Melanie was just eight months old when her dad committed suicide. Her mother's subsequent trauma went untreated, and she struggled raising her three kids. Melanie, the youngest, suffered the most. She began acting out and getting in trouble to gain attention.
An adventurous child with a love for animals, Courtney dreamed of growing up to be a veterinarian. Tragically, when she was just seven years old, her best friend died in a drowning accident and Courtney was never the same.
Coleman grew up with the stigma of having a father in prison. His mother did her best to raise seven children but, as the middle child, Coleman got lost in the mix.
Shandon’s early life was disrupted at three years old when her parents divorced and her mother moved out of the country. Growing up without a maternal figure, Shandon felt abandoned and became very introverted. In high school, Shandon was badly bullied and she turned to drugs. She began acting out
When Natasha's parents divorced, her mother, Linda, soon remarried. Natasha's new life was a far cry from her father Wayne's strict household. Alcohol and drug-fuelled parties were the norm and it wasn't long before Natasha was partying with those who were supposed to take care of her.
At the age of 22, Shiann has already faced a lifetime of pain. The shocking death of her sister, a diagnosis of A.S., a progressive and debilitating disease, and an unexpected divorce, sent this once vivacious fitness model and bodybuilder down a path of meth-fueled binges. With no help in
Jasmine was extremely close to her grandparents, Reg and Pauline, so when Pauline suddenly passed away, Jasmine couldn’t cope and turned to opioids to erase the pain. Amazingly, Jasmine got control of her addiction and her life gained some new additions: a new career, a new boyfriend and a new
A successful businesswoman who became a multimillionaire in her 20's, Kacy tragically lost her infant child to SIDS. She then lost her fortune, her marriage and a healthy relationship with her surviving children as she spiralled into binge drinking.
Karissa was always a talented cook – so much so, that her mother had one day hoped to pass the family diner down to her as a legacy. But Karissa's life took a drastic turn when a close family friend fed her Oxycodone, and then ultimately made her a drug
Jonel was born into the Blackfeet Indian Tribe in Montana. When she was 9 months pregnant, her boyfriend was tragically killed in a car accident and then she gave birth to her daughter just days after the funeral. Shocked and grief stricken, Jonel began using suboxone and meth - two
Rob was already a successful business owner when he inherited over a million dollars and several valuable properties from his father. But after his father's recent death, Rob, a former crack addict, picked up the pipe again after years of sobriety.
At 14, Lauren was forced to become caretaker to her ill father. By 18, she was a mother herself. Seven years and three kids later, Lauren's father died and she turned to pills to cope.
Mike lost his brother to cancer and his sister to suicide. This triggered a tragic downward spiral. Mike's nightly habit of having a few beers quickly turned into raging alcoholism. Mike agreed to give up drinking. Unfortunately, he replaced alcohol with heroin.
Theresa swore she wouldn't end up like her mother who was a raging alcoholic. However, years later after several failed relationships and children, Theresa finds herself drinking uncontrollably--to the point that even cirrhosis of the liver isn't enough to make her stop. Her daughter says she's at rock bottom, close
Daniel could have pursued a career as a songwriter, but a series of personal tragedies culminating in his father's death led him to abuse a dangerous combination of alcohol and meth. Recently Daneil resumed a romantic relationship with Sarrah, a fellow addict who supplies Daniel with alcohol, and their booze-fuled
Amanda's world was thrown into a tailspin when her husband went missing for months. When his body was finally found, the victim of a high profile murder, she went off the deep end and found escape in drugs. Now her children are in state custody and she's shooting heroin to
When James first tried meth, he'd thought he'd found a wonder drug to give him the energy for a demanding job, marraige, and fatherhood. But the resulting addiction and sprial took all of those things away from him. Now his ex-wife is trying to save his life so their sons
After his mother died, Kayne turned to drugs to cope, which eventually cost him his marriage and the custody of his children. This drove him further into his addition and now he spends each day getting high on a deadly combination of heroin and Xanax.
