List of Intervention episodes
This is a complete List of Intervention episodes. Intervention is an American reality television program which has aired on the A&E Network since 2005.
Season One
# | Subjects | Addiction Topics | Original Airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
01 | "Alyson and Tommy" | morphine/crack cocaine, cocaine | March 6, 2005 | |
Alyson was a White House intern and an award-winning student. She met a boy in college who showed her the world of drugs and she became an addict. Alyson now lives at home with her parents and is a heavy user of morphine and crack. She works hard to alienate herself from the people who love her. Alyson also takes painkillers from her dying father. Tommy, a 38-year-old ex-stockbroker, is addicted to cocaine. He has lost everything to drugs including his job, retirement plan, and his luxury condominium. Now Tommy lives on the streets and tries to keep up his drug habit. | ||||
02 | "Gabe and Vanessa" | Problem gambling, compulsive shopping | March 13, 2005 | |
Gabe is addicted to gambling and has lost over $200,000 in casinos. He has even withdrawn money from his parents' accounts without their knowledge. Vanessa, who was a recurring character on the long-running medical drama ER, is addicted to shopping. She is heading towards bankruptcy. | ||||
03 | "Tamela and Jerrie" | Prescription drug abuse, self-harm | March 20, 2005 | |
Jerrie's family calls interventionist Jeff VanVonderen to help their 29-year-old daughter, who is addicted to Vicodin. Jerrie is so addicted that she has been forging physician signatures to get the prescriptions that she thinks she needs. She also walks around the waterfront to find drug dealers so she can get high. Tamela, a 24-year-old artist, cuts herself with razor blades. As a child, she was molested and has a hard time getting over what happened. Her family hopes she will go into treatment. | ||||
04 | "Alissa and Brian" | Problem gambling, methamphetamine | March 27, 2005 | |
Alissa's parents and friends try to save her from her gambling addiction. She has lost over $30,000 on 25-cent slots. Her boyfriend has three jobs and makes all of the money, while Alissa gambles it away. Brian has a bad crystal meth habit. He is also a sex addict. Brian roams around the streets to find new partners every night. | ||||
05 | "Sara" | methamphetamine | April 3, 2005 | |
She had everything she ever wanted out of life, including a wonderful husband and family. In fact, she almost had a perfect life until it all ended in divorce. Not knowing how to handle the divorce, she turned to crystal meth. Sara is now a junkie and has lost everything in her life, including her daughter. She lives at home with her parents and continues using drugs. Her family hopes she will get help to get her life back. | ||||
06 | "Travis and Matt" | methamphetamine and crack cocaine | April 17, 2005 | |
Former rock star Travis now spends his days in a meth-filled haze, an addiction that has cost him nearly everything. Matt is addicted to crack-cocaine. He steals from his family and friends so he can buy drugs. Epilogue: Travis immediately walked out of the intervention, but later decided to accept the offer of treatment. After completing his program, he moved to Utah and began traveling and playing music. He suffered a brief relapse, but regained sobriety in September 2005 and maintained it until September 2007, when he had another relapse; he has since stayed sober. Matt had several relapses, then joined the United States Navy. He no longer uses drugs, but still drinks. | ||||
07 | "Peter and Renee" | video game addiction, eating disorder | May 1, 2005 | |
Peter is addicted to video games. He refers to himself as characters that are in the games he plays. Renee has an eating disorder and is dependent on water pills to keep her thin. Her health and her family are all feeling the effects of Renee's eating disorder. | ||||
08 | "Tina" | Prescription drug abuse | May 8, 2005 | |
Tina is a mother of three and a true desperate housewife. She spends all of her time gambling with her car and house payments while high on prescription pills. Tina is at a crisis stage with almost all of her jewelery pawned and getting paycheck advances at any chance. Now she spends all of her days at race tracks and bingo halls. Her husband Harley has contacted Intervention as a last resort. | ||||
09 | "Cristine and Kelly" | Alcohol abuse, anorexia | June 5, 2005 | |
Cristine, a wife and mother with an abusive and dark past, is an alcoholic who drinks about 18 beers a day. Just three years ago, Cristine was top saleswoman at her LA-based newspaper; now, since her return to work after having her first child, the alcohol has damaged her career so much that she has yet to collect any commissions from her ad sales. Her husband is a stay-at-home dad, but their "home" is Cristine's mother's living room floor due to Cristine's business problems. Now Cristine's health is failing–she often works 4 hours or less a day due to stomach problems caused by her drinking–and the family feels an intervention is the only thing that can save her from herself, but Cristine wants no part of rehab after a disastrous stint two years ago. Kelly is an anorexic real estate agent and club DJ in Florida who weighs only 93 pounds and who often consumes less than 5% of her body's caloric needs for the day. She has a 6-year-old daughter who is following in her mother’s footsteps, imitating Kelly's disdain of food by refusing to eat her breakfast and leaving her lunch tray full of food. Kelly's boyfriend wants to come live with her in Florida but knows he cannot save Kelly by himself and needs outside help. Everyone who loves Kelly is not only trying to save her, but also her daughter. | ||||
10 | "Kelly F. and Mark" | Alcohol abuse, prescription drug abuse | June 12, 2005 | |
Kelly is living on the streets and is an alcoholic. Even though he has a genius-level IQ, he cannot seem to stop himself from living off others. Mark has been addicted to painkillers ever since he had a morphine pump surgically implanted because of illness. | ||||
11 | "Rachel and Tommy Update" | heroin/prostitution | June 19, 2005 | |
Rachel, who was once a gorgeous child, now spends all of her time getting high on heroin and engaging in prostitution. Tommy is a cocaine abuser who has lost everything, including his job, to support his habit. | ||||
12 | "Michael and Randi" | Anger management, bulemia, methamphetamine | June 26, 2005 | |
Michael has a serious anger 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 her childhood sexual abuse. | ||||
13 | "Michael and Brooks" | Prescription drug abuse, alcohol abuse, drug abuse | July 3, 2005 | |
Michael is a school athlete, now addicted to pills and alcohol after emotional pain from his high school days; Michael is now facing jail time after parole violations. Brooks is a former wrestling star turned drug addict after an ATV accident with his brother Chase left him paralyzed from the waist down. Brooks admits he is addicted to "drugs, period; nothing specific", and his older brother Ian has become his drug abusing partner. | ||||
14 | "Follow-Up Special" | TBA | July 10, 2005 | |
15 | "Follow-Up Special" | TBA | December 25, 2005 |
Season Two
# | Subjects | Addiction Topics | Original Airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 | "Corrine" | heroin/methamphetamine | TBA | |
Corinne is a pretty 18 year-old 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. Still striving to move forward while battling her addictions, she completed her GED and began college, finishing two semesters before dropping out. Now, Corinne has become addicted to a deadly combination of heroin and crystal meth. 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 to hear that they've lost her for good. Epilogue: The black screens at the end of this episode reveal that Corinne relapsed several times after leaving treatment, but became sober when she learned that she was pregnant. She gave birth to a baby girl and has remained sober since January 2007. | ||||
17 | "Audrey and Howard" | heroin, alcohol abuse | TBA | |
Audrey, 24, was popular and artistic. Now, she is a heroin addict living on the streets. She has been an addict for 5 years and her family feels like the next time they will see her is in a coffin. Her family plans an intervention to save her, if they can. Howard, 39, is a driving instructor to celebrities, the CIA, and the FBI. He drinks when he can't get high from driving fast. Now, Howard's doctor has told him his liver is failing, and unless he stops drinking, he will die. | ||||
18 | "Adam and Michael" | heroin, anger management | TBA | |
