Season 12, Episode 7
Amanda
Age: 31
Location: High Point, North Carolina
Addiction: Alcohol, Heroin
What’s memorable: The strange but sweet, war-traumatized, outrageously enabling father. The mother’s suicide attempt with Amanda’s sister, the obsessive but kinda of awesome boyfriend who convinced her to go to treatment and then got some for himself, the beautiful and amazing follow up. This was a good one.
Official Synopsis: Thirty-one year-old Amanda has exchanged her dreams of teaching for an alcohol and heroin addiction, while her family erupts in anger over her dad’s chronic enabling
Original Air Date: October 2012
Interventionist: Jeff
I too loved this story. Her boyfriend Brian really surprised me convincing her to go and getting himself help. “I kinda want you to do better.” Thats what Brian said to her. I didn’t think their relationship was good until I heard him say that. They both looked a lot happier and better overall when clean! I truly pray for the best for this couple, it will be tough, but I have faith they will help eachother through it all.
Amanda is doing great! In fact, better than I ever would have imagined for myself. Sorry to discourage the fans of our show, but the truth is that some of us learn and others don’t. (I’ve been working at the same job for three years and recently have a boyfriend that is the best thing I ever known could exist. I have a protective order,restraining order against my ex. He is he, I am me!!!!)
Hey Amanda!
Your story touched me in so many ways. The way you reacted to your mother and throughout the intervention was actually how I imagine I might react if there was an intervention staged for me during the two years I was on opiates. I didn’t expect Brian to step up the way he did, and the best part of your episode was seeing how beautiful and healthy you looked at the end. There was a lot of hope and promise from your episode that I’m sure had a positive impact on most of the active users watching.
Congrats on the long term sobriety and holding down a steady job for three years! That right there shows you’re committed and stable in your recovery process.
Are you with a new boyfriend now? What happened to Brian? Is he still using? Did you ever reconcile with Crystal and your mother? I hope your mother shows love to you now and treats you with the respect you deserve. I hope your father is doing well too. He was so sweet, and clearly suffering from prolonged PTSD. I liked him when I saw your episode, and I liked you too.
I have some questions about how your detox was handled. Are you on a maintenance program for opiates? Did you go cold turkey? There are some people who believe that being on methadone or Suboxone is not being clean. I am not one of those people. I took Suboxone and it helped me tremendously. I am so glad to hear that you’re doing well. I would love to tell you just how your story affected me personally and what an inspiration you are. If you have a moment, please reach out to me with a quick email. [email protected] … I think you’re such a cool girl and I’m really proud of you. – Rain
I hope this is really you lol. You’re such a strong woman!! I entered treatment saying the same thing you did (if I don’t want it for myself, it won’t last). I held on to the hope that something would click while I was there and change my perspective, and it did. Not even my counselor thought it would happen, she told me herself that if someone doesn’t want it, it won’t happen. But I wanted to want it, and I think that was enough. It’s so nice to be able to look back on intervention episodes based on heroin and see a happy ending. Thank you for sharing your story, and giving the rest of us hope.
It takes more than anyone will ever understand when you go through an addiction like this. Mine was cocaine and alcohol. What she said is totally correct you have to do it for yourself not anybody else! Congratulations sweetie your story is truely amazing. Just goes to show tough times dont last tough people do! 🙂
Did Brian make it. Sounds like you broke up, but was he able to maintain sobriety?
Oh Amanda, I am sorry to hear your boyfriend was disappointing. He seemed like an old soul.
But I am VERY happy you are happy and doing well. The people on Diz’s site are absolutely pulling for the addicts on Intervention. The occasional troll really does not represent the general good feeling and good wishes here.
I loved her boyfriend!
Just watched this episode tonight and it was touching. Proud of you Amanda and feel that you have so much going for you!
Just watched this episode on Netflix and it was my favorite to date. I hope you are still sober and doing well Amanda!
Gotta say, Amanda, your dad makes me proud to think of our American soldiers being like him. That he is the kind of soldier we send to other countries. Soldiers with such strong loving hearts, and such humanity. He truly truly loves you, and he loves his fellow man, I think.
Was surprised A & E didn’t offer the dad some treatment. He was re-living the Vietnam War everyday.
North Carolina here, hope you’re still going strong Amanda!
Oh, I loved this episode! Watching Amanda ring the bell as she graduated treatment was so wonderful. I hope her father got some help for his PTSD, his situation was quite sad. My own father served in the Navy during Vietnam, and while his experience was not nearly as intense as those directly on the ground, I know it still affected him deeply seeing soldiers’ bodies come onto the boat to be sent home. It makes me so sad when our veterans are not given the support and care that they need when they return as they continue to pay the ultimate price for serving their country.
I truly hope that Amanda is still doing well, she seems like a wonderful person. Maybe we’ll get another update someday. I hope she got to culinary school and she’s out there cooking her booty off and living her best life!
what a transformation! she went from numb/no smiles to ALIVE! I kno all about it from my own addiction. its crazy when u start to feel again..makes u wonder why u ever wanted to be numb. I hope today Amanda is still thriving!! 💜
You know what? I just watched this episode. And I feel for her father. What a sweet but horribly traumatized man. I felt his pain just from watching her episode. Imagine what that was like to grow up with worrying about him and then having the feeling that she’s a burden because her mother favored another child over her because of her mother’s own attachment issues that truthfully had nothing to do with Amanda herself. What a BEAUTIFUL woman Amanda is and how intelligent she is. God bless her. I haven’t commented on any episode before and I have watched intervention for YEARS. But this one really spoke to me. What a beautiful woman carrying around a heavy load of pain at such a young age. It must be heavy baby girl. I pray to God you have found your peace. You are not the mistakes of those around you, you are capable, intelligent, and beautiful. Thank you for documenting this. You remind me of me. So thankful you were brave enough to showcase your struggles and help others around you when you’re suffering. How beautiful. God bless
I just have one question like how is she doing? And did she reconcile with her sister? Did she reconcile with Her mother and Has she and her father had grown closer over the years period because it seems to me that it’s been almost 10 years since the show. And I wanna know if she’s still sober. And has she reconcile with her family. Is she still with her boyfriend period because she’s definitely around 40 now And I want to know, like many others. Has her life turned around for the better? And she lived in her life for herself period because with a family like that, I couldn’t be surprised.