Once a vibrant supermom, Dana numbs the haunting memories of almost dying in an apartment fire with a dangerous cocktail of crack and prescription pills.
Elena, 63, has no intentions of stopping her daily meth addiction, even though her children and grandchildren desperately want their adoring grandmother to get well.
Former 'Super Mom' to her three children, Diana has exchanged her apron for an alcohol and meth addiction and is unraveling her marriage, family and sense of self-respect.
A 34-year-old gay man, Richard grew up knowing he was different and never feeling accepted. His stepfather disciplined him severely for his effeminate behavior.
A college graduate who now works as a genealogist, Jeff can't give up his 30-cans-of-beer-per-day habit even though his health is failing, he recently lost his wife, and his children are struggling to cope with the loss of their mother. Now Jeff faces a choice--his life or his beer. Can
Jeanna conquered generations of addiction until the murder of her four-year-old son sent her spiraling into a $100-a-day meth addiction. An intervention is the only way to help Jeanna start to heal her troubled soul.
Once a football player with a bright future, Darick dropped out of school to get married when his girlfriend got pregnant. Darick loved being a father, but when his marriage ended, Darick learned his daughter was not his biological child, and he was denied all contact with her.
At a teen, Jamie did drugs and abused alcohol to deal with her traumatic upbringing. At 21, she turned to the church and got sober, but then the fatal overdose of her twin sister triggered a relapse. Now Jamie suffers from alcohol-induced pancreatitis and has suicidal tendencies. As Jamie's family
Greg once owned a thriving business and was a devoted husband and father. But after a back injury left him disabled, he lost his business, started gambling, and became dependent on pain medication. He also became obsessed with Internet sweepstakes scams, and he has bankrupted his family in a relentless
Once an effervescent, beautiful young woman, Jennifer was considered a genius by her teachers and was the pride and joy of her parents. But at age 17, Jennifer was involved in a car accident that caused a brain injury and kidney damage.
Once known as the "the prettiest girl in town," Jackie had a promising career as a radiation therapist. She became a wealthy doctor's wife, a country club member, and a proud mother. But Jackie was haunted by childhood traumas.
Working as a fitness instructor at the most elite gyms and partying on the club circuit at night, Marquel seems to have the perfect life. But her family sees her exercise regime as obsessive-compulsive, and they watch her binge-drinking episodes end up in hospitalizations.
A talented cellist and an aspiring music producer, Shane's musical aspirations are now out of reach because he abuses prescription drugs and deals drugs out of his grandmother's house. After injuring his neck in a car accident, he began abusing OxyContin. His father was a drug addict, too, who died
Ashley was raised by a mother who was addicted to methamphetamines and gambling. Ashley flourished when her aunt and uncle became her legal guardians, but she started using heroin when her beloved grandfather died. Now she bounces back and forth between her rigid aunt's house and her permissive mother's house,
A gifted mechanic, Tyler, 26, worked in the family business with his brother, Zach, and his sister, Ashley. Their father built the business to provide his children with a wonderful life. But the family's dreams turned to tragedy when Tyler found both Zach and Ashley dead from drug overdoses. Unable
When she was young, Nikki's mother and grandmother worked hard to give her a good life. Nikki excelled in school, but she was devastated when her grandmother died. She began hanging out with a rebellious crowd, skipping school, and using crack. Nikki eventually had two daughters, but has remained addicted
While Andrea was growing up, she yearned for a relationship with her mostly absent alcoholic father. During high school, she sought solace with her boyfriend, moved out and started a family at 19. Andrea soon became overwhelmed with parenting duties and turned to alcohol. As her drinking escalated she turned
At 53, Gloria prides herself on being a good cook and an independent, fun-loving woman. But Gloria uses her cooking and charm to manipulate her family into letting her drink as much as she wants. Gloria had difficulty raising her children, and was married to an abusive man. At 42,