie was doted on by his two older sisters, Cara and Kristy. The trio were inseparable. Even as their home life descended into chaos when their mother turned to drugs and prostitution, the three siblings took care of each other. When the situation got worse and they were sent to foster care, they still stuck together. But eventually 11-year-old Robbie would separate from his sisters, escaping foster care to search for his wayward mother. He found her, only to follow her down a heart-breaking path of destructive drug use. Now 28, Robbie's sisters unite to see if there's any chance of saving their little brother and becoming a family again.
Todd was a successful house flipper from a prominent real estate family who was on track to take over the family business, but when the housing market collapsed in 2009, Todd lost everything. Financially busted, Todd moved his wife and daughter into his parents' home and began to work for them. But two severe construction accidents led him to painkillers and ultimately to dependency. When Todd's wife divorced him, he shifted to meth and his addiction careened out of control. His close-knit family is devastated as they watch their "Golden Boy" fall apart before their eyes. Donna Chavous is Todd's Interventionist.
In three years, Diana's alcoholism has gotten so bad that it has led her to being diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, an alcohol-related brain disorder, which recently landed her in the hospital with temporary paralysis and a feeding tube... which she poured vodka into! Diana's addiction has destroyed her career, her relationships, and now her health. Her parents know that if she doesn't get help now, she won't live to celebrate her 30th birthday. Ken Seeley is Diana's Interventionist.
Jasmine was extremely close to her grandparents, Reg and Pauline, so when Pauline suddenly passed away, Jasmine couldn't cope and turned to opioids to erase the pain. Amazingly, Jasmine got control of her addiction and her life gained some new additions: a new career, a new boyfriend and a new baby. But when her relationship became abusive, Jasmine descended back into drugs. After losing custody of her three-year-old son, her use escalated to smoking fentanyl, a habit that costs her $1200 a day. As her family readies themselves for the intervention, they get devastating news: Reg has cancer.
Five years ago Robby came out to his wife of twenty-nine years and two sons as transgender, exploding their world and Robby's own in the process. Already a heavy drinker, Robby's drinking intensified after coming out. Now, terrified of losing her wife, and being alone for the first time in her life, Robby has become a blackout drunk, downing up to forty ounces of vodka a day. Once a fun-loving partier, Robby has become increasingly violent when drunk. The family fears for Robby's safety as well as their own. Without an intervention, Robby is in danger of losing her family forever
Sturgill was a promising young golden gloves boxer and wrestler who dreamed of the Olympics. He was also an academically gifted pre-med student. But a broken arm and multiple surgeries led to a pain pill addiction, which soon turned to heroin. Now, Sturgill's drug habit includes a dangerous combination of Methadone, benzos and alcohol. His family fears that he's on the verge of mixing that one fatal dose. Sylvia Parsons is Sturgill's Interventionist.
A brutal car accident six years ago left Kevin addicted to prescription opiates. His days are spent in search of oxies, hydros and fentanyl. Once a proud father, husband and working-man, Kevin's drug use has cost him his twenty-year laborer job, his house and his retirement savings, bringing his family to the point of bankruptcy. Now, facing eviction and having drained his wife and parents financially, Kevin still cannot stop. Increasingly desperate Kevin has started stealing and selling groceries to support his habit. Kevin's family has come together to try and save him through an intervention. (Canadian Produced.)
Kristie dreamed of being a museum curator and was getting her masters degree at Johns Hopkins University. But a childhood diagnosis of OCD caused by anxiety, worsened and caused her to drop out of school and begin to self medicate with alcohol. Though she married three years ago, her addiction ultimately spiraled out of control to include a large mix of drugs and huffing. She's been admitted to the hospital several times this year alone and after her husband divorced her, Kristie hit rock bottom and now her family fears that without help, she will soon die. Ken Seeley is Kristie's Interventionist.
Handsome, talented musician's promising career is sideswiped by crystal meth, plunging him into a life of crime, prostitution, and addiction.
Tiffany had the talent to be a successful graphic designer, but severe complications from the birth of her first child led to an addiction to prescribed pain pills. Then post-partum depression after her second and third pregnancies, resulted in an opiate addiction. After her husband took their three kids and filed for divorce, Tiffany became a full time heroin addict. Today, she has a new husband and baby, but her addiction is threatening to end the marriage, and if she doesn't get help--her life. Sylvia Parsons is Tiffany's Interventionist.
A wealthy entrepreneur loses everything to a crack addiction, reducing her life to a never-ending cycle of prostitution and begging.
Katie was a beautiful and successful mortgage broker and drug & alcohol counselor whose pride and joy were her two kids. But a devastating breakup resulted in losing custody, and sent Katie into a downward spiral of heroin and meth addiction. Her face is now ravaged from use, and her veins are so damaged that she resorts to injecting heroin anally, aka "booty bumping." Katie supports her habit by webcam stripping and prostitution, and her family fears that if she doesn't get help, the next step will be an OD.
A young mother's eating disorder has been a life-long affliction, now compounded by drug and sex addiction--but to get rid of all of her demons she'll have to eliminate more than just her food.
The DEA has called it a "poison", the NYPD police commissioner called it "weaponized", and until a few years ago, it was available over the counter and was the second most abused drug among high school students after pot. What is this mystery drug that has parents, law enforcement and medical experts on high alert? The drug is Spice, also known as synthetic marijuana, K2, Moon Rocks and Black Mamba. We take an unflinching look at a drug that is wreaking havoc in communities across the country.
Coined "five-dollar insanity," in 2014, a powerful new street drug called "Flakka," flooded the streets of South Florida. Over the next year, this highly-addictive drug would cause its users to exhibit extreme, often public, acts of erratic behavior and symptoms of dementia and psychosis. Broward County alone experienced more than 60 deaths to date and received several Flakka-related emergency response calls each day. We'll follow the story of current and recovering Flakka users as they struggle with addiction and the lingering effects of their drug use.
After following her partner to the big city, a young woman is swallowed up by the world of designer drugs, and she is now reduced to huffing cans of computer duster in the aisles of her local hardware store.
A bullied youth turns to drugs for a chance to fit in and later loses everything, including his wife, his daughters and his sanity.
After following her partner to the big city, a young woman is swallowed up by the world of designer drugs, and she is now reduced to huffing cans of computer duster in the aisles of her local hardware store.
Brittany was part of the all-American family. But rape, drugs, and divorce have caused this family unit to crumble. At the center, Brittany's heroin and meth abuse has created a tornado that has divided the family and now threatens her life... and worse yet, Brittany may not be the only active user in the house.
Rob was already a successful business owner when he inherited over a million dollars and several valuable properties from his father. But after his father's recent death, Rob, a former crack addict, picked up the pipe again after years of sobriety. In just 12 months, Rob has blown through 200k of his inheritance, has shut down his once thriving business, and now his wife and family fear for his life.
Jonel was born into the Blackfeet Indian Tribe in Montana. When she was 9 months pregnant, her boyfriend was tragically killed in a car accident and then she gave birth to her daughter just days after the funeral. Shocked and grief stricken, Jonel began using suboxone and meth - two drugs that are rampant on the reservation. 14 months ago, Jonel gave birth to her second child who was born addicted to suboxone.
Brian had it all. He married his high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children, and became the owner/director of his family's successful funeral home in Oklahoma. But while assisting with the recovery of bodies during the Oklahoma City bombings - including those in the building's nursery - Brian fell apart and turned to alcohol for comfort and never turned back. He's now lost his wife, kids, and career due to his addiction, and his family feels that at the rate he's going, the next funeral will be for him.
With a booming family business that could one day be hers, Alicia's future looked bright. But reconnecting with her biological father sent Alicia down a path of pain and self-destruction that has led to a full-blown addiction to heroin and Xanax.
An investigation into the nation's growing heroin epidemic focuses on the wealthy suburbs of St. Louis, where the scourge of drug addiction affects the least expected.
Daniel is a well-respected Paranormal expert. However, his sensitivity leaves him tormented by those entities needing to cross to the "other side." Daniel is now consuming a gallon of vodka per day to quiet "the voices." That, combined with easy access to pain meds and opiates Daniel takes for his lupus diagnosis, has left him spiraling out of control. His family fears that it is only a matter of time before he is lost inside a world he cannot escape.
Ginjer is a professional Sugar Baby who trolls "dating" websites to maintain a severe Dilaudid addiction. Once a top contender to become a Naval Officer, Ginjer has fallen so far that she juggles "men who pay" to keep the drugs flowing. Ginjer's family is desperate, fearing she is on the fast track to an early death.
Brothers Daniel and Robert were on the road to success. Daniel was headed for a career with the NY Yankees and Robert was an aspiring civil engineer. Injury ended a once bright career for Daniel who slid into using pain pills and then heroin to cope. The constant insecurity of living in his younger brother's shadow lead Robert down the same path. Now the brothers spend their days injecting up to 21 bags of heroin per day - each. It is only a matter of time before this family loses both boys. Jeff VanVonderen is the Interventionist.
Karissa was always a talented cook - so much so, that her mother had one day hoped to pass the family diner down to her as a legacy. But Karissa's life took a drastic turn when a close family friend fed her Oxycodone, and then ultimately made her a drug courier. From there Karissa was lost. Now, years of self-abuse, self-medication and a severe addiction to heroin have left her volatile and desperate. Her family fears that if she does not heal from her violent past and the childhood she lost, she will never have the future she deserves.
Digger and Anne are husband and wife--and both are addicted to heroin. Intervening on addicted couples is incredibly difficult; and Digger and Anne's situation is complicated further by other addicts in the family. Their three young children are in danger of losing both parents if the couple does not get help soon.
A successful businesswoman who became a multimillionaire in her 20s, Kacy tragically lost her infant child to SIDS. She then lost her fortune, her marriage and a healthy relationship with her surviving children as she spiraled into binge drinking. Now penniless, she is hospitalized multiple times a month, and her family is desperate to save her life. Candy Finnigan is Kacy's Interventionist.
The daughter of a small business owner, Sierra was an honor student with dreams of college and a career in journalism. But when a double-dealing artist charmed his way into her mother's life, he gambled away their home and the bottom fell out of Sierra's world, leading to a frightening drug-induced psychotic break. Today, the 19-year-old is a feral junkie, scrapping for a fix on the streets of Northern California. Donna Chavous is Sierra's Interventionist.
Musically gifted, intelligent and beautiful, everyone assumed Kaeleen was destined for great things. But what nobody knew was that, from age four to eleven, Kaeleen was methodically sexually abused. Now Kaeleen lives in her own world of mental anguish. To numb the pain, she self-medicates with opiates and alcohol. Her family knows that without help, this girl with so many gifts is destined for an early death. Ken Seeley is Kaeleen's Interventionist.
The black sheep of a successful family, Justin got hooked on prescription opiates after he was run over by a truck. Now he begs, borrows and steals from family and friends to maintain his methadone and heroin habit. After his mother died, Kayne turned to drugs to cope, which eventually cost him his marriage and the custody of his children. This drove him further into his addiction and now he spends each day getting high on a deadly combination of Xanax and heroin.
Carrie was a young boxer with a shot at going pro, but losing an important fight triggered the trauma of being deserted by her father and she turned to drugs to cope. Now Carrie's boxing career is on hold, she's living on the streets and hustling for her next fix.
Erin spent her teens and twenties as an A-list rock-n-roll groupie, but a prescription to relieve neck pain got her hooked on Dilaudid. Now her mother raises her 5-year-old son while Erin prostitutes herself to maintain a $1700-a-week habit. Her family calls on Sylvia Parsons, who was intervened on by Jeff VanVonderen in Episode 32 from 2006--and who the first subject of Intervention to ever make the transition to interventionist. At the age of 14, Joshua was badly beaten by his girlfriend's father--two years later, he was molested by the leader of his youth group. He turned to heroin to cope with his traumas--and now he lives in a car, running scams and panhandling to support his addiction.
