Callie

Wow - it was very powerful to me. They'd actually listed it as a crisis intervention. It was about a 23 year old girl who was doing heroin and xanax. She lived with her mom who ends up was also doing drugs with her. The girl had spent an entire trust fund $350k in like 3 years on drugs. It started from Oxy and ended up @ heroin (cheaper). The mom denied drug use throughout the show, but admitted it and went to her OWN rehab in the end. Sounds like they'd both been clean since 9-08. The girl actually signed a Do Not Ressusitate (sp?). She'd OD'd so many times and wanted to die. I've heard those words from AH many times.

It had me in tears because that's exactly how AH's drug use escalated. I'd never even seen heroin before. I learned ALOT. I also came away from it understanding MIL a bit more and why she's done what she's done. I don't condone it, but understand it a little better. I didn't know how someone acted when on heroin but saw it in the show. The slurred speech, nodding out etc. I have spoken with AH many times on the phone when he's talked like that. The odd thing about it is that AH's counselor down there actually ASKED me if MIL used drugs because she was so severly entertwined with AH. I thought that was an odd question, but I can now see how he would ask that. Counselors had to actually work with BOTH the mother and daughter to seperate them mentally and physically because they were so emmeshed (sp?) together. Same thing with MIL, maybe I understand why she's crying and whining all of the time etc "missing" AH a little better. In *my* mind I'm thinking WTH do you miss??

MrsMagoo

Callie,

I have not watched many Interventions because often, I can't stomach it. If it's about alcoholism or pills I can but if it's about shooting up - I get sick to my stomach. Ironically, I can watch Celebrity Rehab and Sober House although recently with Stephen Adler on Sober House relapsing on heroin, I was just disgusted, I guess because they didn't SHOW it.

It's really twisted how some families think nothing of "partying" together. Very sad. I could never live with myself knowing that I got someone I love addicted (or dead).

I did go on line one day and watch a 4 or 5 part National Geographic series on heroin addicts. Again, disgusting. They did show some stuff on that and somehow I got through it. It's dirty and messy and pathetic.

I know I got off topic. Sorry!!

cece1960

I can't watch either.
I also have trouble with some movies, and even Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt"

I imagine I could force myself to sit through it, but its taken me so long to get that "streaming video" out of my head, I really don't want it to come back.

I'm glad you found a better understanding of your MIL's behavior. As a mom of an addict, there are times of the past that I can't even make sense of my own thinking pattern let alone explain it to someone else.
Hurt, sadness and, most of all debilitating FEAR drove my actions, not intelligence.
(((Hugs)))

Serenity Bound

Callie, No, I didn't watch. Most of the time it just upsets me more than anything. It seems however that you were meant to watch it last nite, to maybe understand your MIL a little bit, not condone but understand.

Hugs,
Chris

Callie

I remember AH and I watched Hurt a long time ago, like right when it came out. AH LOVED that movie, watched it over and over again. I'm like WTH? Why do you like it *THAT* much. Now I know why. He could relate to it so well. If only I loved AH as much as June loved Johnny, I could have "loved him clean." <<<<<<Totally not serious here.

ZombieWife

Callie,

I saw that last night. It was probably one of the most intense episodes I've seen, and I was balling by the end of it. When the older sister was telling her, "you wanted me to save you, and here I am, I'm here now . . ." man, I just lost it.

I think the daughter addict had so much anger with her family to resolve (her being a "parent" to her own mother, her sister washing her hands of the ordeal, etc.)

But, I was extremely pleased when she just bucked up and agreed to go to rehab (no fighting it, no whining or throwing a tantrum.) She just surrendered. Very moving.

It was very hard to watch her getting high. She was so out of it, so "dead" to the world. And the idea that she has a DNR (Do not res.) scared the living heck out of me, especially given the number of times she'd OD'd already.

I still wonder what happened to the meth addict, Cristy. She was so far gone, so deteriorated, that she went to prison instead of rehab in the end.

Hard show to watch sometimes. My DH won't watch it. Too many triggers for him, but I'll catch it when he's working or asleep.

