I feel like this show should simply be called "Addiction".
I have mixed feelings about these shows too.
On one hand you have Dr. Drew's family of shows which don't feel as exploitive because the motive is to show the recovery process. (Meaning that it exploits the counselors as much as those in recovery. Whether it always shows that process well or not is a whole different conversation.) Intervention is structured to have a finite arc of "here's how bad it is" to "here's how it will be fixed" which makes it good for television. I do think the addict side of the story is somewhat exploitive though because you have someone who is already out of control and acting out, now doing so in front of cameras. I feel like the real value I get out of that show is watching the families interact.
Relapse just looked like scary ugly addiction to me.
I was genuinely surprised that those sober coaches actually helped them find a point of surrender. They had bigger cajones than I do. I don't think I would want to go toe to toe with the disease like that.