The son and nephew of Major League Baseball stars, David struggled not only with being compared to his athletic family, but also with his own sexuality. Acting out turned to alcoholism and meth addiction--and it wasn't long before David found himself dumpster diving and sleeping behind stores in his family's upscale neighborhood.
Amanda's world was thrown into a tailspin when her husband went missing for months. When his body was finally found, the victim of a high profile murder, she went off the deep end and found escape in drugs. Now her children are in state custody and she's shooting heroin to cope. When James first tried meth, he thought he'd found a wonder-drug to give him the energy for a demanding job, marriage and fatherhood--but the resulting addiction and spiral took all of those things away from him. Now his ex-wife is trying to save his life so their sons will have a chance to know their father.
A difficult relationship with his parents led Matthew to experiment with drugs. But when a drug test came back positive, he lost custody of his son and went from part-time user to full-blown addict. Now, angry and threatening, Matthew huffs 10 cans of computer duster a day. His family fears that every breath of duster he takes could be his last. Olivia's life was changed forever when she was repeatedly molested by a relative at age 11. Successive traumas into adulthood have led her to mask her emotional pain by injecting a dangerous combination of heroin and meth. Meanwhile, her grandmother is ill with stage 4 cancer--and the family worries they'll lose both their loved ones.
A talented singer-songwriter, Bryceton's addiction to alcohol and spice (synthetic marijuana) is completely out of control. His wife struggles to raise their son while coping with Bryceton's erratic behavior, but she's fighting a losing battle. The rest of his family tries to help, but their efforts are only met with outbursts and anger.
Suffering post-traumatic stress after being molested as a child, Mindie developed a drug habit in her teens that gave way to full-on meth addiction in her 20s. Her sister-in-law recently passed away from an overdose and her struggling family is intervening to prevent her from suffering the same fate. Katherine got hooked on pain pills after a botched epidural during the birth of her 2nd child. Now she's addicted to meth and lost her home and custody of her kids. Her parents are desperate to get her sober before she causes them to go broke--or causes harm to herself.
As a child, Sam was bright, artistic and outgoing. But when she was six, her life took a drastic change when her parents divorced and her father remarried and moved away. Then at 14, Sam's life changed forever when she was sexually assaulted. Counseling and prescription medication helped her for a while, but eventually Sam stopped taking the medication and turned to a life of partying, fueled by alcohol and Ecstasy. A fast downward spiral into heroin followed and today Sam is a full-blown addict. Her family is hoping an intervention will lead to treatment.
27-year-old Daniel could have pursued a career as an artist and songwriter, but a series of personal tragedies--culminating in his father's death--led him to abuse a dangerous combination of alcohol and meth. His daily consumption has not only destroyed his artistic ambitions, it's alienated him from his family and friends. Daniel's family is certain that if he doesn't get help soon, he will die. Daniel's mother, the only family member who still regularly associates with him, pays for Daniel to live in a week-to-week motel room to keep him off the streets. Recently, Daniel resumed a romantic relationship with Sarah, a fellow addict who supplies Daniel with alcohol, and their booze-fueled nights escalate Daniel's already serious addiction to deadly lows. Now in a last ditch effort, his family comes together for an intervention.
While still a child, Zach's father was incarcerated, and Zach and his sister were adopted by their loving grandparents. When Zach's father was released from jail he moved in with the grandparents, hoping for a fresh start. It didn't take long for his father to fall off the wagon, and in fact, it was Zach's father who first introduced Zach to heroin. Using, but still functional, Zach met his girlfriend Whitney, and two years ago, she had their son. Today Zach's cocaine and heroin addiction is out of control. Whitney has turned to Intervention for help. Theresa swore she wouldn't end up like her mother who was a raging alcoholic. However, years later after several failed relationships and children, Theresa finds herself drinking uncontrollably--to the point that even cirrhosis of the liver isn't enough to make her stop. Her daughter says she's at rock bottom, close to death, and her family knows that an intervention is their last hope.
24-year-old Samantha was a soccer prodigy at age 12, but when a close relative developed an inappropriate relationship with her 12-year-old teammate, it crushed her and her family. Soon afterwards, Samantha was sexually assaulted and introduced to drugs, triggering a downward spiral that led her to heroin and prostitution. After years of substance abuse, her anguished family's last hope is that an intervention can give Samantha the push she needs to put her dangerous drug use and lifestyle behind her once and for all.
Mike thought he'd realized his dream of having a happy, loving family with his wife and two sons. But a few years ago everything changed when he lost his brother to cancer and his sister to suicide. This triggered a tragic downward spiral. Mike's nightly habit of having a few beers quickly turned into raging alcoholism. After his son broke up a physical fight between his parents, Mike agreed to give up drinking. Unfortunately, he replaced alcohol with heroin. If he doesn't get help, his family says they will cut off ties to him forever. At 14, Lauren was forced to become caretaker to her ill father. By 18, she was a mother herself. Seven years and three kids later, Lauren's father died and she turned to pills to cope. By the time she realized she was hooked, Lauren had lost her kids. Now Lauren's drug abuse has escalated. Her mother, sisters and two teenaged children are rallying to make one last effort to get her into treatment.
Smart and outgoing, Katie was the star of the family--she traveled the world as an elite Irish dancer. She could have made it her career--but she got derailed into a life of partying and drugs that has led her down a dangerous path of cocaine and heroin addiction. Katie is now a shell of her former self. She lives with her boyfriend who deals drugs and supplies her with a weekly $2,000 fix. Although Katie's addiction has devastated her family, they unite for one last chance to save her. But Katie puts everything in jeopardy when she attempts to shut down the documentary before the intervention can take place.
Brad, 50, lives in a converted tractor-trailer and sells scrap metal for cash. He is also severely addicted to crack. Growing up in a rural town in New Brunswick, Brad was extremely skilled with his hands, and ended up constructing the home he lived in with his ex-wife. After moving to Ontario and starting a family, his life took a dangerous turn. Brad was badly electrocuted on a routine job cutting down a tree. The injury was life changing, and Brad lost everything. Defeated, he turned to crack cocaine.
With four children, a long career working for a ferry company in British Columbia, and a successful import/export business, John, 50, had it all. Five years ago, exhausted from the stress of a failing marriage and juggling two careers, he smoked crack cocaine for the first time and watched his world begin to fall apart. Now also addicted to heroin, John lives mostly on the street, while his family live in fear of the phone call that will deliver their worst nightmare.
Suffering from a severe eating disorder, depression and suicidal tendencies, Cassandra is a young woman who has lost her way. Growing up, she felt out of control and neglected - constantly left alone while her parents' volatile relationship slowly disintegrated. Bullied by her peers for being 'chunky', Cassie struggled in school as well. Depressed and angry, she began bingeing and purging in an effort to control her body and her environment. Now, at 18, Cassie purges up to 15 times a day and takes anywhere from 10 to 30 laxatives.
David, 32, has barely known a life that didn't include addiction. His mother was a cocaine addict and his father, who struggled with alcoholism, died at an early age when David was a child. Once a provincial Taekwondo champion, family tragedy, including the death of his stepfather by overdose, has led David to a dangerous addiction to heroin and crystal meth. While his mother and much of his family have been in recovery for years, without an intervention, David is destined to be the next family casualty.
At 27, Wesley is a veteran of crystal meth use. He has been using since he was 17, and has been dealing meth and other drugs for most of his 20's. He goes days without sleep, and lives a lifestyle that is one long party. Consumed by guilt over the death of his best friend on crystal meth when Wes was 17, and devastated by the loss of his father whose funeral he couldn't even attend because of a stretch in jail, Wes has chosen to make a living off the drug that has made his life a nightmare.
Smart and outgoing, Katie was the star of the family - she traveled the world as an elite Irish dancer. She could have made it her career - but she got derailed into a life of partying and drugs that has led her down a dangerous path of cocaine and heroin addiction. Katie is now a shell of her former self. She lives with her boyfriend who deals drugs and supplies her with a weekly $2,000 fix. Although Katie's addiction has devastated her family, they unite for one last chance to save her. But Katie puts everything in jeopardy when she attempts to shut down the documentary before the intervention can take place.
The victim of serial abuse at the hands of a male family friend, Meghan endured a tortured childhood compounded by the fact her mother was too depressed to raise her. When she became too old to stay in the foster home that became her only happy refuge, Meghan found herself on the streets. Now 20, she seeks to ease the pain through her music, poetry and a 4-points-a-day heroin habit. Without an intervention, this artist will die before anyone truly hears her song.
Raised by two hard-partying parents, Sarah, 32, began using drugs as a teen. When her parents divorced, her drug use escalated and continued through failed relationships with three different men with whom she had children. Now, she has lost custody of all three and her family must help raise them while Sarah spirals into a dangerous dependence on Hyrdromorphone, speed, cocaine and morphine. Without an intervention Sarah's family fears she is one needle away from an early grave.
Jamie is a crack addict whose struggles began when his family moved from a small rural community in Ontario to Calgary, Alberta. When he was 12, he fell in with the wrong crowd and started disappearing for days at a time. He began stealing from his parents to buy alcohol, a habit that eventually led to stealing liquor to sell in the street. His alcohol addiction escalated to crack, opiates, and just about anything he could get his hands on. Now 26, Jamie is estranged from his entire family, and has trouble towing the line in the shelters he sometimes calls home. He wanders the streets and parks of Oshawa, Ontario, a solitary figure in search of his next fix. Meanwhile, he has a four-year-old daughter he has never met. Without an intervention he will likely not see 35, and more importantly, will have no chance of giving his daughter the father she deserves.
A talented dancer, Lyndsay won many awards and was accepted into a prestigious arts school as a child. But in her early teens, her father's suicide triggered a spiral that she is still lost in. After being prescribed Oxycontin for anxiety in her late teens, Lyndsay is now injecting over 1000mg of oxy a day. Living at home with her mother, stepfather, and 12-year-old sister, her life is completely run by the constant need for more pills and all her family can do is watch helplessly from the sidelines. Without an intervention, there is tragedy in this family's future.
The son of an alcoholic father and a mother who suffered from depression, Ziggi grew up ‘odd' and was alienated in the schoolyard. His sensitive, artistic temperament drew the love of a beautiful woman and they had two children together. But that same tortured soul also led him to a severe addiction to crystal meth and GHB. Unable to give it up, Ziggi has lost the girl and is living couch to couch. Without an intervention, his children will be lost to him forever.
The daughter of a professional escort and a serial workaholic, Allisha began to develop body image issues at an early age. A bulimic who didn't purge, but rather shed calories through compulsive and extreme workouts, Allisha soon found herself displaying her hard body in local strip clubs. Pain from dancing led to severe abuse of alcohol and opiates. Now she is impossibly addicted to injecting Dilaudid and must play multiple men to pay for her habit. For the first time in years, her family has come together in one final effort to save her life.
Wes and Lise have been together since their teens. Both products of traumatic childhoods, they bonded over a mutual interest in marijuana and other recreational drugs. But they were functional, with Wes earning money as a roofer to keep their two young sons in food and shelter. When, at age 30, Wes discovered crack and brought it home to Lise, their happy home turned to chaos. Hopelessly ensnared by their addictions, the couple's focus shifted from caring for their children to finding and using that next rock. Deeply concerned for the children's welfare, Wes's sister Carrie makes one last attempt to save the family.
With a past that includes a father who abandoned her, multiple sexual assaults, and a stepbrother who died from a heroin overdose, Loren, 26, has turned to alcohol to numb her pain. She drinks up to three liters of wine a day and suffers from seizures, black outs, and violent mood swings. A year ago, Loren entered treatment where she met her girlfriend, Christy (35). The two have been joined at the hip - and bottle - ever since. Christy is near death, and her body is shutting down after years of alcohol and prescription drug abuse. She is tortured by the thought of leaving her two children without a mother when she dies. Two families who have never met join forces to attempt a high-stakes double intervention in a last ditch effort to save their lives.