Adam, who began using heroin after his girlfriend broke up with him, panhandles money at gas stations to get enough money to score. His family is "hanging on by a thread" and desperate for intervention help. Michael is a violent son who holds his family hostage with his rage. Truly in crisis, his family will do anything to stop living in terror. | ||||
19 | "Heidi and Michelle" | Plastic surgery addiction, compulsive shopping, methamphetamine | TBA | |
Heidi leads a busy social life and takes great pride in maintaining her health and personal appearance. Unfortunately, she is addicted to plastic surgery (over $40,000 worth of procedures in just a few years) and compulsive shopping (leading to a $110,000 credit card debt). Heidi has stolen her mother's identity and used it to procure more charge cards to feed her shopping addiction, and now collection agencies are threatening to file charges of felony fraud for both the identity theft and the massive credit card debt Heidi rang up, which stresses her elderly mother to no end. Suffering the loss of her father and sexual molestation at the hand of her cousin at a young age, once bright student Michelle turned to drug use. Michelle has admitted to trading sex for drugs and uses methamphetamine intravenously. Her mother is afraid that at any moment Michelle will shoot up for the last time, but a more immediate threat emerges when rivals of Michelle's meth dealer boyfriend come after Michelle and her family now that her boyfriend is in jail. Tara Fields and Candy Finnigan are brought in to help free these women from their imprisoning addictions. | ||||
20 | "Salina and Troy" | Bulimia, methamphetamine | January 8, 2006 | |
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. 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. Epilogue: The black screens at the end of this episode reveal that Salina completed treatment, returned home, and had a son with her husband; she has not binged or purged since September 2006. Troy tested positive for HIV shortly after starting treatment. After completing his program, he stayed sober for over a year but suffered a relapse. He then went through an outpatient program and has remained sober since November 2007. | ||||
21 | "Kristen" | Alcohol abuse, heroin | January 15, 2006 | |
Kristen is an alcoholic and heroin addict who prostitutes herself for her drug and alcohol money. Her addictions and behavior has cost her custody of her child. Her family hopes that an intervention will help reunite Kristen and her child. (The black screens at the end of this episode reveal that Kristen relapsed once and moved into a halfway house. She has been sober since January 2006.) | ||||
22 | "Follow-Up: Cristine, Brooks, Ian, Audrey" | TBA | January 22, 2006 | |
Following up on alcoholic Cristine, drug-addicted brothers Brooks and Ian, and junkie Audrey at various stages in their recoveries. Cristine is no longer drinking but her husband didn't go for the suggested counseling, and his lack of commitment is damaging their relationship. Brooks and Ian have both struggled through rehab issues–Brooks has been through three rehab centers and relapsed repeatedly but is now doing well at The Foundry in Birmingham, AL, while Ian is living with a former addict in Taos, NM. Brooks visits his brother in New Mexico, but when Brooks' counselor discovers crack residue on the kitchen table, he threatens to separate the brothers until Ian confesses that his roommate, the "former addict", is still using drugs, and Ian hasn't spoken up because he didn't want to lose his apartment. Brooks and Ian return together to Birmingham and now have to learn to deal with their own addiction demons. Audrey's recovery from heroin has been long and drawn-out, but she has finally learned to deal with her addiction. Now her sisters want her to move in with them. | ||||
23 | "Antwahn and Billy" | crack cocaine and opiates/methodone | March 12, 2006 | |
Antwahn managed to survive a rough and abusive childhood to become a star basketball player in the NBA and in the European leagues, until a knee injury ended his career; now Antwahn is a homeless crack addict whose wife is on the verge of filing for divorce unless Antwahn can get off drugs. Billy seemed to be living the typical life of a suburban teen until his mother had a near-fatal heart attack and was diagnosed with severe heart disease. Billy turned to opiates to dull the emotional pain; after his family sent him to rehab, Billy returned addicted to yet another opiate, methadone, and now believes he is as addicted to "the needle" as he is to the drugs. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of this episode after its most recent re-airing in June 2008 reveals that Billy completed treatment and moved into sober living program, but suffered a number of relapses and moved back to New York. He has remained sober since July 2006. After completing his own treatment, Antwahn relapsed and moved back to Los Angeles. He spent four months in jail on a theft charge, after which he became sober and was put into the work-release program; he has maintained sobriety since July 2007. | ||||
24 | "Annie and Amy" | methamphetamine, eating disorder | March 19, 2006 | |
Amy is a free-spirited dancer and class clown who is now a homeless meth addict with a past history of self-mutilation. Annie is a ballet dancer who is anorexic and bulimic and is very close to death. Both have co-dependent partners in their addictive behaviors (Amy's boyfriend Tom; Annie's fellow dancer Selena). Success in their interventions depends heavily on whether or not their partner addicts will also agree to get help. Epilogue: According to a November 2008 re-airing, Selena went through her own treatment for anorexia and transferred to another facility to continue working on healthy weight gain. Annie left her program after one month, had a relapse, and re-entered treatment; she relapsed again, but has since stopped binging and purging. She broke up with her boyfriend and married an old friend, with whom she now has a daughter. Amy went through rehab, got clean, and moved back to California to rejoin Tom. He accepted an invitation from the producers to go through his own meth rehab, but left the program after 11 days. Now he works in construction and says he has been sober since the intervention, while she no longer uses meth but says she drinks on special occasions. | ||||
25 | "Chuckie" | heroin | March 26, 2006 | |
Chuckie, the son of Three Dog Night vocalist Chuck Negron, was born addicted to heroin when Chuck Sr. and his wife Julia Densmore Negron were both heavy drug users. At 18, Chuckie became addicted to heroin again; he now lives in a motel room, spending his days mooching money from his mother and shooting up. With the birth of Chuckie's son, Noah, to his now-clean former girlfriend Jen, the family is in a race to break the cycle of addiction before it costs the family yet another generation. Epilogue: The black screens at the end of the original episode reveal that Chuckie was kicked out of treatment after 69 days for using heroin. Within five months, he had been arrested on a car theft charge. A November 2008 re-airing revealed that he ultimately served a total of 15 months in prison on this charge, and that his ex-girlfriend gained sole custody of his son. He has since been released and is back in treatment. | ||||
26 | "Gina and Andrea" | Drug abuse, problem gambling, and alcoholism, cocaine, and marijuana | April 2, 2006 | |
Gina is bright, fun-loving, and ambitious, but she's losing a difficult battle with drugs and compulsive gambling. 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. | ||||
27 | "John" | Alcohol abuse, crack cocaine | July 9, 2006 | |
At 33, all John can see is the loss in his life. His mother died when he was 12. This year, he lost his sister, his cousin and his best friend. His only escape from it all is in his addiction to crack and alcohol, an addiction that has already come close to taking his life. His family and friends cannot imagine losing someone else. Their only hope is an intervention and the possibility that John will seek treatment. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of the episode reveals that John moved back to Massachusetts after completing his program and got a job in a cancer treatment facility. He has been sober since February 2006. | ||||
28 | "Follow-Up: Antwahn and Rachel" | TBA | July 16, 2006 | |
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. | ||||
29 | "Tammi and Daniel" | Alcohol abuse, methamphetamine | July 23, 2006 | |
