Season 7 Episode 16
Tyler
Age: 26
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Addiction: Alcohol and crack mostly, but also whatever else he can get, including heroin, meth, pain killers.
What’s memorable: I can’t begin to imagine the guilt and pain that Tyler feels over his siblings’ overdose deaths, considering he was the one who introduced them both to heroin, they died within weeks of each other, and he found them both. This is one of those where I have no problem at all understanding why the guy needs to numb out every day. What’s awful about that is that he’s on his way to dying too, and if or when he goes his parents will have lost ALL of their children to drugs. So unimaginably tragic.
Official Synopsis: 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 to cope with his loss, Tyler now fills his days with drugs and alcohol
Original Air Date: May 2010
Interventionist: Jeff
wow. that is unbelievably tragic
That is so sad and tragic. I am sure that Tyler will carry the pain and guiltiness forever. I also know for sure that Tyler loved his siblings even if he introduced him to bad ailments. May their souls rest in peace.
I finished watching this episode having only sympathy for the parents and not Tyler ESPECIALLY after his father’s heartfelt plea to stop using and start living now that he’s his only child. Then to read at the end that not only has he overdosed once but continues to use?! His father is going to be an absolute mess if the inevitable comes to Tyler before it comes to him. For his sake and the wife, I hope Tyler stays alive long enough to realize what his actions are doing to his parents and stops.
I think it’s sad he continiued to use too. However, addiction is an illness so he may have really wanted to stop but just couldn’t bc his addiction was too powerful. I hope he is able to quit once and for all. I am on methadone and it has saved my life. Maybe it could save his too! That is the only thing I don’t like about Intervention is that they seem to look down on medications like methadone and suboxone and benzodiazepines even when they are being taken as prescribed.
True..Methadone is a much better alternative to shooting dope on the streets. As long as a person uses the Methadone maintenance program the way it’s intended…it works…I myself am on Methadone maintenance and it works for me. It keeps the person from having to go through the withdrawals.. So they can focus on counseling sessions and group therapy.With anything you have to truly want to get better…cuz even with methadone, you have people who still use heroin or other substances and doesn’t take the program seriously. Addiction is different for everyone..and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for the other person. People NEED to be more educated on Methadone and stop looking at people on Methadone as pathetic druggies…at least those supposed “druggies” entered treatment…and it’s their addiction..so they themselves chose to go about their recovery their way…not the way other people want them to…cuz it will NOT work. I’m just speaking from experience…15 years experience.. It may take a couple of times but eventually some people make it through and out of this hell..for the others… Sadly they either end up in prison or dead 🙁
Based on the charges for Tyler’s arrest a year and a half after the episode aired it appears he was still using.
http://jail.com/arrest-records/tyler-hall-1546671
I’m really glad to know as of March 2015 he’s still alive. My heart goes out to this family.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006374022854&fref=nf&pnref=story
Guilt plays a huge role in using…they want to escape…especially living with the fact he introduced his siblings to heroin and they overdose and die…I’m sure he was devastated. I don’t blame him for using…I wouldn’t want to deal with me being the cause of my siblings deaths.Poor Guy…hope he finds peace one day and can overcome his addiction.. And I feel horrible for the parents..losing two kids to drugs and then one that’s on his way down the same path…sad how this drug destroys families, communities, etc.
I’m sorry, but I thought personally that it was a little ridiculous how Jeff pushed so hard on Tyler’s dad to go to the 30 day program, which he understandably said he couldn’t at first because he had his business to run. I mean I just thought it was ridiculous that he was basically telling him that he should be willing to lose his business, like there were no other options, he tells him he’s not willing to do whatever it takes to help Tyler get sober, basically guilt tripped him. I just didn’t like the approach, I agree he needed to learn not to enable him, which he did, I just didn’t like the way he went about it and I wouldn’t have blamed him if he didn’t want to risk business by shutting down for a month.
I agree with your reaction to Jeff’s ‘hard line’ for Tyler’s father…but I think Jeff had more information about the situation than we were given as viewers of the show. It was stated that the business was in the hole for 90,000 of unsecured debt that Tyler and his siblings had racked up on drugs and other expenses.