Raised by an alcoholic single mother, Travis, 20, and his sister were moved around the country after their abusive father left the household. When Travis was 15, his sister, with whom he had a strong bond, was gang raped at a party. A year later, he discovered her hanging by the neck in their home. Racked with guilt and devastated by the loss, Travis has spiraled out of control in a ceaseless sea of partying, gambling and alcohol. His mother, several years sober but clearly still suffering from her loss, now fights to save her only remaining child.
Jessica is a self-proclaimed party girl with a serious addiction to heroin. Having never dealt with the sexual abuse she suffered as a child, Jessica has been partying since she was 14. Now 22, she spends her days on methadone to stave off withdrawals, and nights injecting heroin, smoking crack and partying with men twice her age. With an alcoholic but well-meaning father who is unable to let his little girl go, and a mother who spoils her rotten, this family needs a serious wake-up call before they lose Jessica forever.
TJ, 38, is a woman living a double life. She alternates between Terry Lynn, a mother of three living a normal domestic life with her husband, Jamie, in the suburbs of Ottawa and TJ, an erratic drug addicted rock singer. Her addiction to crack cocaine has cost her band a record deal, and her family a mother they can count on. A thrill seeker at heart, TJ uses cocaine as a crutch to escape the daily grind. She disappears on binges lasting up to four months, leaving her music and family behind in search of more thrills and more drugs. TJ needs an intervention, not only to bring her back to her friends and family, but to save her from herself.
Candace is a 23-year-old mother who is addicted to cocaine and opiates. Raised in Northern Ontario by a single mother also struggling with addiction, Candace grew up immersed in the drug culture. When she was 14, her father, whom she adored, died suddenly just as she was preparing to move in with him. The devastating loss triggered an extended binge of substance abuse, which included using opiates with her mother while still in her teens. As her grandparents care for her young daughter, Candace continues to spin out of control on a combination of cocaine and morphine in the company of the drug-addicted father of her child. Candace's addiction has destroyed her ability to be a mother. Her family believes an intervention is the only way to get her back and secure a future for her young daughter.
From an early age Andrew's life was rife with abuse, neglect, and tragedy. His father, an addict, left the family when Andrew was a baby. Struggling to raise two children on her own, Andrew's mother worked as an escort, and turned to crack cocaine and alcohol as a means of coping with the emotional and physical abuse meted out by the men in her life. It was a coping mechanism Andrew would emulate as a teenager. When a surrogate father figure was killed in a car accident, Andrew began to spiral. Now, at the age of 22, he is attempting to finish a college degree while on a rampage of crack and alcohol that has him sleeping behind dumpsters and being rushed to the emergency rooms of Windsor, Ontario. Both mother and son need to break free of this dangerous cycle and repair their toxic relationship before Andrew is lost forever.
Born addicted to opiates, Aimee, 25, is caught in the same cycle of addiction that took her mother's life when Aimee was a little girl. Suffering through a childhood of neglect and a string of abusive boyfriends, Aimee's feelings of worthlessness have led her to a serious fentanyl addiction and a life on the street soliciting men to pay for her habit. Her father, who lives in fear that he will have to bury his daughter as he did her mother, makes one final desperate bid to save her life.
At the age of 16, Holley witnessed her mother cheating on the father she adored. The strain between mother and daughter never eased and Holley, now 28, acted out through raging alcohol and cocaine abuse. An important member of a loving extended family, Holley's relatives watched in horror as she gave birth to and raised three children in the dangerous fog of addiction. Her family must now act -- to save the children from their mother, and their mother from almost certain death.
As a child, Tammy, 26, was forced to look after her younger sisters when her parents would disappear for days on drug binges. A daddy's girl, she has followed in her father's footsteps, spending her days in crack houses, where she regularly descends into a world of drugs and danger. After protecting her little sisters from the hell that was their life, they have now come together in a heartbreaking attempt to save hers.
Eric, 31, has been known by his family for being funny, generous and full of life. But his downward spiral into addiction has replaced all of his amazing traits and turned him into a junkie who hustles, steals and pawns.
Gina has spent her life living in the shadow of her domineering Korean mother, and it was not until she started using heroin that she was able to escape the most painful of her memories, being blamed by her mother for having been raped. Now, with absolutely no sense of self-worth, Gina will do anything to get her fix, even at the cost of losing her son. As a young girl, Kaila, 19, was raised in an affluent, image-conscious community where she felt teased for being overweight, and overlooked by her parents. Now, at a mere 80 pounds and eating only a few hundred calories a day, Kaila is literally starving herself to death to have what she's always wanted--to be the center of her family's attention. Her distraught parents have been told by Kaila's doctors to prepare for her death, "Intervention is truly our last option," says Kaila's mother, "Please help us!"
As a teenager, Ryan was on the fast track to professional BMX racing until his mother's suicide attempt sidelined his life. Ryan turned to drugs to deal with the trauma and silence around it. Now, at 23, he lives in his parents basement using and dealing heroin, enabled by his parents' inability to face or confront reality.
Once a vibrant supermom, Dana numbs the haunting memories of almost dying in an apartment fire with a dangerous cocktail of crack and prescription pills.
Jessica is smart as tack with a lust for life. Unfortunately, it's the life of a heroin addict, living in an abandoned building, being shot up by a boyfriend, that she is committed to. Having spent her youth yearning for an absent, alcoholic father, Jessica followed the footprint of addiction left to her by her father, and now her own children are at risk of losing their mother.
In an Intervention first that reveals a surprising outcome, we reach out to 18-year-old Andrew who once dreamed of a military career, but now binges and purges up to 12 times a day.
A gregarious man with an intense personality, 32 year-old Sean's alcohol addiction is causing him to blackout and suffer seizures, which have his wife and family on edge.
Tiffany is a 19-year-old, doe-eyed, innocent looking young woman who treks to the seediest parts of Baltimore to score heroin while her family tries to pray the "devil" out of her.
When her rock and best friend, her grandmother Elena, went away to treatment, Sarah, 21, spiraled out of control. Today, in denial of her own addiction, Sarah is on the same path of addiction her grandmother was on just six months ago. This cycle of addiction must stop in this family now, or unfortunately, Elena will pass on a legacy of addiction instead of recovery.
Charismatic businessman, spiritual leader and father, 56-year-old Terry is destroying his legacy with his crack addiction and taking his adoring son down with him. Alissa, 19 is a smart and fearless teenager who uses bath salts to mask her inner pain. Alissa must make peace with her estranged father in order to break free from her dangerous lifestyle and her self-destructive cycle.
Sandi, 64, is a vivacious, spunky and fun grandmother who loves gardening. But as her drinking escalates throughout the day, Sandi turns her gin-fueled anger on her 88-year-old mother and her 45-year-old daughter, alienating everyone in her wake. Can Sandi finally make peace with her estranged family and get the help she so desperately needs before it's too late?
Nick, 23, uses his business talents to deal in heroin rather than business. Once the apple of his father's eye and destined to carry on his successful business practices, Nick's early rule-breaking and experimentation in drugs landed him as the black sheep of the family. Now abandoned by his family, Nick lives in a heroin daze, crossing the border into Mexico to get his next fix.
Kelly, a 27-year-old mother of three, mixes pills and meth to forget the man behind bars who destroyed her childhood. Can Kelly's family come together to help her face the painful past that consumes her?
Megan is a 24-year-old addict who turned to drugs to kill the excruciating pain she experienced as a young teen after her innocence was stolen by her mother's boyfriend. Today, Megan's life is at a critical point and she is facing a long stint in prison with her next mistake. Can Megan ever feel worthy of a different direction for her life and make the choices needed to stay out of the prison system?
Al, a big guy with a big personality, is sacrificing his relationships with his wife and children to chase his out-of-control meth and painkiller addiction.
Loud and spunky 50 year-old Cher's alcohol addiction has led to liver damage and is driving a wedge between herself and her family.
Ryan, 25, is a sweet, sensitive man whose alcohol addiction is spiraling out of control as he and his fiancé are expecting their first child in a matter of months.
Attractive, charismatic 41year-old twins, Susie and Miriam, battle crack and alcohol addictions and each other as their career success and families slowly slip away.
Thirty-one year-old Amanda has exchanged her dreams of teaching for an alcohol and heroin addiction, while her family erupts in anger over her dad s chronic enabling.
A family begging her to get help and two overdoses in the last two weeks don t phase 21-year-old Britney as she fearlessly shoots up suboxone and bath salts up to 30 times a day. Terry, 32, is a chef who dreamed of opening and managing his own restaurant, but his career, marriage and parental rights to his nine-year-old daughter have hit a dead end as a result of his $500 a day cocaine and fentanyl addiction.
Former "Super Mom" to her three children, Diana has exchanged her apron for an alcohol and meth addiction and is unraveling her marriage, family and sense of self-respect.
Once a big-hearted Christian family man, Dennis uses his meth addiction to run from the past that haunts him, while his family falls apart.
Twenty-five year-old Katie uses her eating disorder and binge drinking to cope with her mother's secret alcoholism and parents war with each other while her worried siblings pray someone can step in and save them all.
Nichole, 25, has constant tremors due to a severe alcohol addiction as she struggles to overcome the pain of her sister s betrayal.
Elena, 63, has no intentions of stopping her daily meth addiction, even though her children and grandchildren desperately want their adoring grandmother to get well.
Epilogue: After assurances from her daughter and granddaughter that they too were entering treatment, Elena agreed to go. She completed three months of treatment, then returned home to California, where she now lives with and cares for her aged mother. Elena's granddaughter, Sarah, is the subject of episode 190.
Also listed as S13E02 on Wiki and Hulu.
Once a stunning model and devoted mother, Terry binges on vodka every day to escape her mother's taunts and her father's neglect. She ignores her doctor's warning that she will be dead in six months if she doesn't stop drinking. Leon, a 25-year-old Russian-Jewish immigrant and former cello prodigy, smokes PCP to escape from the feelings of disappointment and failure that plague him.
As a child, Kaylene was physically abused by her father. Later, she and her mother began using coke together. Now Kaylene is a 21-year-old who oozes sweetness and charm but who is unafraid to die and will stop at nothing to get her next fix. After so many years of neglect, can Kaylene's family finally step up and help her get the live-saving treatment she so desperately needs?
Sean was once a popular DJ and charismatic crowd-pleaser, but now he's rapidly going downhill due to his extreme alcoholism. Sean struggled as a child, growing up in a rough neighborhood with an openly gay father. Today, he spends his days and nights drinking himself to death. He desperately needs an intervention before he loses his family and his life.
Nicknamed the "junkie princess" by her drug-abusing friends, Courtney, 20, injects heroin up to eight times a day and prostitutes herself to finance her own and her boyfriend's addiction. But now Courtney's mother, sister, and grandmother are planning an intervention in one last-ditch attempt to convince her to leave her boyfriend and accept treatment.
Now 40, Julie has often turned to food and alcohol to find comfort in tough times. She had gastric bypass surgery when her weight ballooned, but now she spends her son's child support money on beer and 90-proof peppermint schnapps. She has a failing liver and constant blackouts, often waking up in strangers' beds. Julie needs an intervention before she loses her family--and her life.
When Skyler was a kid, his mother pushed him to do modeling and TV work, but the tension drove Skyler to drugs. Now he uses the new synthetic drug "bath salts," which cause him to hallucinate. Can an intervention save Skyler's sanity--and his life? Jessa's meth and alcohol addiction have caused her to hole up in the her parents' basement, drinking and using drugs until she blacks out, punches walls, and even attempts suicide. An intervention is desperately needed before Jessa overdoses and dies right under her parents' noses.
Once a successful, outstanding student, Zeinah turned to drugs to deal with the drama-filled divorce between her Christian mother and Muslim father. After her husband overdosed, her drug use increased, and she lost custody of her daughter. Can Zeinah's family forget their grudges and religious differences to come together and save her from her prescription pill death spiral?
Neglected as a child by her alcoholic mother, Dorothy is now lost in a haze of drugs, alcohol, and self-inflicted cuts and burns. Ivan was once a rising rap star who got caught up in the "thug life" and PCP addiction.