Tammi has five sisters who are all driven, successful career women and survivors of everything from the corporate rat race to breast cancer, but Tammi is an alcoholic facing jail terms for several DUI violations. Daniel was born into a family of traveling evangelists who seemed to have everything until Daniel's father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and a long-time family friend took care of Daniel and his sister...and molested Daniel, who turned to drugs, including meth, to deal with his anger and his self-loathing. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of this episode reveals that Tammi completed 90 days of treatment, then returned home and served 90 days in jail for past DUI offenses. She now works as a dental assistant, sees her children regularly, and has been sober since February 2006. After Daniel completed his program, he had several relapses and then moved into sober living. He moved to Florida to be closer to his sisters and has been sober since April 2007. | ||||
30 | "Mike and James" | speedballs and methamphetamine | July 30, 2006 | |
Mike is a chiropractor from Modesto, California who loves adrenaline rush sports like snowboarding, jet ski riding, and other forms of living "the high life"...which also includes a hardcore addiction to smoking heroin and cocaine together, a combination known as a "speedball". Now Mike has lost his wife, kids, apartment, car, and tens of thousands of dollars to his drug addiction. The black screen update after re-airing stated that after Mike left treatment he spent 3 days in jail for drunk driving and criminal mischief. He returned to his parents’ house and began visiting his children regularly. Mike continues to drink but stopped using drugs. James was an outstanding student and ROTC drill sergeant until his mother suffered a serious cardiovascular illness and he was forced to step up and be the man of the household while his father cared for his ailing mother; James cracked under the pressure and turned to meth to allow him to escape from his increasingly grim real life. Now James is an unemployed tweaker who got two girlfriends pregnant within weeks of one another, and the pressures to be a father to his children drive him even further into a crystal meth haze. The black screen update after re-airing stated that James completed his 40 day program. He moved home and relapsed with alcohol but stopped drinking soon after. He began seeing his children regularly and got a job at an insurance company. He has not used meth since his intervention. | ||||
31 | "Tim" | crack cocaine | August 6, 2006 | |
Tim is an up and coming music producer who becomes addicted to crack cocaine. His girlfriend Madyson is lead singer in Tim's band and is just starting to break through in the local music scene, but Tim's crack abuse is threatening to derail her career. Interventionist Candy Finnigan has to persuade Madyson that the only way to help Tim is to force him to go to rehab. | ||||
32 | "Betsy" | Alcohol abuse | August 13, 2006 | |
At 40 years old, Betsy seems to have it all. She's beautiful with great friends and a gorgeous house. But Betsy is miserable and she drinks up to five bottles of chardonnay a day to mask the pain. The alcohol is starting to take its toll. She has been in detox several times this year. Betsy does not believe she has a problem with alcohol. | ||||
33 | "Cristy" | methamphetamine, alcohol abuse | August 20, 2006 | |
Cristy is a severe methamphetamine addict/alcoholic. She was once a fun-loving and outgoing child, but now her addiction has changed her into a person her family does not even recognize. Because of her addiction, Cristy lost her job and abandoned her career aspirations, and she now finances her drug and alcohol use by working as a stripper. She has ruined her father's rental property, and has such violent tendencies that many of her relatives fear her. Despite an outstanding warrant for her arrest on DUI charges, Cristy insists she'd rather go to jail than go through rehab. Epilogue: At the end of the original episode, the black screen update at the end indicated that Cristy, who had left rehab early against her family's wishes and entered jail rather than bow to the pressure of returning for 60 more days of treatment, was given a choice by the judge at her sentencing for her DUI arrest: Rehab for a year, or several months in jail. Cristy chose jail. While in jail, she was able to get clean from both meth and alcohol, but relapsed shortly after her release. The black screen update after the episode was re-aired in March 2009 states that Cristy is currently living with friends and continues to drink and use drugs. | ||||
34 | "Sylvia" | Alcohol abuse | December 3, 2006 | |
A high-functioning 49-year-old, affluent, former interior designer and onetime actress. From North Carolina, Sylvia is twice-divorced, and a habitual drunk driver. She lost her thriving business, and custody of her four children, as her alcoholism worsened. Sylvia prefers mini-bar-sized bottles of vodka–which she calls "red tops"–that she hides in her purse and around the house. A lifelong perfectionist and overachiever who fears being alone, Sylvia's addiction is fueled by unresolved rage at her first husband, her mother, and herself. Both Sylvia and her adult relatives are desperately trying to cope, but unsure of how. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of the episode stated that Sylvia returned to North Carolina after completing her 90-day treatment program in California. She resumed work in interior design, and pursued certification to become a drug/alcohol counselor. Her first ex-husband granted her un-supervised visits with their children; she has been sober since June 2006. | ||||
35 | "Laurie and Jessie" | Prescription drug abuse, opiates, bulemia | December 10, 2006 | |
Laurie was a well-respected prison death row psychologist until her affair with a co-worker became public knowledge. A stressful divorce, followed by injuries, illness, and accidents led to her becoming addicted to tranquilizers and opiate painkillers; now Laurie has lost everything, including her children. Laurie almost seems oblivious to having lost custody of her children to her own parents, and refuses to give up her pills or seek any kind of help. Jessie is a sorority girl enrolled at Oregon State University who dreams of being a pediatrician. As a child, she developed a severe anxiety disorder and feared being alone during the night; one Halloween, she was so anxious about being in her own room that she ate her entire candy basket in one night, leading to a rush of endorphins that calmed her anxiety. Concerned with gaining weight, but needing to feel that comforting endorphin rush, Jessie learned about binging and purging and was soon purging two or more times a day. Now, her bulimia has gotten so bad that her sorority kicked her out of the sorority house for eating, in less than one month, six weeks worth of food meant to feed seventy girls. Her parents have to lock their food cabinets and refrigerator when she comes over to visit them, and Jessie has turned to stripping to make enough money to pay for her food addiction. Epilogue: The black screen update at the end of this episode after it was re-aired in March 2008 reported that Laurie had successfully completed treatment at a rehab center and was working to regain custody of her children until she overdosed on heroin and Oxycontin in January 2008; she recovered from the overdose and as of March 2008 is back in treatment near her home so that she can continue to work on her relationship with her children. Jessie successfully completed treatment for bulimia, has returned to college at Oregon State, and has not binged or purged since the intervention. | ||||
36 | "Lauren" | heroin | December 17, 2006 | |
Lauren is a former Physical Education teacher and high school athlete who is now a major heroin addict. She lives at home and holds her family hostage, almost literally, with her volatile temper. Her best friend Déa has become her addiction partner and each woman fuels the other's addictive tendencies. And to top everything off, her boyfriend Mike, a former cocaine addict, recently relapsed and was kicked out of his home the day before the intervention, giving Lauren yet another reason to refuse to change her behavior. Epilogue: The black screen update after the episode re-aired in June 2008 revealed that Déa passed away of a drug overdose during Lauren's rehab. As a condition to get Lauren to agree to go to treatment, Mike–who had a desire to get back into recovery and wanted to be a role model for Lauren–was allowed to move in temporarily with Lauren's family. The show's producers offered to get Mike into treatment in a nearby facility in Pennsylvania; Mike eagerly accepted but had many issues during his second stint in rehab and his relationship with Lauren is strained. Lauren managed to get sober and worked for Oasis, a drug treatment center, in Anaheim, California until she relapsed in November 2007; she returned to recovery and has been sober since January 2008. The episode carries a dedication tag–"in Loving Memory of Déa"–that runs before the final black screen directing viewers to InterventionTV.com for more information. |
