Season 8, Episode 8
John
Age: 30’s
Location: Houston, Texas
Addiction: Alcohol
What’s memorable: “Oh yeah, I’m the party.” Dude’s a super fun guy! And in some serious denial. He’s been arrested 24 times for drunk and disorderly conduct and has been hospitalized more than 20 times. His family thinks he has a death wish. He doesn’t think he has a problem. Also memorable – the profoundly disabled little brother, the obese sister who John thinks should lose weight before talking to him about his drinking, how he was wasted at his mother’s funeral.
Official Synopsis: John is a flight attendant who loves his job, but his lifestyle is fueling his alcoholism. When he was a boy, John’s parents focused their attention on his “profoundly retarded” brother. His mother blamed herself for the disability and turned her anger towards John. Now John’s alcoholism leaves him prone to blackouts.
Original Air Date: August 2010
Interventionist: Lee Fitzgerald
John is such an innately likeable person. It doesn’t take a Freudian diagnosis to see that he’s created a patina of invincibility and macho bravado to try to avoid facing the gruesome scars left by his truly horrifying childhood. It’s a wonder he’s functional at all…having a mother scream in one’s face that they hate you? What could be harder to overcome than that? When John says, wryly, about his childhood, “I think I got gypped!”, well, that is certainly an undstatement! If only John could find his way to the right path…I can only imagine his beautiful spirit would soar and he could truly start living. He needs to run toward life, instead of running away from it…which is what any addict is doing. And a special wish of hope,too, to John’s sister, Rue Lynn. The pain and heartbreak that has been her life since early childhood is etched all over her weary face. I do so hope that she has found some answers as well…she’s lived her life as her baby brother’s babysitter. I hope she realizes it is not too late to start living and enjoy a life with some peace in it. God bless both of them…I felt immensely fond of these two and truly wish them well.
I went fb stalking and apparently Dionicio is okay, he’s still with Alex so that’s probably a good sign?
I did happen to find Rue Lynn as well. No current pics, but she does discuss marathons! I’m really happy for her! Not a single message about John tho. I know the end of the episode mentioned he was still drinking, but this was 7 years ago. I was hoping he’d hit rock bottom and things would change. Anyone know how he is?
john: https://www.facebook.com/TRIZOUT
ruel ynn: https://www.facebook.com/rue.allen.3
From looking at his Facebook, he is alive but there are pictures of him with beer and posts about alcohol. I sure hope I’m wrong but it looks like he’s still using :(.
yeah i just saw a post where he was skiing down the highway while drinking beer. :/ … glad but surprised he’s still alive!
do you have his facebook link? the one above is not john… thanks
Interesting interventionist. Was Lee in any other episodes besides this one? I thought she did ok in this one.