Once a supermom who took her kids to soccer practice and kept a spotless home, Suzon's life spiraled out of control. Now she lives with her new boyfriend, collects scrap metal, and sells prescription drugs to pay for crack. Suzon needs an intervention, but her mother threatens to hijack the process with her old resentments. Can mom put aside her agenda and help save her daughter?
To the outside world, Kimberly lives a dream life in an extravagant mansion without a financial care in the world. But the "dream" is really a nightmare because Kimberly is an alcoholic with no limits. She lives with her boyfriend, who has locked her in a bedroom in an effort to stop her from drinking. Kimberly's father has written her off, but the family must come together or Kimberly will continue to drown her pain in alcohol.
A 34-year-old gay man, Richard grew up knowing he was different and never feeling accepted. His stepfather disciplined him severely for his effeminate behavior. Today, Richard lives in subsidized housing and has done everything from dealing to prostituting himself to support his meth addiction. Richard's family will have to make amends to him if they hope to get through to him.
Strikingly beautiful with a great sense of humor, Dallas is nevertheless addicted to heroin and lives on the streets. After her mother attempted suicide, Dallas turned to drugs to deal with the confusion and pain. But Dallas's mother is in denial about her addiction and supports her "heroin-chic" lifestyle. Dallas's family needs a wake-up call and face her problems head-on if they're going to save her.
A beautiful 21-year-old addicted to Norco and meth, Christina has violent outbursts, believes that bugs are crawling under her skin, and has threatened suicide. Can an intervention save Christina before she loses her mind entirely?
Jeanna conquered generations of addiction until the murder of her four-year-old son sent her spiraling into a $100-a-day meth addiction. An intervention is the only way to help Jeanna start to heal her troubled soul.
A college graduate who now works as a genealogist, Jeff can't give up his 30-cans-of-beer-per-day habit even though his health is failing, he recently lost his wife, and his children are struggling to cope with the loss of their mother. Now Jeff faces a choice--his life or his beer. Can an intervention bring him to his senses?
Michelle, 30, looks like an aging mother of two who takes a daily concoction of methadone, Xanax, and blood pressure pills to keep her identity as an edgy party girl alive, while her family begs her to wake up to the harm that her addiction has caused them. Now the family has had enough, and they're finally ready to confront Michelle at an intervention.
Brittney saw her food addiction transformed into a raging alcohol addiction after gastric bypass surgery. Now she stands to lose her family as they grow weary of her alcohol-fueled antics. Ricardo, is a dedicated dad of three on weekends, but suffers from a daily addiction to meth which threatens to destroy his health, professional success, and relationship with his children. Brittney's and Ricardo's families have been pushed to the brink, and now realize that only an intervention can save their loved ones.
Tiffany, 24, a former athlete and cheerleader who dreamed of a career in the medical field, has no intention of giving up her IV crystal meth addiction, despite the fact that her four-year-old son is being cared for by her family. Can an intervention help Tiffany to regain her son and her life?
Luke, 23, dreams of a career in photojournalism, but his daily cocktail of drugs has derailed his college plans and left both him and his mother struggling to survive on the streets of San Francisco. Shantel uses OxyContin to cope with learning and mood disorders and to find friends in the drug culture. An overprotective mother provides her with money, and now Shantel, who faces potential jail time for a robbery, spends her days feeding her addiction in a motel. Without interventions, Luke and Shantel will continue to see their lives spiral downwards.
Living in a small Hawaiian village, Penny-Lee has an infectious laugh and loves to have fun. But despite having a good family life and four children to be proud of, she's an out-of-control alcoholic who spends most of her time alone, screaming and crying out to no one as she downs beer after beer. An intervention is her family's last hope for their beloved family matriarch.
Growing up with parents who demanded hard work, Larry rebelled with a life of crime. Today, he drinks a fifth of brandy a day even though he's a spiritual man whose religion prohibits alcohol. Can an intervention save Larry from being ostracized by his spiritual community? Megan is struggling with her own demons. Her mother divorced and remarried, but Megan never felt included in her new family. She became an addict and even turned to prostitution to pay for her drugs. Can Megan still realize the dreams she once had of becoming a lawyer or professor?
A mother of three, Latisha will go to any lengths to feed her crack addiction, including prostitution. Having been abandoned by her own parents because of their addictions, she's happy with her life and just wants her family to get off her back, but the needs of her young daughter Tuesday are going unmet. There's only one way to save Latisha from her herself--an intervention.
Eddie, an All-American baseball player in college with offers to play in the majors, was pursuing two master's degrees but school pressure and his father's overbearing expectations pushed Eddie to drink and gamble heavily. His addictions have left him divorced, homeless, and in legal trouble due to five DUI charges. Can an intervention save this once perfect son and hometown hero from self-destruction?
Like Romeo and Juliet on heroin, Mikeal and Sarah are a poor boy and a rich girl who have found sanctuary in each other's pain. Sarah's family feels that Mikeal has corrupted their daughter, taking Sarah from a casual pill abuser to a full-blown heroin addict. But now both families now agree that an intervention is their only hope. Will Sarah and Mikeal get help, or help each other tumble deeper into addiction?
Brittany once dreamed of becoming a police officer to protect people from the traumas that she faced as a child. But at 22, her goal is slipping away. She's a heroin addict who sells her body to get her next high. Can Brittany's family convince her that it's not too late to get help?
Heroin abuse in Chicago's suburbs is reaching epidemic proportions, and the area's Eisenhower Expressway has become known as the Heroin Highway for all the smack that flows through it.
Scioto County, Ohio, is on the DEA list of top 10 places for prescription pill trafficking. We show how prescription drugs, especially Hillbilly Heroin, the street name for Oxycodone, are devastating the region.
We go to the Nexus Recovery Center in Dallas, Texas, to follow the gripping stories of four women who are struggling with both addiction and motherhood.
A talkative, eccentric, antiques collector, Michael, 52, was a military brat who moved with his family all over Europe and the U.S. But what he really wanted was a stable, loving home. After a series of traumatic events, Michael began to do drugs, and now he's a rambling, self-loathing addict. Even worse, his two sons have become his using buddies. Michael needs an intervention to save himself--and his children.
Tiffany, a former beauty queen, has always wanted the family she never had. Now, after ten years of using crystal meth and looking for love in all the wrong places, Tiffany may lose the one thing she values most, her one-year-old daughter. Her family is terrified that they're going to lose Tiffany, and desperately hope that an intervention will save her from her abusive boyfriend and constant drug use.
At a teen, Jamie did drugs and abused alcohol to deal with her traumatic upbringing. At 21, she turned to the church and got sober, but then the fatal overdose of her twin sister triggered a relapse. Now Jamie suffers from alcohol-induced pancreatitis and has suicidal tendencies. As Jamie's family struggles with their own loss, Jamie feels alone in her fight against addiction. Can an intervention bring the family together?
Once happy-go-lucky, Megan, 25, is now a volatile drug addict who scares her family with her unchecked anger. A child of neglect, Megan is now enabled and financed by her guilt-ridden mother. She spends her days drinking and smoking crack. How will Megan react when confronted by her family in an intervention they believe is needed to save her life? After the tragic and shocking loss of her two young children years ago, Maryanne turned to alcohol to cope with the pain. Today Maryanne is the mother of three, but her inability to stay sober has jeopardized the safety of her children. She's lost custody of two and lives in squalor with her youngest daughter. Maryanne needs an intervention before her tragic streak continues.
An ambitious inventor and entrepreneur, Benny once dreamed of becoming a millionaire. But stress, drugs, and alcohol have turned his dream into a nightmare. Worst of all, he is no longer a dependable father to his six-year-old daughter. Benny, now 38 and living with his mother, has seen his relationship with his family reach the breaking point, and only an intervention can save him now.
Jenna, 28, once a sweet natured and compassionate young girl, endured a brutal childhood that still haunts her and her siblings. Today she steals and manipulates her family to support her destructive heroin habit. Can Jenna and her siblings overcome their past to work together as a family and get Jenna into treatment?
Jimbo's addiction to painkillers has already resulted in a devastating injury and a strained relationship with his devoted dad. Unable to stop using he now spends his days snorting drugs and flying into rages that have terrorized his family and community. Can an intervention stop this small-town menace?
Cassie, 22, is a crack and oxycodone addict who was abandoned by her mother and raised by her father and his string of wives. At 13, she was sent to an overseas behavior modification school that offered her little more than imprisonment and abuse. She escaped into a life of drugs and had a baby she couldn't care for. Now she's turned to prostitution to pay for her drugs, and her father enables her addiction while the rest of the family wonders how to keep her from dying.
Raised by an absentee alcoholic father, Jimmy joined a gang at 13 and was soon addicted to heroin. The birth of Jimmy's son prompted him to try to get clean, but when things got tough with his new family, he began using again. Now Jimmy shares a dangerous methadone addiction with his ailing mother that threatens to kill them both.
Erin is a strong-willed Texan who relies on her good looks to get what she wants, which is meth. Erin got tired of being a mother and wife and began a drug-induced party lifestyle. Now Erin's marriage is in pieces and her daughter has been sent to live with relatives. Can an intervention tame this wild Texas girl?
When Austin's stepfather died from alcoholism, he turned to alcohol himself to numb the pain. His girlfriend is now pregnant, and he's doing as much partying as he can before his child is born. Austin needs an intervention to become a sober dad and break his family's cycle of alcoholism.
Once a football player with a bright future, Darick dropped out of school to get married when his girlfriend got pregnant. Darick loved being a father, but when his marriage ended, Darick learned his daughter was not his biological child, and he was denied all contact with her. Devastated, Darick turned to drugs. Having already lost one family member to addiction, Darick's close-knit family is enabling his habit. They fear that if they don't, they'll bury Darick, too.
A drug addict living on the streets, Rachel uses her "street kid" lifestyle to defy society and her father, with whom she's had a strained relationship since her parents' divorce. Rachel started experimenting with cocaine and meth at 14, and using heroin at 16. She survived on the streets with the help of her boyfriend until he was sent to jail. Now Rachel must fend for herself. Can an intervention mend her relationship with her father and save her from herself?
When Jason's mother and stepfather had twins, Jason felt abandoned. He dropped out of school and turned to drugs. Now he lives with his grandmother in a retirement community and takes up to 30 mgs. of Xanax and shoots heroin up to five times a day. After an overdose, Jason had multiple hospitalizations and four grand mal seizures. Worn out from the drama, his family is frustrated with their inability to get Jason to stop using drugs and into treatment. A chef for 15 years, Ryan dreams of running a kitchen in a four-star restaurant. But alcoholism stands in his way. Ryan always felt like the black sheep of the family compared to his successful, police officer brother. His mother supplies him with alcohol so that he doesn't go into withdrawal. But now the family feels that "it's not if we lose him, but when."
John is a flight attendant who loves his job, but his lifestyle is fueling his alcoholism. When he was a boy, John's parents focused their attention on his "profoundly retarded" brother. His mother blamed herself for the disability and turned her anger towards John. Now John's alcoholism leaves him prone to blackouts. Meanwhile, growing up with an abusive mother, Dionicio turned to crime and drugs as a teen. He became a father, but couldn't handle the pressure of providing for a family. Now he spends his time panhandling and shooting heroin.
Though he grew up in a close-knit family, Joe has felt lonely and isolated all his life. As a child, he was tormented by neighborhood boys, and his father viewed him as a failure. At age 8, Joe learned "the choking game," in which a person uses his hands to cut off the oxygen supply to his brain to get high. Joe loved the sensation, and choked himself daily throughout childhood. In high school, Joe discovered drugs, and now he's a heroin addict. Joe is killing himself, and his family is desperate to intervene.
Once a Hollywood success story, Lorna is now a crack addict. She danced on Soul Train and for the "Ike and Tina Turner Revue" in Las Vegas, then landed a big job at A&M records. But the music industry party scene led to drug addiction, and she even abandoned her three children. Lorna needs to get clean and make amends with her kids before it's too late.