Season Three
# | Subjects | Addiction Topics | Original Airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
37 | "Ryan" | Prescription drug abuse, drug abuse | March 16, 2007 | |
Ryan abuses OxyContin and other opiates. Ryan's mother was previously married to a cocaine addict; when that marriage ended, she married a man who became an alcoholic. Ryan has been through rehab in the past but always failed. His stepfather's drinking makes any attempt at gaining help for Ryan even more difficult because Ryan calls out the hypocrisy. Interventionist Ken Seeley tries to make sense of the tangled family dynamics to get everyone on board to help Ryan succeed this time. At the end of the episode, Ryan agrees to go to treatment, but is kicked out of one rehab center and runs away from the second episode. Epilogue: The update at the end of the episode indicated that Ryan moved to Los Angeles and suffered a relapse. His stepfather never went to treatment–which he had promised to do–but he did quit drinking. | ||||
38 | "Jacob" | Alcohol abuse | TBA | |
Jacob is an alcoholic whose mother was a major drug dealer when he was a young man. Jacob, normally a calm and friendly guy, has a darker side that comes out when he drinks; he has been thrown out of multiple bars for fighting, including fighting with bouncers. Now living with his mother (who has recently returned after serving two years for drug dealing), Jacob and his mom are constantly butting heads, driving Jacob even further into the bottle. Jeff VanVonderen has to cut through the complicated tangle of multiple familial addictions and dysfunctional relationships to get Jacob to agree to accept help. Epilogue: The black screen update after this episode re-aired in June 2008, Jacob accepted the offer from a couple who had seen his episode and offered to pay for his college education; Jacob entered a small college near his Clean And Sober living facility in the Spring of 2007 and is now majoring in English. He has been sober since June 2006. | ||||
39 | "Kim" | eating disorder, self-injury | TBA | |
Kim is anorexic and bulimic, and also cuts herself. Due to horrible physical and emotional abuse Kim's birth father inflicted on his wife and three children, Kim's mother was forced to flee the marriage to preserve her life and her children's lives. Kim ended up with severe anxiety about being alone and clung to her mother for comfort. Kim's mother, overwhelmed with Kim's emotional demands and needing to find a father figure for her children, remarried when Kim was still a young child. Kim's stepfather openly disdains her neediness and attention-seeking behavior, and the tension is affecting the entire family. Kim's anxiety and eating disorder has already ruined her marriage, and now that she is forced to live at home with a stepfather who despises her and a mother who has become codependent to Kim's mental state, the negativity threatens to destroy everyone around her. | ||||
40 | "Anthony" | Drug abuse | TBA | |
The youngest son in a gregarious Italian-American family in New Jersey, Anthony should have been following in his half-brothers' footsteps to open his own pizza parlor...but instead followed his heroin-abusing half-sisters' addictive lead, ending up with a serious addiction problem. Though he successfully completed rehab to get his heroin addiction under control, he still felt an overwhelming desire to inject something into his system, leading to an ever-worsening addiction to shooting cocaine. Anthony has robbed his brothers' businesses, stolen from his parents, and committed a number of serious criminal offenses, all in the name of obtaining drugs. | ||||
41 | "Trent" | Drug abuse | TBA | |
Trent, 33, 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 today he is homeless, sick, battling freezing temperatures, and has an insatiable heroin and cocaine addiction. His friends and family fear he won't make it through the winter on the streets. | ||||
42 | "Dillon" | Drug abuse | TBA | |
Dillon is a crystal meth addict living in a small town in Oklahoma. He is also a criminal whose violent tendencies–brought on by manic phases in a bipolar cycle and amplified by meth use–frighten his family, who admit that if he keeps going down this road, he will either end up dead from the meth or dead from the crimes. Dillon also refuses to stay in compliance with his bipolar medication, making even attempting to talk to Dillon about his increasingly out-of-control behavior nearly impossible. What starts out as a typical intervention with an uncooperative addict quickly spirals into a situation requiring police intervention to solve. Epilogue: The black screen update after re-airing in June 2008 revealed that Dillon was forced to leave rehab after 31 days due to refusing to obey house rules and stay compliant with his meds; upon his return to Oklahoma, he was arrested and jailed on a DUI charge. He now works on an oilfield and lives with his grandparents; as of December 2008, he is not taking medicine for his bipolar disorder and says he is sober. | ||||
43 | "Jessica and Hubert" | Drug abuse, alcohol abuse | May 11, 2007 | |
Jessica, 21, comes from a tight-knit family. Her father, mother, sister and grandfather all work at the family-owned gas station. But Jessica's not allowed to work there any more. 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. But just organizing the intervention is tearing them apart. Hubert is a middle-aged American Indian man whose struggles to keep his family together amidst an abusive childhood at the hands of his alcoholic stepfather, along with the pressure to protect his siblings from the verbal, emotional, and physical violence from his alcoholic parents, eventually drive him to the bottle as well during his life in Las Vegas as a bartender. Hubert moved back to Los Angeles to care for his dying diabetic mother, but after her death, his alcohol abuse worsens. His stepfather, showing "Tough love", kicks Hubert out of the house, and Hubert becomes homeless, depending on recycling bottles and cans for booze money. Another homeless friend, John, a bipolar who is non-compliant with medication, helps take care of Hubert on the streets by feeding him, buying him alcohol, and helping him find safe places to sleep at night. A real estate agent who frequents the park where John and Hubert "live" during daylight hours had gotten to know Hubert and John and realized what a kind gentleman Hubert was underneath his layers of dirty clothes and alcohol abuse. The real estate agent contacted Intervention requesting an intervention for Hubert, and the producers tracked down Hubert's family, who had lost track of him after being he was kicked out of his stepfather's house. With Hubert's stepfather now dying and other family members feeling deep regret about abandoning the man who had always taken care of them in their times of need, the race is on to bring Hubert back to sobriety so that his family can become whole once more. (The black screen update after re-airing stated that Hubert has been sober since 2006, and the producers helped his friend John get his badly damaged teeth fixed; John has since reconnected with his family in Indiana following the show's initial airing. Jessica relapsed after treatment.) | ||||
44 | "Laney" | Alcohol abuse | June 1, 2007 | |
Laney is a hard-core alcoholic who grew up in a dysfunctional family where her mother's many husbands and boyfriends both physically and verbally abused her, in addition to being raped by an ex-boyfriend in her own home. Laney is a millionaire thanks to a divorce settlement from her husband, a dot-com exec whose stock options paid off handsomely, but she spends her days alone in a luxurious mansion with only her cat for a companion, drinking rum constantly and popping tranquilizers in a futile effort to numb the pain. She books limousines to take her everywhere, including long cross-country trips to visit relatives, claiming that she does not want to take her cat, Puddy-Tat Ashworth, on a commercial airliner. When Laney, during a hospital stay caused by a suicide attempt drug overdose, overhears a doctor telling a nurse that her family is planning an intervention while she is still hospitalized, she checks out of the hospital against medical advice and rushes home before her family can stop her. When Candy Finnigan leads the family over to Laney's home the next morning to conduct an "ambush intervention", Laney locks herself in her mansion and calls the police to get "this group of really weird people who are trying to break into my house" off her property, leading to the most unorthodox intervention ever seen in the series. (The black screen update at the end of this episode reported that Laney only lasted two days in treatment before she checked out, retrieved her cat from the rehab center staffer who was caring for it, and booked a limousine to drive her back to Kansas from the Florida rehab center. In a video update at interventiontv.com, Laney now says that this decision saved her life, because her limousine driver was a part-time counselor at a Jacksonville, Florida-area church; during the three-day drive back to Kansas, they talked constantly about Laney's drinking and the underlying issues that fueled her self-destructive tendencies, why she had decided to seek help, why she was now leaving this help, and more. After thinking back over the conversation, Laney decided to sell her house in Kansas and leave her old life behind; she now lives in Florida and has become very close to the driver who gave her the incentive to give up alcohol, and has been sober since June 2007.) | ||||
