A+E Intervention Show
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Bethlehem, PA.
Posts: 1,781
A+E Intervention Show
I know this show has been talked about before but I'd like to talk about A particular episode called "Lawrence" that really made me think. (in case anyone doesn't know you can watch it on your computer, just google A+E Intervention, then click on video - full episodes intervention - and find Lawrence episode)
Anyhow, this episode was about a young guy who seemed to be the american success story, he started a tanning salon in Las Vegas which quickly grew into 9 locations. He made a lot of money, had the nice house, new car, the whole nine yards. He had other people running the locations so he no longer had to work and could stay home and drink from morning to night if he wanted.
He drank Vodka out of a 32 oz. plastic cup and drank pretty much non stop but seemed to stay coherent enough to meet with his employees and keep his affairs in order. It seemed that everyone around him saw the problem but he did not. He was clearly a classic alcoholic in severe denial.
The show did the usual intervention and set him up with a medical detox followed by a country club style rehab and he grudgingly agreed to go but still insisted he didn't have a problem. To make a long story short he got kicked out of the fancy rehab after 30 days for not cooperating, went back home, resumed drinking and drank himself to death 2 months later. He died Feb. 22, 2008.
This show really drove home just how deadly this disease can be and how even the fanciest rehabs don't mean a thing if the alcoholic is not ready to surrender. It made me wonder if a person in denial could even be helped or do we just let them drink themselves to death.
Anyhow, this episode was about a young guy who seemed to be the american success story, he started a tanning salon in Las Vegas which quickly grew into 9 locations. He made a lot of money, had the nice house, new car, the whole nine yards. He had other people running the locations so he no longer had to work and could stay home and drink from morning to night if he wanted.
He drank Vodka out of a 32 oz. plastic cup and drank pretty much non stop but seemed to stay coherent enough to meet with his employees and keep his affairs in order. It seemed that everyone around him saw the problem but he did not. He was clearly a classic alcoholic in severe denial.
The show did the usual intervention and set him up with a medical detox followed by a country club style rehab and he grudgingly agreed to go but still insisted he didn't have a problem. To make a long story short he got kicked out of the fancy rehab after 30 days for not cooperating, went back home, resumed drinking and drank himself to death 2 months later. He died Feb. 22, 2008.
This show really drove home just how deadly this disease can be and how even the fanciest rehabs don't mean a thing if the alcoholic is not ready to surrender. It made me wonder if a person in denial could even be helped or do we just let them drink themselves to death.
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Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,861
Hello, You said it all when you said:
This is why it is impossible to quantify the success or failure rate of 12 step groups. A person must hit bottom before they can become willing. Emotional appeals from family and friends will rarely mean anything to an alcoholic. WHich is where so many people get so frustrated with us. Normal drinkers or problem drinkers can stop if a good reason is there (Family, health, legal trouble etc...) But the real alcoholic ( I am not using that word to stir anything up) cannot stop until they are at bottom. And so many people's bottoms are different.
My heart goes out to the family of alkies and addicts. They really do pay a hell of a price for our disease
This show really drove home just how deadly this disease can be and how even the fanciest rehabs don't mean a thing if the alcoholic is not ready to surrender. It made me wonder if a person in denial could even be helped or do we just let them drink themselves to death.
My heart goes out to the family of alkies and addicts. They really do pay a hell of a price for our disease
ever closer...
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 361
I do like how intervention stays thru to the end and gives an update at 3 months and more. It is important to remember the low pecentage (11% I think, please correct me it I am wrong) that actually do recover and get sober. I count my blessings everyday for my AA friends, this site and my sobriety!
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Reality......
Posts: 735
I believe that that is so very sad. So very sad and preventable.
My mother is an alcoholic. Has been almost all of my life (33 yrs) what is even sadder is to watch the steady decline of her. She is in her late 50's but looks like she could be 90 and she just recently lost her leg due to complications of her disease. And she continues to drink. She says she lost her leg because the docs werent very good. Ok if that makes you feel better. IMHO it would have been better for her to die rather then have to watch this sad pitiful shell of a woman wheel around.
I wish that she would have had the strength that so many of you have here. I wish that she could put that can of beer down and believe in herself.
To me I would have preferred to bury my mother rather then to watch her die slowly each day.
My mother is an alcoholic. Has been almost all of my life (33 yrs) what is even sadder is to watch the steady decline of her. She is in her late 50's but looks like she could be 90 and she just recently lost her leg due to complications of her disease. And she continues to drink. She says she lost her leg because the docs werent very good. Ok if that makes you feel better. IMHO it would have been better for her to die rather then have to watch this sad pitiful shell of a woman wheel around.