When Amber was molested as a young child, she bottled up her emotions. She began binge eating, and became bulimic because she wanted to be popular and beautiful like her older sister. After high school, Amber had a baby and married, and managed to look like she was living an idyllic family life. But she was actually depressed, drinking heavily, and purging regularly. Her family hopes an intervention can help her confront her problems.
Once bright, likable, and athletic, Andrew has become a gaunt, menacing OxyContin addict. As a child, Andrew learned to manipulate his father, Dan, who now admits, "I can't stand up to Andrew. He'll threaten to commit crimes and trash our motel room. I'd rather give him money for a pill than have him out robbing innocent people." Andrew, his father, and two brothers have been evicted seven times due to property damage and financial hardship, and they can go days without food. Can an intervention help Andrew--and make his father realize that if he doesn't get tough with Andrew, the whole family will be destroyed?
A charismatic reverend at a wedding chapel, Miriam, 38, is adored by her clients, but suffers inner torment. Sexually abused as a child by someone she trusted, Miriam turned to drugs at a young age, and now she's addicted to P.C.P. Her family has practically given up on her, and she risks losing her daughter's love. Can Miriam's desperate family convince her to get on the plane to treatment?
Adam was once one of top skiers in the United States. As a Marine, he served in 15 countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan on terrorist-related missions. But when he came back home from overseas, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and started drinking. His alcohol abuse is ruining his body.
Every day, Donna, 47, and her son, Josh, 20, cause a storm of drinking, fighting, and chaos in the overcrowded home they share with Donna's sister, mother, and a stable-full of dogs and cats. Raised by alcoholic parents, Donna was exposed to violence and abuse at an early age, and later drank so heavily that she lost custody of her two children. Josh, now an adult, has moved back in with Donna, and they have become drinking buddies. Both mother and son need help desperately to save themselves and to stop the cycle of alcoholism from being passed down to another generation of their family.
Now 53, Richard has kept a traumatic childhood event secret all his life. As early as age 11, he used alcohol to numb the emotional pain. As an adult, he was diagnosed with diabetes, and his health problems were exacerbated by his drug and alcohol abuse. He was able to keep his addictions in check while he and his wife, Sandy, raised two children. But when he was injured at work, Richard abused his prescriptions and eventually became addicted to crack cocaine.
A gifted mechanic, Tyler, 26, worked in the family business with his brother, Zach, and his sister, Ashley. Their father built the business to provide his children with a wonderful life. But the family's dreams turned to tragedy when Tyler found both Zach and Ashley dead from drug overdoses. Unable to cope with his loss, Tyler now fills his days with drugs and alcohol.
Amy and her family escaped the violence of apartheid-era South Africa and immigrated to Canada 22 years ago. But Amy suffered from anxiety and low self-esteem, and she became anorexic and, soon after, bulimic. Now she lives alone in the basement of her family's house and steals from family members to pay for her eating binges. Weighing only 92 pounds, Amy is on the brink of death.
Ashley was raised by a mother who was addicted to methamphetamines and gambling. Ashley flourished when her aunt and uncle became her legal guardians, but she started using heroin when her beloved grandfather died. Now she bounces back and forth between her rigid aunt's house and her permissive mother's house, and she's developed serious asthma from smoking heroin. The family fears that Ashley will soon overdose and die.
A former Junior Lightweight world champion who was discovered by Muhammad Ali, Rocky is still called "the champ" by locals. But the success, pressure, and excesses of the boxing lifestyle proved too much for him, and he turned to drugs and alcohol. He lost everything--his marriage, his sons, his wealth, and his title. Now homeless and addicted to crack, Rocky needs to fight for something far more important than boxing glory--he needs to fight for his life.
A talented cellist and an aspiring music producer, Shane's musical aspirations are now out of reach because he abuses prescription drugs and deals drugs out of his grandmother's house. After injuring his neck in a car accident, he began abusing OxyContin. His father was a drug addict, too, who died from an overdose. Now Shane is following in his father's deadly footsteps--can an intervention break the cycle?
Although she has a blood clot in her brain that makes drinking dangerous, Kristine is an alcoholic. But she doesn't believe her condition is a reason to quit because she recently learned that she may have leukemia. Now she figures she may as well keep drinking because the leukemia might kill her anyway. Can an intervention save her--and if she does have a terminal illness, is a successful intervention even an answer?
Working as a fitness instructor at the most elite gyms and partying on the club circuit at night, Marquel seems to have the perfect life. But her family sees her exercise regime as obsessive-compulsive, and they watch her binge-drinking episodes end up in hospitalizations. They believe she is an exercise addict, bulimic, and alcoholic, and they have turned to interventionist Candy for help.
When Robby's mother discovered his talent for music, she became a classic stage mother and relentlessly pushed him. Robby formed a group which became an instant success, even earning a Grammy nomination. But Robby indulged in the excesses of fame and fortune, and became an alcoholic. The group fell apart, and Robby became deeply depressed. His family and friends fear that he is intentionally drinking himself to death and believe that an intervention is their last hope.
When Vinnie was a boy, his father abused him physically and verbally, leaving his mother feeling helpless. He developed a love for fast-paced sports, including BMX, motocross, and car racing, but his need for speed turned into an addiction to crack cocaine. Now, Vinnie lives in his car with his dog and smokes up to $1,000 worth of crack a week. Vinnie's mother tries to make up for not protecting him when he was younger by giving him money and a place to stay. But Vinnie needs more than that--he needs an intervention.
Once known as the "the prettiest girl in town," Jackie had a promising career as a radiation therapist. She became a wealthy doctor's wife, a country club member, and a proud mother. But Jackie was haunted by childhood traumas. She was devastated when her father died when she was 13. And as an overweight adolescent, she was teased with the nickname "Fat Jack" and felt she was never as good as her pretty sister. After Jackie's second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, she turned to alcohol. She's had three failed stints in rehab and an ugly divorce. Today, Jackie drinks two bottles of wine a day and regularly suffers broken bones and bruises in her drunken state.
Raped when she was 14 and feeling abandoned by her family, Sarah turned to drugs, even becoming a stripper to support her drug habit. She's prohibited by the courts from seeing her three-year-old son, and now lives with a man who is more than twice her age and manages a massage parlor. Can an intervention save her from her self-destructive lifestyle?
Amy grew up feeling unloved and unable to meet her parents' high expectations. She was also molested by a neighbor when she was eight, but never told anyone in her family. She began to self-mutilate and restrict her diet, and by 17, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Now, Amy eats only 500 calories a day, drinks up to two bottles of vodka a night, and regularly self-mutilates. Amy's family is ready to give up on her, but they still don't know about Amy's sexual abuse. Only Amy's friend, Jessica, knows the truth, but will she have the courage to tell Amy's family before it's too late?
Once a gifted singer/songwriter, Rob was part of a successful band. He loved the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but he began a long descent into addiction when he turned to drugs and alcohol to fuel his creativity.
Once an effervescent, beautiful young woman, Jennifer was considered a genius by her teachers and was the pride and joy of her parents. But at age 17, Jennifer was involved in a car accident that caused a brain injury and kidney damage. Jennifer survived, but only three days after she left the hospital another family car accident ended in a fatality. Jennifer turned to drugs and alcohol to cope and now spends her days searching for parties or drinking companions. Her parents know that only an intervention can save her.
Greg once owned a thriving business and was a devoted husband and father. But after a back injury left him disabled, he lost his business, started gambling, and became dependent on pain medication. He also became obsessed with Internet sweepstakes scams, and he has bankrupted his family in a relentless pursuit of big winnings. Having lost everything, Greg's family just wants their proud father back.
After graduating college, Linda found success working as an extra in Hollywood, achieving the glamorous life she always wanted. But her dreams died when she came down with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by joint dislocations. Linda started taking fentanyl, a painkiller 100 times stronger than morphine. As her painkiller use escalated, she claimed that different sources were causing her pain, including electricity, energy, colors, and even specific people. Despite Linda's wild claims, her mother clings to the belief that Linda's pain is real and she must do everything to help her, including depleting the family's savings and sending her son to be Linda's caretaker.
A lot of people think that Humboldt County in northern California is an American paradise. Small towns in the county like Arcata look like they've been plucked right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. But the town has a dirty little secret–law enforcement officials say that over 1,000 homes there may be growing marijuana illegally. Capt. Mark Chapman and the Humboldt County Drug Task Force are determined to take back the town, house by house. Our cameras follow as they make busts and fly over forestlands searching for hidden marijuana groves.
They're cheap, easy to get and legal. They're also deadly. But that's not stopping teenagers and young adults from using chemical inhalants to get high. Hundreds of everyday products–household cleaners, disinfectants, computer dusters–contain chemicals that when breathed in give a powerful five-second high. It's called huffing and studies show that over two million kids nationwide are doing it. We'll take a powerful look at the trend and how it is shocking parents and destroying young lives.
A lot of people think that Humboldt County in northern California is an American paradise. Small towns in the county like Arcata look like they've been plucked right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. But the town has a dirty little secret–law enforcement officials say that over 1,000 homes there may be growing marijuana illegally. Capt. Mark Chapman and the Humboldt County Drug Task Force are determined to take back the town, house by house. Our cameras follow as they make busts and fly over forestlands searching for hidden marijuana groves.
Gabe and Allison return to tell their stories after they both faced interventions and treatment. Gabe used heroin to deal with the deep emotional scars caused by his adoption and Allison was addicted to inhalants.
This special looks at the gut-wrenching but hopeful stories of three Iraq veterans and their struggles with addiction caused by combat stress. Leia's flashbacks to the terrifying things she saw in Iraq caused her to drink until she connected with a support group of fellow veterans. Paul saw some of the heaviest fighting of the war and turned to alcohol and cocaine when he returned home, but a detox program is helping him to cope and move on. And after Matt was discharged, he had vivid nightmares about being shot or burning, and he started drinking to calm himself down.
To outsiders, Marci's family life seemed ideal. But while her mother worked, Marci was left home with her alcoholic father. She endured his abuse while her mother looked the other way. Marci began drinking and doing drugs. Her marriage failed, and she lost custody of her children. But her mother still denies that Marci has a bad problem. Can an intervention help Marci and her mother to stop their dangerous behavior before it's too late?
At 53, Gloria prides herself on being a good cook and an independent, fun-loving woman. But Gloria uses her cooking and charm to manipulate her family into letting her drink as much as she wants. Gloria had difficulty raising her children, and was married to an abusive man. At 42, Gloria got breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation but did not stop drinking. Now Gloria drinks and drives, misses work, and spends all her money on alcohol. Gloria's family has had enough of her selfishness, and they're ready for an intervention.
Sebastian, 21, and his brother Marcel, 20, were soccer celebrities in their town at a very young age. Cool and rebellious, Sebastian hung out with older teammates and started doing marijuana, cocaine and meth. Then Marcel got strung out on cocaine, Xanax and OxyContin, and also sold drugs. Now their older brother is angry, their mother feels betrayed, and their father is ready to give up his wife, his oldest son, and his own life to save them. An intervention is the last hope for the entire family.
With a terrifying addiction to heroin, Joey's career as a tattoo artist is in jeopardy. His parents divorced when he was three. At 13, Joey started smoking marijuana and soon graduated to ecstasy, LSD, and heroin. When he stole his mother's credit cards, she reluctantly filed charges and he went to jail. He has a daughter now, but the girl's mother is afraid to let Joey be alone with her. An intervention is the only way to stop Joey from overdosing.
This follow-up episode features former subjects Chad and Brooke as they rediscover their lives during and after treatment. Chad's crack addiction destroyed his career as a world-class cyclist. Seven months after his intervention, he's been given a chance to redeem himself. He's joined a racing team in Italy, but his body may be too damaged to make a successful comeback. Brooke was in denial about her addiction to pain pills but agreed to go to treatment after an explosive intervention. Now her parents are visiting Brooke to see how much progress she's made.