45 | "Ashley" | Drug abuse | June 8, 2007 | |
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, and is convinced she's on her way to Hell for being a meth addict. (The black screen at the end of this episode reveals that Ashley completed 105 days of treatment, got married, and moved to California. She is working to regain custody of her son and has been sober since January 2007.) | ||||
46 | "Andrea and Ricky" | Drug abuse | TBA | |
Not long ago, Andrea, 31, decided to follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother and became a nurse. 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. (The black screen at the end of this episode reveals that Andrea cut ties with the older male friend who enabled her behavior in exchange for what Andrea euphemistically referred to as "wifely duties", upon entering treatment. She moved into sober living after completing the program; she has been sober since February 2007 and is expecting a baby. Ricky spent two months in treatment, then moved into sober living in Florida. He works as a waiter, has begun running again, and is training for a half-marathon. He has been sober since March 2007.) | ||||
47 | "Leslie" | Alcohol abuse | TBA | |
Leslie is a suburban Oklahoma housewife with a severe alcohol addiction. Her addiction is so all-consuming that Leslie has resorted to drinking mouthwash for its alcohol content. She has been arrested multiple times and is facing jail time for several DUIs. Leslie's husband has filed for divorce from her in an effort to protect their children, but takes her back in as part of one last shot at an intervention. (The black screens at the end of this episode as part of the April 2008 re-airing reveal that Leslie and Craig finalized their divorce while both were undergoing rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic in 2007; Leslie was able to stay sober until she relapsed in November 2007, but went back into rehab and has been sober since January 2008.) | ||||
48 | "Coley" | Drug abuse | August 10, 2007 | |
Coley is a meth addict who was raised by his mother, who was a speed junkie for much of his childhood. Previous attempts at rehab seemed to have started Coley on the path back to sobriety until his mother was found dead in her home a year ago. Since then, Coley has been on a meth-snorting binge, endangering himself and others because of his occupation–a logger. | ||||
49 | "Caylee" | Bulimia, drug abuse | August 17, 2007 | |
Caylee is a 23-year-old bulimic who is also addicted to "speedballs" (heroin and cocaine, smoked together). She has dropped down to 80 lbs. Caylee's mother, Christy, has been a major influence for her addictive behavior. Christy had a traumatic childhood (including physical abuse and rape) and has hidden bulimia from her family since she was much younger. Christy taught Caylee how to watch her weight and together they suffer from this very dangerous eating disorder. Unable to cope with Caylee's growing drug abuse and stealing money for drugs, Christy left her family and moved to Chicago, where her bulimia is becoming life-threatening. The family wants to help both of them, but they need to have Christy present at the intervention to confront Caylee. Then, the family plans to confront Christy, with treatment options for both of them. (Caylee and Christy both agreed to go to treatment at different facilities. The black screen at the end of this episode after it re-aired in August 2008 reveals that Christy completed treatment and moved back to Salt Lake City to be with her family again; she has not starved, binged, or purged since July 2007. Caylee spent five months in rehab, relapsed repeatedly on heroin and/or bulimia, but got clean and also returned to Salt Lake City, only to relapse once again on heroin. She has recently been sober since April 2008) | ||||
50 | "Pam" | Alcohol abuse | August 24, 2007 | |
An alcoholic with a terrible past full of failed marriages and abuse, Pam drinks to cope with her past and cannot move beyond her pain, which is damaging her relationship with her loving boyfriend Marvin. Pam's mother is in serious denial about the abuse her children suffered and even claims Pam makes up these stories to keep Mother from "being happy"; Pam's siblings–all of whom have had addiction problems–sympathize with her anger at their mother, but all have urged her to let go of the pain so that she can stand a chance at having a good life. Cirrhosis has already claimed one member of her family. Her family does not want Pam to be the second victim and urge her through an intervention to agree to treatment. (Pam accepted treatment and became sober as of July 2007. One of Pam's nieces posted on the Intervention forum on televisionwithoutpity.com in July 2008 that Pam was approaching one year sober and is now engaged to marry Marvin.) | ||||
51 | "Jill" | Alcohol abuse | September 7, 2007 | |
Jill was a beautiful teen well on her way to a successful dance career but was betrayed by a boyfriend who distributed copies of a tape that depicted them having sex. Now, Jill is depressed and hurt, using alcohol to numb her pain. Further complicating the issue is the divorce between Jill's parents left all of their children hurt and adrift, and Jill's mother has serious problems with verbalizing expressions of love. Her family hopes an intervention will bring Jill out of her alcohol daze and help her deal with her pain. (The black screen at the end of the episode reveals that Jill and her mother went to family therapy and are still working on their relationship. She stayed sober for nine months, then had a brief relapse; she has been sober since April 2008.) |
Season Four
# | Subjects | Addiction Topics | Original Airdate | |
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52 | "Dawn and Fabian" | Drug abuse, alcohol abuse | December 10, 2007 | |
Dawn, a forty-nine year old former model, is now homeless and wanders around town using meth and suffering from the effects of meth psychosis. Fabian is an amateur artist, musician, and photographer who was once a rising star in the Los Angeles entertainment promotion scene, but his childhood growing up with a bipolar mother who once kept her miscarried fetuses in jars and boxes in closets, coupled with his girlfriend miscarrying Fabian's child, sends him down a meth and alcohol spiral toward oblivion. Epilogue:The black screen update at the end of this episode as of August 2008 reveals that Dawn completed treatment, returned to Nebraska, and was sober for a year before she relapsed in July 2008; she says she is "trying to get sober again". Fabian was kicked out of his treatment program after only 33 days for making homemade wine. Returning to Los Angeles, he was evicted from his loft; after living with friends and doing drugs and continuing to drink, Fabian finally hit a bottom and entered a 12-step recovery program. He has been sober since July 2008. | ||||
53 | "Emily" | Eating disorder | December 3, 2007 | |
This twenty-six year old grew up struggling to meet her parents' high expectations, as well as constantly being overshadowed by her more outgoing identical twin, Tiffany. Despite winning many academic and athletic honors, Emily suffered from depression and low self-esteem. Her shameful feelings intensified when she was date-raped in college. She dieted in hopes of regaining control of her life, but now she weighs less than 90 pounds. Her family hopes an intervention will save her before she starves to death. Epilogue:The black screen update at the end of this episode after it re-aired in March 2008 indicated that Emily actually lost weight at her first rehab center; she transferred to another center for eating disorders and was put on a feeding tube, and has finally begun to gain weight.) | ||||