Callie

Totally, I was balling with this too. I also was moved when she kissed the needle and said "Please Lord, let this be the last time." I don't know why, but I am not as bothered by seeing them shoot up as I thought I would be. I've never, ever seen AH do this, never found any needles, balloons or anything. Maybe seeing it helps me understand more? I dunno. I just saw my AH ALL OVER that show.

winnie12

I saw the very end of it but was going to catch it when it shows again so i could watch it all. I'm glad that you saw the other side as far as MIL. i know that in drug court they watch the parents closely because so many do use with their kids or just dont care that their kids are using - that one is beyond me - something i just cant comprehend - it seems to go against everything nature ingrains in us as parents but i guess that's why addiction just doesnt make responsible parents. funny thing is even when my son was in his most active stage he felt disgust for the parents who were compliant with their kids using. He would say some kid's parent doesnt really love them because they use with them. I guess even as far down as he went, he still wanted a parent to tell him not to do this.

While on house arrest my AS started watching intervention and celebrity rehab (havent seen that one myself). I had always wanted him to watch intervention so he could see what addicts act like but felt it was stepping over the codie line to suggest so i was quietly pleased he started on his own. I was kinda taken aback when he was telling me about one and how at the end of it he was almost in tears for a girl. What struck him so much is that she was a beautiful girl but had thrown it all away with pills and alcohol. This kid never cries so he must have really seen something he connected with.
on celebrity rehab he said he watched Steven Adler of Guns N Roses (his all time favorite band) - he said the guy couldnt even make it from detox to rehab without shooting up and it was pathetic when he was high. I just kept my mouth shut but inside was jumping up and down that he finally saw that rock n' roll partying isnt as glamourous as he always thought. I'm actually really thankful that he did this on reality tv. For AS to see someone from a band he idolizes acting so pathetic was better for him then anything i could ever say to him.

Zencat

I watched last nights episode as a watch most every episode of Intervention. As a former addict I watch to remind myself the suffering I caused to my loved ones and myself. Being in active addiction was like living in a surreal world where nothing mattered except getting high. Watching Intervention gives me a new perspective I would be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

ZombieWife

That was heart-wrenching. Absolutely. I definitely see my DH in the meth, even the cocaine eps.

ItsmeAlice

I watch the show regularly.

In fact, I started watching the show in the hopes of gaining a better understanding of addiction. I still find myself asking why, why, why to the tv throughout the show. I just don't understand how things could get so bad that you would shoot up Windex.

My ABF will watch Celebrity Rehab and Sober House and actually finds it amusing, but if I'm watching Intervention, he will scatter like a roach with the lights coming on.

I think he'll watch those shows over Intervention because on Celebrity Rehab they are not currently using and have control over themselves, and I think he sees himself that way. (Able to control his drinking problem). I noticed that he watched a rerun of Sober House but changed the channel when Steven Adler relapsed and had to be taken out by the police.

I have an eating disorder history, and the shows involving food addictions/disorders have been harder to watch, but so empowering to see them seek recovery.

serenityqueen

I usually watch Intervention and did catch the episode last night. Although I always feel the sadness and desperation in the addict and the families voices and faces, last night really touched me.

Like ZombieWife said, the sister saying I'm here just sent me into tears. I imagine she has a great deal of guilt wondering if she caused some of her sister's problems. I am not saying that I feel she should have any guilt. I think she had to do what she had to do for herself when she stepped out of the picture. Seems as though she had enough, that her own peace of mind was jeopradized and she had to walk away.

Another part that really got to me was when the daughter thought the Mom had taken one of her bags of heroin. Look at what she put her Mom through for her drug. It's horrible what this disease causes us to do for it. I can understand why the Mom couldn't stay clean. She hadn't worked through her own issues and feelings and then to live with her daughter like that, 24/7 would pretty much send anyone over the edge. I'm so happy to see that they offered the Mom treatment which she obviously needed.

I know much of the show is edited for time, but I was shocked to see that the daughter had accepted treatment so willingly. I have to admit, I was afraid that they were going to say that she refused and died or went to the bathroom and overdosed. I cannot understand how a DNR order would stand when she was obviously not in her right mind. My Mom has a DNR order and I naturally have the original and copies here since she lives with me. There are clauses in there where, here in Ohio, a physician has to sign it to make it legal and also to verify that the person is in a healthy and sane state of mind when they put it into place.

I have also wondered about Christy, isn't she the girl who lived in her Grandma's guest house or something, ran around naked and trashed the place?