Although she has two loving children and an adoring husband, Danielle is dangerously addicted to Percocet. As a teen, Danielle felt neglected by her alcoholic father and began cutting herself. Now she spends each day hiding behind closed curtains, ignoring her children, and self-medicating with up to 40 Percocet a day. An intervention is the last chance Danielle's children have to get their mother back.
Aaron was a mixed martial arts champion, but at the height of his career he started working in adult films. Through the porn scene, Aaron was introduced to crystal meth. His daily habit took over and he lost both his film and fighting careers. He now spends his days using drugs and watching porn for hours on end, and his wife is at the end of her rope. While Andrea was growing up, she yearned for a relationship with her mostly absent alcoholic father. During high school, she sought solace with her boyfriend, moved out and started a family at 19. Andrea soon became overwhelmed with parenting duties and turned to alcohol. As her drinking escalated she turned to the only person she felt would understand--her father. Four years ago, Andrea's father passed away and her drinking has since spiraled out of control. Now, she is unable to raise her children and spends her days on her mother's couch drinking. Can an intervention help both Aaron and Andrea?
Now 43, Bret once had a promising career in real estate. But the stress to make more money to provide for his family took its toll, and Bret became an alcoholic. Two years ago, Bret's family held an intervention and sent him to rehab programs, but he relapsed. His wife finally divorced him, he lost his job, and he continues to be totally focused on drinking.
When she was young, Nikki's mother and grandmother worked hard to give her a good life. Nikki excelled in school, but she was devastated when her grandmother died. She began hanging out with a rebellious crowd, skipping school, and using crack. Nikki eventually had two daughters, but has remained addicted to drugs. Her daughters desperately want to have a relationship with Nikki, and know that an intervention is their only hope of saving their mother's life.
Jason grew up in a seemingly perfect upper-middle class family in Littleton, Col., but he struggled to gain his father's approval. When Jason failed to make the baseball team his freshman year, Jason and his father were devastated. Jason began rollerblading and excelled, but he quit because his father disapproved of the sport. Jason turned to drugs and by his senior year he was an addict. A year later, the Columbine High School shooters named Jason one of the bullies they retaliated against. Overcome with guilt and grief for his dead classmates, Jason's addiction escalated. Now Jason lives on the streets of Denver, and his family is in pieces.
When he was five, Donald's parents divorced. He longed for a strong father figure, but his father had very little contact with him. Donald became a gifted boxer, but ultimately chose drugs over his career. He joined a violent gang and turned to stealing to support his crack habit. Now his son is angry because Donald wasn't there for him growing up. Donald's girlfriend just had a baby and Donald has a second chance to be a good father, but his crack use is spiraling out of control.
Identical twins Sonia and Julia, 22, shared everything as children and grew up in a loving home. Their parents emigrated from Poland and worked multiple jobs to send their children to the best schools. But now the family's American Dream is turning into a nightmare as Sonia and Julia are withering away from anorexia. The sisters' competitive spirit has turned to bitter rivalry and jealousy. And they're so stricken with fear that the other will burn more calories that they never let each other out of their sight. Now their desperate parents seek help.
Forty-year-old Jeff was once known as a heroic firefighter after he saved his partner's life. But Jeff was traumatized by the harrowing event, and his drinking increased drastically. Jeff has received two DUI's and been rushed to the hospital numerous times for seizures. Jeff's alcoholism has also forced his son and wife to move out. Now his family's last hope is that an intervention will stop Jeff from drinking himself to death.
When he was three, Gabe's mother abandoned him on the streets of Calcutta, but he was adopted by a young American couple. Gabe seemed happy in America, but he secretly felt like an outsider. In high school he started to rebel and resent his Christian upbringing. He began using marijuana and cocaine, and later graduated to heroin. Then he squandered all of the $37,500 he received after a car accident to support his drug habit. Now the family fears that without an intervention, Gabe's addiction and depression will soon lead to his death.
A 51-year-old grandmother, Sharon is a compulsive shopper who has undergone numerous plastic surgeries to feel better about her appearance. She also feels she must hit herself. She has bruises on her thighs and stomach and repeatedly hits her head with a hairbrush. Now things are getting even worse. Sharon recently got the urge to drown one of her Chihuahuas; she didn't harm the dog, but now Sharon's daughter is terrified that Sharon might try to harm her grandchildren. Sharon's dangerous compulsions need to stop.
By her late 20's, Sandy had achieved the American Dream. She was married with four beautiful daughters and owned a home she and her husband built themselves. But today, Sandy's life is unrecognizable from what it once was. Her days consist of combining prescription drugs with a pint of vodka, and relying on her daughters to monitor both her diabetes and drinking. Her speech is slurred, and she's been hospitalized several times. Her family has only one option left–an intervention.
Beloved by his five sisters and his teenage son, Nik 35, was the glue that holds his large family together. He was a proud college graduate who became the director of a multi-million-dollar casino chain at a young age. But now Nik is a homeless drug addict. Four years ago, after a debilitating back injury, he became addicted to OxyContin. His addiction worsened and he turned to heroin. Now Nik has lost his job, his home, and custody of his son. A tall, beautiful brunette, Tiffany maintained a perfect GPA in high school and played Varsity basketball. But despite her achievements, Tiffany's childhood was plagued by her parents' violent marriage and their drug and alcohol abuse. She married at 19 to escape the pain of her youth, but her controlling husband forced her to move back in with her mother. Battling feelings of worthlessness, Tiffany self-medicated with alcohol. Now, she has been hospitalized numerous times for alcohol-related injuries and has attempted suicide.
The face of gambling addiction has changed, dramatically. More women are falling prey to this insidious compulsion. They often sit for hours in front of slot-machines, poker tables leaving children unattended and piling up debts.
Born into a family with traditional Catholic values, Chris struggled with his sexuality until coming out at 18. Now, at 34, Chris feels that being gay has cheated him out of the things he wants most–marriage, children, and inclusion in his family. He drinks first thing in the morning to ward off tremors, he's abusive to his partner, and he can't keep a job. His father believes Chris should be able to stop drinking by sheer force of will, but his mother believes that genetics is to blame for his alcoholism. Can the family overcome its divisions and work together for Chris?
When Angelina was eight, her family grew apart over an argument about money. Her mother turned to prescription drugs and cocaine to deal with the stress. After graduating from high school, Angelina became her younger brother's legal guardian, but she was overwhelmed by the job of taking care of her brother and addict mother. Angelina became addicted to OxyContin and spent her trust fund of $350,000 on the drug. Then Angelina turned to cheaper drugs and heroin to support her habit.
Lana grew up in a family of 11 children, and her older sister introduced her to drinking at the age of seven. Despite this precarious start, Lana excelled in sports and was active in the church. But at 18, Lana began to enter into dangerous relationships with men and started abusing drugs and alcohol. She was in two near-fatal car accidents. And now, too make things even worse, she is in a relationship plagued by physical violence.
From an early age, Anthony's father made him feel worthless. His parents divorced, and his mother remarried, but she was still unhappy and turned to alcohol and drugs. It was little wonder, then, that Anthony began drinking at age 13. Another blow came when Anthony's younger brother died of leukemia. Anthony spiraled downward, and now he drinks half a gallon of vodka a day and takes whatever drugs he can find.
Once a successful hairstylist, Casie now works in a small-town salon to fuel her $500-a-week meth habit. Casie's childhood was marred by her mother's drug addiction. Suffering from low self-esteem, Casie became bulimic and an addict. She lost her career, her life's savings, and her husband. Casie's mother now tries to make up for Casie's difficult childhood by enabling her, even at the cost of her own marriage. Casie's boyfriend, John, also an addict, is desperately trying to keep her alive. Casie's drug use is taking everyone down with her.
In this follow-up show, we check back in with Tressa and Josh. Tressa's meth addiction destroyed her promising Olympic career. Now eight months sober, she's working hard to stay on the right path and rekindle some of that lost potential. Going home for her mother's wedding, she encounters both the joy and the pain of her old lifestyle. Josh once weighed more than 500 pounds. Now 200 pounds lighter, Josh is planning a surprise visit to his family to bring them together for the first time since their intervention.
John has type one diabetes but refuses to be diligent about checking his blood sugar, or taking his insulin. A social misfit and an outcast for many years, John wants to be considered a regular guy, and pretends to be one by eating whatever he wants without regard for his illness. He has been in a near-coma and hospitalized multiple times. His parents want to stop enabling his self-destructive behavior, but won't kick him out of the house because they fear he'll die without their supervision.
Brittany was born five years after the brutal rape and murder of her 9-year-old sister, Terry. Brittany struggled with the pressure to live up to her mother's perfect image of Terry. At 12, Brittany was molested, and she began taking drugs and sneaking out at night--anything to get out from under Terry's shadow. Now she shoots up Dilaudid six times a day, begs family members for money and prostitutes herself. Brittany's mother scrambles to give Brittany enough money for her fix. Desperate and on the verge of bankruptcy, Brittany's family prepares for an intervention.
After being molested as a child, Nicole developed an unusual eating disorder--she was unable to swallow. By age 16, she weighed just 68 pounds, and doctors inserted a feeding tube into her stomach. The tube was supposed to be temporary, but 16 years later, Nicole still relies on the tube and can't swallow any food or liquids. She also abuses prescription drugs and neglects her two daughters. Her husband plans to divorce her if she continues to neglect their children.
At 18, Janet married a drug dealer who made her rich, but her husband was sent to prison, leaving her alone with two sons? She missed her old luxurious lifestyle and began drinking heavily.
The liquor cabinets of the 1950s have become the medicine cabinets of today. In one port town on Florida's west coast, pharmaceutical drug abuse and its often fatal consequences are sharply on the rise, particularly among teenagers and other young people. This year, deaths from pharmaceutical drug overdoses in the area are on pace to exceed accidental deaths from car accidents–and legal drugs account for three times as many overdoses as illegal drugs. Many officials believe that the drug dealer on the corner has been replaced by the pharmacies and pain clinics that now litter the streets of this community. Meet several people whose lives have been taken over by abuse of deadly and addictive drugs–all of which are perfectly legal. We'll also meet a group of community members and experts who are taking to the streets and airwaves in the hopes of stopping this silent epidemic once and for all.
He was once a championship bodybuilder and successful property owner. But when he turned 30, Derek felt he was over the hill and became severely depressed. He started drinking to cope with the pressures of marriage and the responsibilities of getting older. His beautiful wife left, and now Derek's days are all the same--he sits in his dark basement, smoking and drinking and bemoaning the loss of his wife. He narrowly survived one suicide attempt and his family is worried he'll try again. An intervention is their last hope.
Ed, 53, and Bettina, 49, had a picture-perfect life, including three adoring kids, a dream home, sports cars, motorcycles, and a respected place in their church community. But six years ago, Ed made a bad career move and ended up unemployed. He and Bettina lost everything they had worked for. They began to drink, and quickly became alcoholics. Ed has been hospitalized for internal bleeding, and Bettina for withdrawals so excruciating she thought she was dying. Their children have begged them to stop drinking, but it only strengthens the bond between Ed and Bettina, leaving the children to wonder, "How do you intervene on a married couple?"
When Kristen was 3, her parents divorced and soon after her grandparents died, and Kristen somehow felt responsible. Then Kristen's mother married an alcoholic and addict, whose daughter introduced Kristen to drugs. By 15, Kristen was getting high. Currently, Kristen shoots heroin and cocaine, and then stays with her parents to recover. Ridden with guilt, Kristen's mother is desperate to save her only daughter's life.
An episode of Intervention where former addicts come together for a candid discussion on what has changed since their time on the show. Have they gotten their lives back on tract? How are their relationships? Those participating include Sylvia (Season 2), Michelle (Season 2), Hubert (Season 3), Dillon (Season 3), and Coley (Season 3). Also interviewed the regular interventionists: Jeff, Candy, and Ken. The special is hosted by Chris Lawford.