54 | "Follow Up: Ryan and Hubert" | TBA | December 17, 2007 | |
A look at how two people have fared since their interventions. Ryan, an OxyContin addict, was in and out of treatment for months before dropping out entirely and hitting bottom as a homeless heroin addict on the streets of L.A. Now he's back in rehab at Oasis in Anaheim, California, a facility where he'd had previous clashes with the rehab director, under orders from a judge to stay in rehabilitation for one year or face a jail sentence for heroin possession and DUI conviction. Ryan, as in his earlier stints in rehab, openly refuses to conform to the facility's rules; the facility's director, speaking at a follow-up hearing after Ryan's first 60 days at Oasis, informs the judge of Ryan's continued rule-breaking and asks the judge to remind Ryan of the terms of the sentence. He will be kicked out of Oasis if he breaks one more rule or continues to defy the staff counselors and doctors. Ryan puts this to the test just six weeks later as he is kicked out of Oasis' Sober Living program for prank-calling his former girlfriend. Hubert, a former homeless alcoholic, is nine months sober and has a new job as well as a new home in a halfway house program called Clean and Sober Living. But he still struggles with the death of his stepfather, who finally admitted during the intervention that he had been a "terrible father" to Hubert; Hubert was able to fulfill his stepfather's dying wish–to see Hubert sober–by coming to his bedside just weeks into his rehab. Hubert also struggles with house rules about no interactions with people previously involved with possibly enabling the addicts...meaning he must avoid seeing old friend John, a fellow homeless person who often fed Hubert, bought alcohol, and helped him find a safe place to sleep. John is equally sad about not being allowed to see Hubert, but acknowledges that if Hubert staying away from him is crucial to maintaining Hubert's sobriety, it is a small price to pay to save his life. As a gift to John for helping Hubert and his family come together for the intervention, the show's producers paid for John to have his badly misaligned and decaying teeth capped and replaced. At the time of filming, Hubert was celebrating reaching the nine month sobriety milestone by watching his episode of Intervention with his siblings and housemates, with a goal to reach one year so "I can get a cake" (a tradition at Clean and Sober Living); in December 2007, Hubert successfully reached that milestone, and got his cake. | ||||
55 | "Brooke" | Prescription drug abuse | January 7, 2008 | |
Brooke suffers from chronic pain, and doctors have never been able to find a diagnosis. Her family thinks she takes too many prescription pain pills. Brooke was found unconscious and injured by the Intervention production crew after taking "an extra pill or two" to take the pain away. Her mother wants her to go to a Lyme Disease treatment center, but Brooke's regular doctors are adamant that she does not have Lyme Disease. Epilogue: The black screen update at the end of this episode after it re-aired in April 2008 indicated that Brooke underwent treatment for Lyme disease and rheumatoid arthritis at a center for chronic pain management where doctors continued to adjust her medications to alleviate her chronic pain; however, Brooke admitted after viewing the episode that she was indeed addicted to pain pills. As of September 2008, she has undergone treatment for that addiction and had her knee replaced, resulting in improved mobility. | ||||
56 | "Jason and Joy" | Alcohol abuse, drug abuse | January 14, 2008 | |
Jason is an alcoholic and cocaine abuser who makes all of his money selling drugs. His sister, Joy, is often his drinking partner and co-drug user whose partying ways cost her custody of her two-year-old son. They come from a large religious family that was torn apart by their mother coming out as a lesbian and then abandoning her entire family. Though the primary addict who needs an intervention is Jason, it becomes increasingly apparent that both Jason and Joy need professional help. Epilogue':' | ||||
57 | "Josh and Ben" | Eating disorder, drug abuse | January 21, 2008 | |
Josh is a talented young singer with an uncontrollable desire to eat; he weighs over 550 pounds. Ben is a genius with an IQ of 170 and a debilitating addiction to DXM. Both addicts suffered at the hands of abusive fathers and father figures throughout their childhoods, and both have serious issues with low self esteem. Ben also happens to be a long-time Internet persona known as "Rob Cypher"; his blog contains entries describing the filming of this episode, his stint in rehab, and his reaction to the finished episode. Ben, under the name Rob Cypher, has also appeared on the dextroverse forums [1], which is a forum of people who use DXM for recreational purposes. Epilogue: Josh recently provided his own video update on YouTube, in which he says that he has moved into a halfway house in Boca Raton, Florida. As of July 2008, he has lost 192 pounds; his father underwent treatment as well and has lost 50 pounds. | ||||
58 | "Tressa" | Drug abuse | January 28, 2008 | |
Tressa is 32 and was an outstanding female athlete from Nebraska, the world women's shot put champion who would only have had to drop the shot in front of the throwing circle to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics, until she tested positive for cocaine the day before the 2000 Olympic Trials. Tressa was banned for 2 years from Olympic competition; her family then found out about her LGBT lifestyle and drug abuse, which caused severe strain in all of their relationships. Tressa has given up sports altogether and now uses crystal meth daily as her life spirals out of control. Her girlfriend has kicked Tressa out for stealing, leaving Tressa even more emotionally overwrought. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of this episode reveals that Tressa speaks to her family several times a week, but they do not discuss her sexuality. She coaches a high school track and field team, continues her own training, and has been sober since October 2007. | ||||
57 | "John T." | Alcohol abuse, drug abuse | February 4, 2008 | |
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. Epilogue: | ||||
60 | "Brad" | PTSD, drug abuse, alcohol abuse | March 24, 2008 | |
Brad grew up the eldest of three–and the only boy–in his family. His parents split when Brad was young, and his mother attempted to parentally abduct his younger twin sisters, leaving Brad behind with his father; despite evidence to the contrary, Brad's mother insists she never intended to abandon her son. Brad's father won custody of all three children and married his children's former babysitter. Brad self-medicated as a teen with marijuana to deal with the emotions left by his abandonment and his anger at his stepmother's attempts to enforce discipline. At 18, Brad's father ordered him to either leave home forever or sign up for the military; Brad chose the Army and came out of Basic Training seemingly a changed person. After two tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom, however, Brad's tenuous hold on maturity and inner peace was shattered after Sgt. Deason, his commander, was killed on the last day of their second tours. Brad returned home suffering from serious PTSD. Unwilling to accept the drug and counseling therapy offered by the VA, and unable to find a job because his Army skillset doesn't match current employer needs ("Nobody wants to hire someone whose only job skill is killing people," Brad's dad notes), Brad gets a job as a stock clerk at a liquor store, self-medicates to deal with his pain, and is now drinking over a pint of vodka per day and smoking any weed he can get his hands on. Brad wants to return to the Army Reserves, but Brad's family wants him to get past his PTSD and anger issues first. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of the episode reveals that Brad left treatment after 21 days. His father refused to let him back in the house; he quit his job at a liquor store and moved in with friends. Though he continues to drink, he says he has cut down. | ||||
61 | "Lawrence" | Drug abuse, alcohol abuse | March 17, 2008 | |