I watch the show to get my weekly dose of reality as to what I have to lose if I chose to pickup again. Just watching her nodding off last night brought back memories for me that I need to remember. My son told me about a year or so ago about one morning when he had a sleepover when he was about 8 or 9 and I nodded off into my waffles or pancakes. He remembers my face hitting the syrup . . . and the look of horror on his friend's faces. When she nodded into her cereal, man that hit home!

But that was then and this was now . . . and I never want to go back.

Judy

Callie

Another thing I was thinking about (just can't stop thinking about this episode!). They had to work soo hard to cut those ties with mom/daughter because they were so completely intertwined. With my AH - his mom did see what that girls mom saw. I never did. He kept the two of us doing this dance for a long time. She knew she what she saw, she saw it escalating but didn't tell me mainly because she didn't want me leaving her AS or mad at her AS.

But in the show counselors KNEW that bond had to be severed and reattached in a healthy way.

I too wondered about Christy. She was the most severe case I'd seen.

Callie

Cynical - I can see that side too, but I also feel it makes the general non using public aware of how deadly it can be. Actually I've seen the rehab that AH is at advertised on Intervention sometimes. That's how he initially FOUND them was through watching Intervention. Weird.

I will say that rehabs are a BIG business. They have great salesman. AH's guy called every few days for the last month. AH had initially contacted them about a month ago and the guy called AH and myself both. I quickly found out that sales are the main thing for them, but they do it through a "caring, I've been there man" voice. They knew AH has good insurance (still don't know about that yet) and will quickly kick him out if insurance doesn't fall into place.

winnie12

My hardest show was the one with the type one diabetic. I bawled the whole way through because i knew what the boy's parents were feeling. Just seeing that kid all scrawny and in essence starving to death was my biggest nightmare. Everytime he ate something i wanted to scream at him to take his insulin. But knowing i'm not alone in my struggles helps me. My daughter said AS "never looked that bad did he?" i showed her a picture I have hidden away from before he was diagnosed and she said oh mom he actually looks worse then the kid on the show. She asked me to throw the picture away but i wont because its a reminder of what diabetes does to him when its not in control. Besides we have to remember where we've been so that we know where we're going.

marle

My daughter and I watch Intervention together. Last night when they said the daughter called the mom once a week, my daughter kind of freaked because she must call me at least once a day. Not for big things or problems, mostly just to say Hello. We are pretty enmeshed but I try to let her handle her own life these days and am hoping that someday a once a week phone call is all she needs me for. Hugs, Marle

P.S. Dr. Phil had a good one on yesterday too. Update on the heroin addicted nanny and another about a young woman addicted to cocaine, heroin and whatever she can get her hands on. She went through quite a bit of money too.

GoodKarma

Yes, I watched Intervention last night. I really like watching the two episodes back to back every Monday. I learn so much from them. They were both pretty powerful last night!

Done_With_It

I watched parts of it because my roommates were watching it, they won't watch sober house or celebrity rehab cause they think those are too depressing, I was like
and you CAN WATCH THIS?

I had to get up and leave it was too much for me to watch.

What I did watch was really good though.

outtolunch

Not a week goes bye that a rehab does not leave me a friendly voice mail letting me know they care.

I have not shopped for a rehab since 11/07.

Impurrfect

((Callie)) - I didn't watch it, but just wanted to comment on the codie/addiction thing with your MIL. My codieness and addiction are SEVERELY intertwined. It took me getting into recovery, to see that my addiction was fueled by my inability to deal with my codie-ness. Now, most codies don't turn to addiction, but I have the addiction genes on both sides of my family, though neither parent is an addict.

I got so stressed at trying to fix the addicts in my life, I basically decided to join them. To this day, the one thing that makes me want to get numb is a codie flare-up.

Like you, I don't condone what your MIL has done, but then I don't like what I have done, either, as a codie or an addict.

I used to watch intervention, but as I've done so many drugs, I could identify with most programs. I don't want to DO any of them, but I would find myself thinking about them after the show, and I'd just rather not think about that stuff any more. I can watch rehab shows, or things like that, but graphic things showing crack pipes being lit, or people shooting up? It makes me very uncomfortable. Maybe, at some point it won't, but for now, it does.

Hugs and prayers!

Amy