I wish that she would have had the strength that so many of you have here. I wish that she could put that can of beer down and believe in herself.
To me I would have preferred to bury my mother rather then to watch her die slowly each day.
Adjusting my Sails
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,021
Thank you for posting this thread. Denial is a very underrated word. It has the power to destroy lives and kill. It is was what made step one so hard for me.
This intervention story was very powerful (brought me to tears a couple of times) and brings home the truth of these words found in the BB first edition. I pray for all those who still suffer and for those whose lives they touch.
This intervention story was very powerful (brought me to tears a couple of times) and brings home the truth of these words found in the BB first edition.
An illness of this sort and we have come to believe it an illness involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can. If a person has cancer all are sorry for him and no one is angry or hurt. But not so with the alcoholic illness, for with it there goes annihilation of all the things worth while in life. It engulfs all whose lives touch the sufferer's. It brings misunderstanding, fierce resentment, financial insecurity, disgusted friends and employers, warped lives of blameless children, sad wives and parents anyone can increase the list.
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: WA, USA
Posts: 2,591
That was too sad I could watch the whole thing. When he was talking about how you should never show your weakness. I dont really think alcoholism is a weakness, but just the weakness of his body, with the bruises. I have to wonder if he wasnt in complete denile, if he knew deep down that he would die but he just gave off the denile front as a way to give up.
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Actually come to think of it I can believe that he was in complete denile, I just dont remember well the years when I was in denile. I remember well the first time I realized I was an alcoholic but it is hard to remember my state of mind before that. Of course getting wasted everyday in your apartment is not a normal or healthy thing to do, while everyone else is out enjoying life, making new friends, etc... I can remember feeling somewhat like a normal person during those times, even though I wasnt.
And denile can occur in other areas of life. In high school I thought I was normal, it took someone telling me that I wasnt normal for me to look at myself and see that I was not. They thought that I was a nerd, not a smart nerd, but a goofy nerd. But if I was called things like that I would get angry and just keep on just to spite them. Same thing with drinking, if I ever had a "moment of clarity" during drinking I probably just kept drinking to spite the world that I hated.
And denile can occur in other areas of life. In high school I thought I was normal, it took someone telling me that I wasnt normal for me to look at myself and see that I was not. They thought that I was a nerd, not a smart nerd, but a goofy nerd. But if I was called things like that I would get angry and just keep on just to spite them. Same thing with drinking, if I ever had a "moment of clarity" during drinking I probably just kept drinking to spite the world that I hated.
Karma Amputee
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Among The Living
Posts: 769
Great show and one the primary motivations behind my own recovery.
Never saw the Lawrence episode, I'm gonna watch it right now on lunch break.
Last night, I saw the Ed & Bettina episode again. What a nice family and what an amazing couple. Their love has survived so much, and is he the sweetest man you ever heard with some of the things he said about his wife and his devotion to her?
Adorable.
She relapsed though. I hope they can pull it together they are such a cute couple and for them to still be so in love though all that's happened, it just breaks my heart.
Never saw the Lawrence episode, I'm gonna watch it right now on lunch break.
Last night, I saw the Ed & Bettina episode again. What a nice family and what an amazing couple. Their love has survived so much, and is he the sweetest man you ever heard with some of the things he said about his wife and his devotion to her?
Adorable.
She relapsed though. I hope they can pull it together they are such a cute couple and for them to still be so in love though all that's happened, it just breaks my heart.
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In case anyone wants to watch any of these just go to the you-tube web site and type in intervention Ed & Betina (or whatever episode you want). It streams better from You tube then it does from the A+E site.
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If anyone wants to see an episode of intervention that leaves you wondering if the person should be pitied or if they're just an idiot go to you tube and search intervention Laney. She's a millionaire and calls the cops on the intervention people.
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In Today
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New Episodes start Monday December 15th at 9pm Eastern and Pacific.
There was a time when I could not watch it, and there are some episodes that I have turned off, but in general I think it does the probelm of 'Addiction' a great service.
J M H O
Love and hugs,
There was a time when I could not watch it, and there are some episodes that I have turned off, but in general I think it does the probelm of 'Addiction' a great service.
J M H O
Love and hugs,
I'm just a little unwell
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: USA
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I watched "Lawrence" the other day after reading this thread. Then I watched "Brad", the story of a 24-year old Iraq veteran. Brad's story absolutely, positively broke my heart.
God, I never want to make anyone I know feel the way these families feel. How sad.
God, I never want to make anyone I know feel the way these families feel. How sad.
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