Having graduated high school with academic and athletic honors, Lawrence, 34, became a successful owner of a chain of tanning salons in Las Vegas in the early 1990s....but he was never able to dull the pain of emotional and physical abuse suffered in childhood at the hands of a brutal father figure. In his early twenties, Lawrence gained formal custody of his two younger siblings in an attempt to remove them from a home environment full of unhealthy abusive dynamics. However, Lawrence could never conquer his own demons brought out by the brutality, and he began consuming GHB for both its muscle-building and mind-relaxing properties. When GHB was taken off the market, Lawrence looked for a substitute for GHB's calming effects, and turned to alcohol. Addicted within weeks, the alcohol abuse left Lawrence a shell of his former self as he frequently consumed over a liter of vodka a day in large 32-ounce mugs. A recent battle with testicular cancer has left him further weakened; Lawrence had surgery to remove the cancer, but never underwent any follow-up treatment, despite his family's pleas to see an oncologist or a urologist to ensure the cancer has not returned. Lawrence's body is covered with deep purple bruises in random spots, a sign of low blood clotting factors indicating impending liver failure. Lawrence's denial of his deteriorating health and his accelerating drinking problem is so strong that at one point he openly denies having had anything to drink while holding a plastic mug full of straight vodka, in an apartment where the garbage cans are full of empty vodka bottles. Lawrence's loved ones bring in Jeff VanVonderen for 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. Epilogue: The black screen summary at the end of this episode reveals that after 30 days in treatment, Lawrence was asked to leave for refusing to focus on his recovery. He returned to Las Vegas and relapsed after three weeks of sobriety. On February 23rd, 2008, he died as a result of complications stemming from cirrhosis of the liver. He is the first Intervention profiled addict to die post-intervention. |
Season Five
# | Subjects | Addiction Topics | Original Airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
62 | "Chad" | Alcohol abuse, drug abuse | June 16, 2008 | |
After a troubled childhood that sent him to juvenile hall for felony arson, Chad's father introduced him to cycling at age 15. Chad went pro and cycled 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. His family's many efforts to get him off the streets have failed. Their last hope is an intervention. Epilogue: Chad walked out of the intervention, but accepted the offer of treatment after a subsequent one-on-one meeting with Jeff VanVonderen. The black screen at the end of the original airing revealed that he completed treatment, moved into sober living with plans to attend college, and bought a new racing bike. A February 2009 re-airing stated that he relapsed briefly with alcohol, but has since regained sobriety and maintained it since September 2008; he is also competing in races and has joined a professional cycling team. | ||||
63 | "Dan" | Alcohol abuse | June 23, 2008 | |
To the outside world, the life of 40-year-old Dan may seem ideal. Dan is married to a supportive wife, Sarah, and has a beautiful daughter, Ava. He loves music and works as a first mate for a snorkeling and whale-watching boat company on a stunning Hawaiian island. But everything is not what it seems: Dan is an alcoholic. An adolescence filled with physical violence and verbal abuse left Dan with deep emotional pain, and the loss of his son Miles after only a few days of life only intensified the pain. Dan's family desperately hopes that an intervention will turn his life around. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of the episode reveals that Dan completed four months' treatment and moved back to Hawaii to reunite with his family. An October 2008 re-airing stated that he had a brief relapse after eight months' sobriety, then moved into sober living; he has been sober since September 2008. | ||||
64 | "Sandra" | Prescription drug abuse | June 30, 2008 | |
She sits in her garage every day, popping painkillers, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and sleeping pills. Sandra's pill use is so bad that her two sons, 17 and 11, 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. Julie and Sandra's husband, Dan, ration Sandra's pills so she doesn't overdose. They know they're enabling her, but they're afraid of what will happen if they stop. Sandra's family is ready to try an intervention, but they're not sure she'll ever choose her family over her addiction.Epilogue: The black screen at the end of the October 2008 re-airing reveals that Sandra completed six months of treatment and moved back to Las Vegas, while her husband and sons went through a program for addicts' families. She has been sober since February 2008. | ||||
65 | "Charles" | Drug abuse, alcohol abuse | July 7, 2008 | |
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.Epilogue: The black screens near/at the end of this episode reveal that Charles was kicked out of his program for having syringes mailed to him, but transferred to another one in Florida. A November 2008 re-airing revealed that he subsequently moved into sober living, but relapsed after one month; now he lives on the streets in Florida and is again using heroin. | ||||
66 | "Marie" | Alcohol abuse | July 14, 2008 | |
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. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of this episode reveals that Marie completed treatment and moved to Alabama. Her two daughters are now attending 12-step meetings; a November 2008 re-airing further noted that her son moved in with her five months after the intervention. She has been sober since March 2008. | ||||
67 | "Tom" | Drug abuse | July 21, 2008 | |
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? Epilogue: The black screen at the end of this episode reveals that Tom now has weekly contact with his family and hopes to become a drug/alcohol counselor when he finishes treatment. He has been sober since January 2008; his wife had been planning to divorce him, but has not gone ahead with it. | ||||
68 | "Asa" | Bulemia, drug abuse, alcohol abuse | July 28, 2008 | |
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. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of this episode reveals that Asa completed treatment, returned to college, and is now applying to graduate school. He has been sober since March 2008 but, as of December 2008, has binged and purged several times since the intervention. | ||||
69 | "Derek" | Alcohol abuse | August 4, 2008 | |
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. Epilogue: The black screen at the end of the episode reveals that Derek was kicked out of treatment after three months for getting drunk and bringing alcohol onto the grounds. He went on a four-day drinking binge, then returned to his home in Ontario. Although he attends AA meetings, he continues to drink; his girlfriend still rents a room from him. | ||||
70 | "Allison" | Huffing | August 11, 2008 | |
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?Epilogue: Allison immediately walked out of the intervention; in response, her family called her "sugar daddy" [Allison's sole source of income] to warn him off and called the Humane Society to have her cats taken away. When animal control officers, the police, and her sister arrived at her house, she became argumentative and was forcibly removed for a psychiatric evaluation. She was subsequently released from the hospital and accepted Jeff's final offer of treatment the next day. Now she speaks with her mother and sisters every week and, as of November 2008, stopped contact with her "sugar daddy" but has resumed it again. Sober since May 2008, she has moved into sober living and sees a therapist regularly. | ||||
71 | "Intervention In-Depth: Meth Mountain" | Drug abuse | August 18, 2008 | |
Narrated by Meredith Vieira. In Marshall County, Alabama, crystal meth has permeated the rural community on all fronts, to the point where the area has earned the nickname “Meth Mountain.” Affected individuals featured on the show include Chuck, who may lose custody of his children because of his addiction; Boo, a long-time addict who looks far older than his 58 years; Shanta, who injected meth while she was pregnant; and Dr. Mary Holley, a crusading obstetrician whose addicted brother committed suicide. | ||||
72 | "Phillip" | Alcohol abuse | August 25, 2008 | |
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? Epilogue: Phillip underwent treatment, but his girlfriend Teresa would not commit to doing the same in a separate offer from Jeff. A November 2008 re-airing revealed that he remained sober for four months, then had a brief relapse. He has since moved to Washington, is living with a friend he met in treatment, and has been sober since September 2008. | ||||
73 | "Mike and Jenny" | Obsessive-compulsive disorder, prescription drug abuse, drug abuse | September 1, 2008 | |