Mike, 67, was a police sergeant, avid outdoorsman and respected citizen. After he was injured while apprehending an addict, signs of Mike's obsessive-compulsive disorder started to emerge. His fear of germs caused him to wash his hands over 40 times a day. The problem forced him to retire early and his wife divorced him. He was able to keep his OCD under control for eight years, but a relapse caused him to think his food was spoiled and almost starve. Mike's children feel an intervention is their only hope of helping him. Jenny, 32, is a talented hairstylist from a close-knit Mormon family. When a diagnosis of endometriosis crushes her dreams of having a family, she turns to prescription drugs. Her addiction quickly escalates to IV heroin and meth use.
A 44-year-old singer and songwriter, Phillip used music to escape the pain of an unstable childhood. He gained fame due to his charisma and musical talents, but Phillip now consumes up to four pints of peppermint schnapps a day. He lost his career, the love of his life, and the respect of his family. Can Phillip break the grip of addiction before he loses the most precious relationship in his life, the one he shares with his 11-year-old daughter?
A disturbing look into one small town in northern Alabama where many are struggling with addiction to methamphetamines and other drugs. People offer their stories including Chuck, a father who may lose custody of his children; Boo, who has become aged horribly due to long-time drug use; Shanta, who used the drug while pregnant. Dr. Holley explains her interest in helping the entire town rid the addiction. A special, first-of-its-kind episode of Intervention you can't miss.
She was a pre-med student on her way to becoming a surgeon, but the trauma of being molested as a child and her parents' brutal divorce haunted Allison. She started to inhale computer dust remover, which is potentially fatal with each breath. Her erratic behavior and absence from classes got Allison dropped from the pre-med program. Allison is currently inhaling up to ten cans of dust remover a day. Can interventionist Jeff help Allison and her family?
Born into a mixed-race family in a predominantly white town, Asa struggled with low self-esteem and body image growing up. Classmates teased him because of his size, ethnicity, and effeminate manner. Desperate to loss weight, Asa became bulimic. He came out as a gay man at 19 and started using hard drugs and drinking heavily. For the past 10 years, Asa has been working towards his college degree. Being a medical science student, he understands how his eating disorder and alcoholism are affecting him, but he's been unable to stop. His family now realizes that an intervention is their last chance to help Asa.
Growing up in a South Boston neighborhood run by the Irish mob, Tom got caught up in the gangster lifestyle. By his 20s, he was dealing drugs and running with the wise guys while holding down his day job as a fireman at the Boston Fire Department. Throughout it all, Tom remained a dedicated and loving father to his four children. Eventually, Tom's other life caught up with him after being indicted on drug charges. He lost everything -- his house, his job, and his family's respect. Can an intervention help Tom and heal his fractured family?
A Sophia Loren look-alike, Marie was born into an Italian mob family. When her parents' marriage end, Marie and her mother struggled with extreme poverty. Marie's three marriages ended in divorce, but she was still determined to give her children what she didn't have growing up. Despite her own unhappy love life, she became a highly successful matchmaker and well known socialite. She even appeared on shows like 60 Minutes. Then Marie met her fourth husband, Bora, an addict and alcoholic. Marie tried to clean him up, but developed her own addiction to alcohol. Bora's alcoholism killed him, and now Marie is headed down the same road--fast. Marie's family knows an intervention is her last hope.
A talented motocross rider, Charles, 23, is still dealing with terrible childhood memories. When he was seven, his father went to jail for molesting him and his younger brother, and his mother became an alcoholic. Today, he uses heroin and alcohol to blot out his memories, but he's pushed most of his family away. Now, his half-sister, Lindsey, is reuniting the family in one last attempt to help Charles with an intervention.
Sandra's pill use is so bad that her two sons have left the house. Her best friend, Julie, moved in with her, and although Julie suffers from multiple sclerosis, she takes care of all the housework. Her family is ready to try an intervention.
Dan is an alcoholic. An adolescence filled with physical violence and verbal abuse left Dan with deep emotional pain. Dan's family desperately hopes that an intervention will turn his life around.
Chad was a pro cyclist and was on the same team as Lance Armstrong. But after getting kicked off the team for personality conflicts, Chad was crushed and turned to drugs. Now homeless, Chad spends his days panhandling, smoking crack, and drinking.
Having graduated high school with academic and athletic honors, Lawrence, 34, became a successful owner of a chain of tanning salons. But he was never able to dull the pain of emotional and physical abuse suffered in childhood. Alcohol took hold and Lawrence became a shell of his former self, often drinking a liter of vodka a day. A recent battle with cancer left him further weakened. Lawrence's loved ones stage an intervention in the hope that this show of love and support will help Lawrence get the help he needs, and that by sharing his story he might help others.
The chaos and bloodshed that Brad witnessed as a young soldier in Iraq, including the death of a close friend, left him emotionally damaged. He now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and uses alcohol and marijuana to quell the endless nightmares and flashbacks that haunt him. Brad's temper also flares and he's had several incidents of blackout drinking which have led to two car accidents. His parents and sisters are terrified that Brad will kill himself or someone else in a drunken stupor. An intervention is their final attempt to save his life.
As a former clean-cut track star, John's life used to revolve around athletics. Now, after a leg injury ended his running career, John spends his time abusing his body with alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy and hallucinogenic drugs. He believes he is living a charmed life as a successful and popular DJ when the reality is that he is losing his friends, his family and his chance at success in the music industry to an addiction that could result in permanent brain damage or death. His family believes that his only hope lies in an intervention, but can they convince him that he has a problem before it is too late?
Tressa, 32, attended college on a track and field scholarship and became one of the world's top female shot-putters, earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Tressa's dreams were broken when a routine drug test revealed that she had been using meth.
Ben, 25, experienced a childhood filled with domestic violence, homelessness and isolation. He never got to fulfill the potential of his 170 I.Q. and found a new way to find comfort when he was in high school--a drug called DXM. Now, Ben spends his days shoplifting, panhandling, and even prostituting himself to finance his drug addiction. Desperate to help Ben, his mother arranges an intervention that's her last hope for saving his life. Next, a talented singer and the owner of his own karaoke business, 22-year-old Josh is addicted to food and weighs 550 lbs. Josh's father, Rex, has the same weight problem--at 317 lbs., he's a diabetic who's had six strokes. Now, Rex watches helplessly as Josh follows in his footsteps toward an early death. Josh's mother and two brothers hope that an intervention will be a wake-up call for the whole family to choose health.
Jason, 23, was born into a strict Southern Baptist family. His father, a preacher, and his unstable mother doled out excessive punishments. But when Jason's mother revealed she's a lesbian, Jason's father was banished from the church and had to take several jobs to feed his family. Left with no supervision, Jason turned to drugs and alcohol. And now his younger sister, Joy, is heading down the same self-destructive path, too. Can a double intervention save them?
Brooke, 26, was a beautiful teenager with a magnetic personality. An elite gymnast on the cheerleading squad, she looked forward to a successful and athletic life. But tragedy struck in her senior year when she was crippled by Still's disease, an early form of rheumatoid arthritis. Her doctors prescribed narcotics to ease her pain, but Brooke soon became addicted. Her heartbroken family has sought new treatments to help Brooke, but she denies she's an addict. Now her family has turned in desperation to their last hope–an intervention.
In this follow-up episode, we look at how two people have fared since their interventions, Ryan, an OxyContin addict, and Hubert, a former alcoholic.
Dawn, 49, was once a model, but today she's homeless and wanders around town using meth and suffering from the effects of Meth Psychosis. Fabian, 37, was once a successful entertainment entrepreneur, but his escalating addiction has cost him everything. We watch as Fabian's family and Dawn's sons ask interventionists to help save their loved ones.
Emily, 26, grew up struggling to meet her parents' high expectations. Despite winning many academic and athletic honors, Emily suffered from depression and low self-esteem, and her shameful feelings intensified when she became a date-rape victim in college. She dieted in hopes of regaining control of her emotions and life, but now she weighs less than 90 pounds. Her family's last hope is an intervention that will stop her from starving herself to death.
Jill was a beautiful woman with a Victoria's Secret body until a boyfriend betrayed her by secretly distributing a tape of them having sex. Now Jill uses alcohol to numb her pain. Her family is planning an intervention to save her life.
Pam is a 49-year-old alcoholic who has suffered a string of abusive, failed marriages and horrific molestation as a child. Drinking is her only way to cope. Her frightened family has already lost one sibling to cirrhosis of the liver. Their greatest fear is that Pam will fall to the same fate unless an intervention can save her life.
As a child Caylee was an over-achiever from an affluent family. But despite her myriad successes, her mother, Christy, was never satisfied with her. Christy, herself was sexually-abused as a girl, and has hidden her bulimia from her family for 35 years. The family wants to help both mother and daughter. If they can find a way to have the mother present for Caylee's intervention, they can then approach Christy about her bulimia as well.
As a timber cutter, Coley has one of the most dangerous jobs in America. But instead of taking serious precautions, he increases his risks every day by snorting crystal meth. Because of his addiction, Coley's business is falling apart. His wife can barely stand to talk to him any more and his relationship with his three young children is deteriorating. They all believe his only hope is rehab, but will he be willing to go before it's too late?
Leslie is a Sunday school teacher, PTA member, soccer mom of three and a raging alcoholic. When she can't get her hands on vodka or wine, Leslie resorts to economy size bottles of mouthwash. After countless arrests and DUI's, her husband is hoping to find help for the mother of his children before it's too late. It's time for Leslie to choose: her alcohol or her family.
Not long ago, Andrea, 31, decided to follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother and become a nurse. It was a field in which she excelled and was revered by colleagues and friends. But all the while, Andrea was hiding a dark secret–a growing crack addiction. Now she's lost her job and relies on several male friends to buy her drugs. Growing up, Ricky seemed to be on a path to greatness. He was a straight-A student, a star athlete and named one of the three brightest students in school. He joined the Marines, where he served as a police officer. But what started as experimentation with drugs has turned into an out-of-control heroin addiction. Ricky's friends and family fear for the worst but hope an intervention will be his best chance for getting his life back.
Growing up, Ashley, 20, was always considered the wild child. While her younger sister was quick to follow the rules and be active in the church, Ashley tended to reject her parents' strong Christian values. The more her parents tried to guide her, the more she pulled away. By her teenage years, Ashley became a chronic runaway and drug addict. Her family sees an intervention as her only hope. But will Ashley take their efforts as a sign of love or another chance to run away?
Laney is an outgoing, intelligent 36-year-old woman who used to have the kind of life other people dream of: a handsome, loving husband, plenty of money and the opportunity to travel the world. Unfortunately, all the wealth and status in the world could not help Laney escape alcoholism. She lost her husband, her health and is quickly spending what's left of her sizable divorce settlement on endless bottles of rum. Her organs are deteriorating fast and Laney is too weak to take care of herself. She is so dependent on attention from her frustrated family that Laney will attempt suicide in an effort to win back their love. But will her damaged body survive yet another trip to the ICU?
Ever since Jessica became addicted to heroin at 17, her family cannot trust her. And even worse--her addiction is straining family relationships. Everyone wants to see her go to treatment, however just organizing the intervention is tearing them apart. Growing up Hubert, now 50, never felt truly loved by his stepfather. And his stepfather admits giving more love and attention to his three biological children. Meanwhile, Hubert protected his brother and sisters from hearing and seeing their parents screaming and hitting one another. Forty years later, it's Hubert's siblings' turn to help him overcome a horrible alcohol addiction that has left him living on the streets of Los Angeles for the past six months.
Trent is a four-star chef who's served U.S. presidents and Hollywood stars. But as the child of alcoholics, Trent's formative years were marked with violence and abuse. He ultimately turned to drugs to cope and has an insatiable heroin addiction.
Growing up, Dillon showed tremendous promise. But after a bitter divorce, his mother, Tammy hoped that Dillon wouldn't follow in the footsteps of his violent, alcoholic father. But today Tammy's worst fears have come true. Dillon, 20, is living with his father in a dilapidated trailer where he injects methamphetamines every day and refuses any overtures for help. Tammy has one final hope–an intervention.