It was also insinuated by Tyler’s father and Tyler’s friend who seemed to be some kind of manager or an accountant for the business that for the time being, they were merely staying afloat in quicksand, and working for free- so I think the father claiming that he couldn’t possibly travel to an inpatient program because he needed to keep the business running, was just him on auto pilot.
He is a hardworking man who took great pride in building his own business to support his family, but ultimately, his work became a coping mechanism. He said himself that having his three children by his side, running the business as a team with him was the happiest time of his life- yet the reality was- it made him so happy, he didn’t even notice that his kids were using the business as an ATM, and running it into insurmountable debt.
I know it seemed as if Jeff was being kind of unreasonable, but I think Chapter 11 for the business had probably become just a matter of time, and it was more important that the father got help in handling the loss of his other two children and learn some new skills for showing Tyler he loves him without continuing to enable him.
I have to agree with you, Markus. The dad really needed to get the message that he has to take it on the chin, so to speak, to get the message about how important it is to get help for co-dependency. It would suck to be bankrupt, but it would suck more to be bankrupt and lose all three kids.
I couldn’t watch this ep again. Found it too heartbreaking
this guy is a douche bag. My heart goes out to his mom, and dad. lost 2 kids to heroin already, and will probably lose a 3rd. incredibly sad
The mom died recently, dont know how though
This was a tough one for sure. It would be beating a dead horse to say the absence of any structure in those kids lives led to this, but it was so far gone, at 26 and NEVER having to face consequences for your actions? Not even your siblings deaths, which you caused? No,Tyler had never learned the word no, not by the one he needed to hear it from the most. His emotional immaturity was beyond the reach of any non-committed correction (a mandatory rehab or prison perhaps.) Feel for his family, and was proud of his dad for completing treatment even though he relapsed just as hard by letting him back in :/ I wish that family well and hope they’ve been able to heal since this episode aired.
Indeed. His parents, like many on this show, are two people whom never should’ve had children.
Do you mean they should have never had children together? The mom, in my opinion, got the short end of the stick in parenting. Parenting is hard as is when divorced, but even harder when the parents are NOT on the same page about anything, we get results like this episode.
Just looked at his Facebook and looks like he is sober. Could be wrong though.
You should put a link to his Facebook , I’m sure lots of people would appreciate being able to look at an update.
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011842113005
I dont use facebook personally. But I googled his name and the city. From what it looks like in the photo thats him. I can’t tell 100% cause I cant open the pic. Ut I’m pretty sure thats him.
is he still alive? how is he doing today in the year 2019?
This episode enraged me. It reminded me a lot of a situation that a close friend’s family is in so that hit close to home. My friend’s sister has always been incredibly spoiled as the “favorite” and her parents have enabled her sister’s addiction for over a decade, raising her kids for her and placing her in countless rehab programs only for her to run off with abusive junkie boyfriend after abusive junkie boyfriend, allowing her to stay with them for free while jobless and using with her kids in the house, etc. I am disgusted by Tyler’s father’s enabling. If he had actually enforced literally any rules or boundaries, maybe things would be different.. I wouldn’t say his children’s behavior is “his fault” as they all have personal responsibility, but I don’t believe it would’ve gotten to the point it had if he had ever shown them discipline or consequences. My heart breaks for this family.
The dad has a heart of gold. I feel so sad for Tyler’s mom and especially his dad. Losing 2 kids to heroin within 2months. I really hope Tyler finds to strength to get well….I know quitting heroin seems impossible when u are addicted especially when u are using it to medicate away pain and trauma.
I agree I really love the dad so much!!! I hope he hasn’t been in so much pain it was really hard watching how much pain he was in during the intervention! I cried! I wish Tyler A life full of peace love and sobriety! I know it’s hard!
I agree. And having a business myself, I do understand some people’s reaction on here to Jeff’s hard line about the treatment for him. BUT the reality is that you actually can leave your business for a month. We all have the power to make choices in life. And you could see that when the dad agreed to treatment and when he hugged and thanked Jeff that he was actually SO GLAD Jeff didn’t back down and in essence stood for his ability to be healthy and at peace. It made me respect Jeff a lot more, seeing how he handled that.
Does anyone have any updates on Tyler and/or his family?
One of the saddest episodes ever. I’m so so glad it looks like Tyler is still alive.