Mike, 67, was a police sergeant, avid outdoorsman, and respected citizen. But 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. With Jenny on the verge of her next overdose, can her family stop enabling her drug use and get her the help she needs? | ||||
74 | "Intervention After Treatment Special" | Drug abuse | September 8, 2008 | |
Three of the show's interventionists and five former addicts are featured guests on this episode, hosted by Christopher Lawford and recorded before a studio audience. Jeff VanVonderen, Candy Finnigan, and Ken Seeley discussed their respective motivations for entering the field, after which clips from the addicts' episodes were shown and the addicts themselves commented on their experiences during and after treatment. | ||||
75 | "Kristen" | Drug abuse | September 22, 2008 | |
76 | "Ed and Bettina" | Alcohol abuse | September 29, 2008 | |
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?" Epilogue: The black screen at the end of the episode reveals that Ed and Bettina completed their respective treatment programs and moved into sober living in Florida. He plans to find a job in sales, while she is now a house mother in a sober-living facility; they have been sober since June 2008. | ||||
77 | "Intervention In-Depth: Prescription Addiction" | TBA | October 20, 2008 | |
Narrated by Bill Kurtis. Abuse of prescription medications has led to hundreds of overdoses and deaths in and around Tampa, Florida in recent years. The experiences of three addicts are highlighted during this hour: Matt, whose brother introduced him to drugs before Matt entered high school; Brian, who began "doctor shopping" and forging prescriptions to feed his habit; and Tim, an unemployed 20-year-old whose mother Teri, herself a recovering addict, provides the money and shelter to enable his addiction. | ||||
78 | "Intervention In-Depth: Heroin Hits Home" | TBA | November 30, 2008 | |
Narrated by Donnie Wahlberg. This episode examines the recent rash of drug abuse among high school students in and around Brockton, Massachusetts–first OxyContin, then heroin. The experiences of four such addicts (Pat, Peter, Sarah, Shannah) are profiled. |
Season Six
# | Subjects | Addiction Topics | Original Airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
79 | "Janet" | Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual addiction | December 15, 2008 | |
At age 6, Janet was molested. She was also bullied by other kids, making her extremely self-conscious about her looks. At 18, she married a drug dealer who made her rich, but her husband was sent to prison, leaving her alone with two sons. She turned to drugs and alcohol, and had multiple affairs. Her husband discovered one of her affairs and divorced her. Janet remarried and had two more children, but she missed her old luxurious lifestyle and began drinking heavily. Now she frequently passes out, threatens suicide and puts herself in life-threatening situations. Epilogue: Janet completed treatment. She moved back in with Russ and her children. She is no longer dating Bud. Janet has been sober since August 4, 2008. | ||||
80 | "Nicole" | Eating disorder (dysphagia), prescription drug abuse, child neglect | December 22, 2008 | |
As a result of being sexually molested by her neighbor as a child, Nicole has developed dysphagia, a psychological inability to swallow. At mealtimes, she chews her food for the taste and then spits it out; her only nutrition comes from liquid supplements, taken through a feeding tube she has used for years. Her weight has fallen drastically, and she abuses the medications prescribed by her doctors to help her deal with her past trauma. Nicole's family now fears for both her life and the welfare of her two daughters. Epilogue: Nicole spent two months in treatment, during which time she learned to swallow baby food, then moved back home with her husband. She has stopped abusing her medications and plans to start seeing a therapist for help with post-traumatic stress disorder. Although she still uses the feeding tube, she has gained more than 25 pounds since the intervention. | ||||
81 | "Brittany" | Drug abuse, prostitution | December 29, 2008 | |
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. Epilogue: Brittany left treatment after three weeks and moved back to Alabama, where she now lives with her boyfriend. She began a methadone program and is no longer using Dilaudid; her mother plans to begin seeing a counselor for help with PTSD. | ||||
82 | "John C" | Self-injury through neglect of personal health | January 05, 2009 | |
As a boy, John was diagnosed with ADHD and was shunned by his classmates for being different. When he developed diabetes, he took good care of himself at first, but later slipped into a depression and began failing to monitor his blood sugar, eating whatever he wanted, and not taking proper doses of insulin. His behavior now has his entire family fearing for his life, especially his mother, whose own health is worsening under the stress. Epilogue: After two months in treatment, John was asked to leave for failing to follow the plan laid down for him. He moved back home with his parents, where he began to look after himself properly and gained 35 pounds. He has kept his blood sugar under control since September 2008. | ||||
83 | "Follow Up: Tressa and Josh" | Drug abuse, eating disorder | January 12, 2009 | |
This episode revisits the cases of Tressa, whose drug habit ruined both her family relationships and her chances of qualifying for the 2000 Olympics, and of Josh, a morbidly obese compulsive eater whose family worried about both his health and his father's. | ||||
84 | "Casie" | Drug abuse, bulimia | January 19, 2009 | |
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. | ||||
85 | "Anthony" | Drug abuse, alcohol abuse | January 26, 2009 | |
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. Epilogue: Anthony’s mother continues to drink but her family says she is drinking less. Anthony is still in treatment and has begun looking for work. He has been sober since September 22, 2008. | ||||
86 | "Lana" | Drug abuse, alcohol abuse | February 02, 2009 | |
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. Epilogue: Lana completed treatment and lives in a sober living facility in Florida. She broke up with her boyfriend. She plans to work as an esthetican. Lana has been sober since October 9, 2008. | ||||
87 | "Angelina" | Drug abuse | February 09, 2009 | |
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. Epilogue: In treatment, Peggy admitted she was using drugs prior to the intervention. Angelina and Peggy both completed treatment and now live in two separate sober living facilities. They speak to each other once a week. Angelina is applying to college in California to study Psychology. They both have been sober since September 29, 2008 | ||||
88 | "Chris" | Alcohol abuse, domestic violence | February 16, 2009 | |
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? | ||||
89 | "Intervention In-Depth: Compulsive Gambling" | Gambling | February 23, 2009 | |
90 | "Nik and Tiffany" | Drug Abuse, alcohol abuse | March 02, 2009 | |
Nik, 35, was a successful college graduate and businessman who was adored by his entire family. He used to direct a profitable chain of casinos. But after suffering a back injury, Nik became addicted to the painkiller OxyContin and as his addiction progressed, he moved onto heroin. Now he is homeless, jobless, and has lost custody of his son. His family hopes an intervention can help Nik. Tiffany is a beautiful young woman who was once an excellent student and talented athlete. However, as a child, she was plagued by the pain of her parents' chaotic and violent marriage. Tiffany got married at a young age to escape her home life. However, her husband became controlling and abusive and Tiffany was forced to leave. Now Tiffany abuses alcohol to numb the pain of her troubled childhood and failed relationships. She frequently injures herself while drunk and has attempted suicide. Tiffany objects to the fact that her parents want her to stop drinking, but yet remain in denial of their own substance abuse problems. Can an intervention to help this entire family heal? | ||||
91 | "Sandy" | Alcohol abuse, drug abuse | March 16, 2009 | |
Epilogue: While in treatment, Sandy received news that her husband, a recovering alcoholic, was going to divorce her. She relapsed by buying and drinking a bottle of mouthwash; ten days later, she was kicked out of the program for doing so again and for abusing her prescription medications. Since the divorce, she has moved into a homeless shelter and resumed drinking, while her husband has remained sober. | ||||
92 | "Sharon" | Compulsive shopping, body dysmorphic disorder, self-injury | March 23, 2009 |