Anthony has been working at the pizzerias owned by his family since he was a kid. A good athlete, colleges offered him baseball scholarships. But at 14, everything changed. His sister died of a heroin overdose and his mother fell into an emotional black hole. Anthony found comfort in cocaine, and today he needs methadone to get him through the day until he can shoot coke at night. His family is not ready to let him hit rock bottom, but Anthony won't get better until his entire family embraces change.
By day, Jacob, 25, is a banker. But most nights, Jacob is drinking, driving and often engaged in barroom brawls. He recently overdosed on alcohol and prescription drugs. Jacob blames his mother -- a drug user and former dealer -- for his addiction.
Kim is a beautiful 34-year-old make-up artist who grew up a cheerleader and popular. But fearing her good looks and slim figure were deteriorating, Kim turned to bulimia and anorexia. Now Kim's weight issues have taken over her life. She is entrenched in a divorce with her high school sweetheart, who she still loves dearly. She's moved in with her mother and stepfather, with whom she can't get along. Kim's needs have taken over the household and no one believes it can get better unless Kim agrees to get help.
From the outside, Ryan and his family look picture perfect. They live in a beautiful house in an upscale northern California neighborhood. But inside, their world is falling apart. Ryan, once a talented drummer who was awarded a music scholarship to the state university, is addicted to opiates. He injects OxyContin up to 15 times a day. His moods swing wildly from needy to hostile, and his family no longer knows how to deal with him or help him. Their only hope is an intervention.
Lauren has known plenty of success in her life. After college, she became a high school health and phys-ed teacher, and the students loved her. But amid all the accomplishments, Lauren was hiding a growing problem: an addiction to heroin.
Thirty-one-year-old Laurie has a master's degree in psychology. Laurie is a pill addict. Twenty-one-year-old Jessie is an attractive, intelligent, young woman with a dream of becoming a pediatrician. Jessie is bulimic.
Sylvia had four wonderful kids, a strong marriage, and a successful business. But when family tragedies struck, Sylvia looked for solace in the bottle, and today she is a frail, vulnerable, alcoholic. An intervention is her only hope.
Cristy was born into a tight-knit family and sought a career as a clothing designer before she became addicted to alcohol and crystal meth. Now she earns her money as a stripper, and her desperate family knows she needs an intervention.
Betsy went through a devastating time when her marriage fell apart. She began drinking heavily to help the pain. Her family is trying to help her with no results. They finally give her an ultimatum. She either quits drinking or she will lose all of their support and she would be on her own.
Tim was an accomplished producer and a talented musician with a lucrative career in the entertainment industry, but a crack addiction nearly destroyed everything he treasures. An intervention is his last chance--but will it work?
A high achiever as a young man, Mike developed a life-threatening dependency on speed balling, which involves mixing cocaine and heroin. James was a straight-A student until he turned to methamphetamines to cope with his mother's near-fatal illness.
Tammi is an alcoholic despite being raised in an upper middle-class family that provided her with a good education and even golf and tennis lessons. Daniel got hooked on meth after becoming a victim of molestation.
We revisit with two of our subjects to see how they've been doing since we first profiled them. Antwahn's family staged an intervention to save him from cocaine, and he went to treatment. But unfortunately, we learn that his story does not end there. And Rachel's continuing battle to stay off heroin has been threatened by her attempts to help her boyfriend get clean.
At 33, all John can see is the loss in his life. His mother died when he was 12. Recently, he lost his sister, his cousin and his best friend. His only escape from it all is in his addiction to crack and alcohol.
Gina is bright, fun-loving, and ambitious, but she's losing a difficult battle with drugs and compulsive gambling. Gina's family feels an intervention is the only way to save her. Andrea is a 30-year-old, divorced, single mother addicted to alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. She says that she loves the party lifestyle and that she can't end the cycle of drinking and drugs in which she's immersed herself. Can an intervention bring her the "peace" she's looking for?
Chuckie is the son of a famous musician, and was born into the rock 'n' roll world of the 70s. Surrounded by famous musicians all his life, he aspired to be an athlete or singer. However, drugs have over-shadowed every moment of Chuckie's life.
Annie is anorexic and bulimic. And Amy does drugs and lives on park benches with her boyfriend.
Antwahn played professional basketball for over a decade, but a serious knee injury ended his career and he began to binge on crack-cocaine. Billy is an IV heroin user. He steals his mother's Xanax and also shoots Ambien and cocaine.
This second follow-up episode will allow for a much deeper investigation of life after the intervention. Included: alcoholic wife and mother Cristine; heroin addict Audrey; and brothers Brooks and Ian, both cocaine addicts.
A young mother, addicted to alcohol and heroin, is in the midst of losing custody of her 5-year-old daughter Sadie, who recently told her mom, you are a loser. Kristen has now reached the point of no return.
For the past eleven years Salina has been suffering from severe bulimia. She also struggles with a shopping addiction and recently began battling a new urge, self-mutilation. Her family is desperate to help her break this cycle and is hoping she will take this lifeline. After relocating to Los Angeles, Troy had a promising future until his recreational crystal methamphetamine usage escalated into a full-blown addiction. While high Troy reports to having had, hundreds of homosexual encounters. Now homeless and unemployed, he sells methamphetamine and claims that injecting crystal meth helps him stay alert, and survive on the streets.
Heidi is addicted to plastic surgery and compulsive shopping. Michelle uses methamphetamine intravenously. Her mother is afraid that at any moment Michelle will shoot up for the last time.
Adam, who began using heroin after his girlfriend broke up with him, panhandles money at gas stations to get enough money to score. Michael is a violent son who holds his family hostage with his rage.
Audrey was popular and artistic. Now, she is a heroin addict living on the streets. And Howard is a driving instructor to celebrities, the CIA, and the FBI, but he drinks when he can't get high from driving fast.
Corinne is a pretty 18 year-old blonde girl who was an honor roll student, star athlete and played the clarinet and saxophone. She started using drugs at 14 after being sexually abused by a neighborhood boy who babysat her. o semesters before dropping out. Corinne is also a diabetic who requires insulin, but she often skips her doses because she is so high. After repeated trips to the emergency room, her family is expecting, any minute, to hear that they've lost her for good.
This emotionally gripping documentary series helps people confront their darkest demons and hopefully find a route to redemption. This "follow-up" episode will allow for a much deeper investigation of life after the intervention, as we revisit some subjects several weeks later to see if their intervention was successful.
A former top high school athlete gets hooked on pills and beer after suffering an emotionally devastating incident. And a mother fears for the life of her son, a former wrestling star who turned to drugs after an accident left him wheelchair-bound.
Michael has a serious rage problem. He has a history of violent behavior and has been known to punch holes into the walls of his father's house. Randi is a bulimic and a crystal meth addict. She is in denial of her condition and cannot deal with the fact that she was sexually abused as a kid.
Friends and family gather to save two addicts. Rachel, once a beautiful child in an upper-middle class family who has turned to heroin and prostitution, and Tommy, who quit his executive job and sold his Lexus, retirement plan and million dollar con.
Family and friends decide that an intervention is their only hope of saving two men: Kelly, a man with a 160 IQ who lives on the streets and survives on beer and other people's spare change, and Mark, who's so addicted to painkillers that he's had a morphine pump surgically implanted in his abdomen.
Cristine is a 29-year-old wife and mother. While she loves her family, she can't live without her beer. Cristine drinks at least 18 beers a day, starting at 7am, sneaking out during work and not stopping until she passes out at night. Her husband's scared for their son and her mother's terrified that Cristine is killing herself. They are staging an Intervention in hopes that Cristine will get help. Kelly is an anorexic who is down to 93 pounds. And now her young daughter Disa is following in her footsteps, often picking at food and sometimes refusing to eat all together. Kelly's friends are seeking help not just to save Kelly, but her daughter as well.
Once the valedictorian of New Hope Christian Academy, Tina is now a real-life desperate housewife. Taking 10-20 vicodin a day simply to function (and supplementing her usage with percocet), this mother of a 3-and-a-half year old son spends her days gambling her house and car payments while stoned on prescription pills. With most of her jewelry in pawn shops, and forced to take paycheck advances even though her husband of 14 years has a $100,000+ annual income, Tina now writes insurance policies from home and spends her days at horse tracks and in Bingo halls. Favoring horse tracks because she can take her son with her, Tina says that "my addictions have cost me my life." With her marriage, health and finances in complete crisis (she has spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars on gambling and pills"), her husband Harley says that "this show may be the only thing left that can save our lives".
Peter, a 21-year-old college graduate and aspiring actor, is wasting his life to a serious video game addiction. Alienated from his mother who abandoned him when he was 12, Peter escapes into the fantasy world of video games instead of dealing with the problems of his real life. Now living with his father and brother, Peter identifies only to the characters in the games he plays, and he is steadily losing his grasp on reality. Renee is a young mother of two small children who is married to a husband who adores her. But Renee is struggling with a deadly eating disorder -- bulimia. A past victim of domestic violence and sexual abuse, Renee binge eats to deal with the pain. Caught in a vicious cycle, she is killing herself by taking laxatives and water pills after she binges. Her husband and friends worry that she will die young and that her destructive habits will be passed on to her children.
An addiction to crystal meth threatens the life of Travis Meeks, a former rock 'n' roll star. Can his girlfriend and family get him into treatment before it's too late? And Matt, who comes from an upper-middle class home, is addicted to crack-cocaine and has stolen from his family and friends to support his habit. Desperate, his parents turn to an interventionist to save Matt from himself.
At 24, Sara had everything she ever wanted in her sleepy Minnesota town. She had a fairy-tale wedding in Hawaii, a beautiful baby girl, a house, three cars, and even competed in beauty pageants. Then, it all abruptly ended in divorce. Not knowing how else to cope Sara turned to Crystal Meth, and now uses every day, all day if she can. A self-labeled "junkie", Sara has lost everything, including custody of her daughter. She currently lives with her parents and exists in an endless cycle of drugs, stealing, lying, drug testing, and court appearances. Her family says the only hope for Sara is an Intervention.
Parents and friends intervene to save Alissa, a compulsive gambler who has lost more than $30,000 on 25-cent slots. Meanwhile her boyfriend juggles three jobs just to make ends meet for them. Then we meet Brian, whose crystal meth habit feeds his sex addiction and sends him trolling the streets for new partners every day.
The family calls in interventionist Jeff VanVonderen to help Jerrie, 29, who is addicted to the painkiller Vicodin. She has been forging physician signatures on prescriptions and scouring the waterfront for drug dealers. Friends try to help Tamela, 24, a bright artist who was molested as a child and now cuts herself with razorblades. They call in interventionist Candy Finnigan in hopes that Tamela will recognize her great potential and go to treatment.
Gabe is addicted to gambling and has lost over $200,000 in the casino. He has even withdrawn money from his parent's accounts without them knowing about it. Vanessa, who was a recurring guest star on the hit show ER, is addicted to shopping. She is heading towards bankruptcy. They both receive interventions so that they can get help and turn their lives around. But they have to want to change.
Alyson, a three-time White House intern and an award-winning student, met a boy in college who initiated her into a lifestyle of heavy drug use. She is addicted to morphine and crack and has returned to live with her parents. Alyson now steals painkillers from her dying father and works at alienating her mother and sister. A 38-year-old former stockbroker, Tommy, is addicted to cocaine. He has quit his job, drained his retirement account and sold his luxury condo to sustain his habit, ending up on the street. Both Alyson and Tommy are confronted by their friends, families and professional interventionists, and urged to get help.
A recap of the first five episodes of Intervention's special on "The Heroin Hub."
Catch up on what's been happening this season on Intervention.
This is a 15 min.-long advanced sneak peek preview of the next scheduled New episode.
This is a 15 min.-long advanced sneak peek preview of the next scheduled New episode.
This is a 15 min.-long advanced sneak peek preview of the next scheduled New episode.
This is a 15 min.-long advanced sneak peek preview of the next scheduled New episode.
A look at how parents in some Boston suburbs are coping with a heroin addiction epidemic that is threatening their kids' lives.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.