Season 17, Episode 1
Katherine C
Age: 28
Location: Syracuse, New York
Addiction: Crack (primary)
What’s Memorable: The well-meaning parents so profoundly and tragically enabling of their daughter’s addiction. They’re in it deep, repeatedly paying lip service to creating boundaries but never able to do it, right up until the last epilogue screen. My hope is that they get help for their own health and well-being and that it ends up helping Katherine too.
Official Synopsis: Katherine was a bright college student with dreams of becoming a journalist until she was abducted and brutally assaulted. Katherine swiftly spiraled, becoming dependent on a dangerous mix of drugs to mask the trauma. Her parents have already purchased a burial plot for her and are certain that it’s only a matter of time before they bury their only child.
Date Aired: July 2017
Interventionist: Ken
Katherine.C, along with Jamie remind me so much of myself.
It’s 2025 and I’ve never given up hope and I’m still out here rooting for Katherine all these years later. She’s a beautiful soul inside and out.
Tragically, her parents could not cope with her addiction and enabled her to the nth degree. I’m thinking when she went to jail they should have just left her there. She could have benefited so much from some serious natural consequences for her actions. Who knows…..? She needed at least a year in rehab to overcome just some of the issues. She was so deep into that lifestyle that it was obvious it was more of who she was now than who she was before her addiction. It takes years to get the therapy and help for what she has been through and put herself through.
As I was reading through the comments that have been posted about Katherine C from Syracuse I noticed several people were saying she was living in Denver in 2021 and 2022. It made me think if she is not living in NY with her parents then they are no longer enabling her like they were at the time of the episode. Will this help Katherine to hit her bottom? All stories of addiction are painful and sad to watch and worse to live out. While Katherine’s parents surely contribute to her staying in her diseases it appears they do not have the skills needed to make better choices to help their daughter. Will add to those praying for katherine and her family.
I wonder, at this point, if her parents are both still alive. Her dad was in his 70s back in 2017.
parents are alive and well living in ocala Florida
Seeing this one for the first time and had to run to comment before it’s even over. I strongly believe Katherine is also autistic. My jaw dropped when she actually said her father was autistic and it made so much sense. I wish her the best.a
Is there any new updates on Kathrine C.?? When I first seen this one I fell in love with the family. I wish they would do updates on those who didn’t complete the intervention. If I knew where she was, I would try to help her!! I see her as a little sister I never had!!
e mail me if you want an update or contact information metfield328@astound.net
Hello, I apologize for not emailing. Do you know if Katherine is doing well? This episode has really stuck with me over the years
wow this was quite the episode this girl is so broken yet she has parents who love her so much and try so hard and she manipulates them both she was in rehab twice man told them to blackout with their daughter but they didn’t they flew her back home where she relapsed I wonder if she is alive
This episode aired on Vice tonight. I am so enraged with Katherine’s parents. They just don’t get it and don’t want to get it.
Are there any updates? I hope that Katherine has somehow found her way to health and recovery and that her parents have also gotten treatment for their co-dependence. Such a dysfunctional dynamic…
Out of all the horrible parents we see on the series, these parents were angels! Yes, totally enabling her, but they seemed very misinformed and just trying their best! They were older too and seemed out of their element! Remember, the father suffered from Aspergers and had his own limitations! Maybe their religious beliefs also complicated matters. It was definitely a dysfunctional family dynamic all around, but I felt deep empathy for her parents. I found Samantha to be bright and self aware. I pray she finds sobriety before it’s too late! Prayers to her and her parents!
Katherine,
You are charming, hilarious and beautiful inside and out.
I’m so sorry you’re struggling with addiction. Me too, girl. I relate to you on every level.
Jiddu Krishnamurti Quotes
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
It is no wonder to me why you use, you’re too beautiful for this world.
You have a friend in Toronto, should you ever need one Xoxo
Sad episode but she seemed way to deep into the life of drugs and prostitution to just cut it so abruptly. When you’re willing to manipulate your family into getting your fix and they’re willing to help you get that fix the problem is deeply routed. It be hard to believe her ever getting clean without some truly divine intervention. Things only get worse for addicts like this and they only get deeper into reasons to continue using. First you have what caused you to start using drugs and then you have all the demons chasing you from the dirt you did while you were using them. Drug life is no joke. My best guess is she’ll continue prostituting to fund her habit till her looks fade and spend the rest of her life in and out of jail on drug and prostitution charges. Sadly these types of cases either end up overdosing or getting murdered by someone. best case scenario for someone like her is to get a serious enough charge to end up in prison and get clean behind bars. Sure they have drugs in there too but nothing like what’s on the streets.
Such a sad episode. I believe I saw she is currently in jail in the Colorado area.
Do you have confirmation of this?
I saw her in Denver, on the west side. Unless somebody is constantly trolling the inmate searches of all the counties and cities around Denver, there would be no way to know that.
Saw her recently. About two months ago in the same area as before- years ago.
How is she doing? Katherine is one of my favs
If she has hep c, not only is her addiction endangering her own life and those she comes in contact with, but this virus is an added chronic threat to all who are close to her. Her poor parents are so sweet and loving, yet suffer the most. How can this family survive?
Update posted in response to another. She is in Denver.
I Am happy she is alive, was really thinking she was not. Tell her Jake is thinking of her and hope she comes home and gets help.
Haven’t seen her for probably 9 months. Not sure her whereabouts, but I also look at faces when I’m over that way. There were a lot of motels over that way that have been shut down, demolished, and even condemned. So if she was staying in one of those, she could’ve easily changed her location.
https://www.inmateaid.com/inmate-profiles/katherine-campbell-2440339
Would this be her?
Does anyone have any updates on Katherine c? Everything about this episode broke my heart..GL
I’m searching in internet too for updates. Just watched the episode for the 2nd time. 🙁
I think jade was such a sad story. Has anybody heard anything on her recovery?
Wish there was an update.
It really seemed like she would be successful. The end of the episode was so disappointing.
And I can’t believe the parents allowed the heavy drug use in their house.
I am praying for Katie’s parents. Hopefully, they will see the light.
Hoping the best for Katherine and loved ones.
I was in HS with her and reached out. The year after this she was in Denver area using and prostituting herself. Not sure after that
You are correct. She is in Denver. West Denver. I second-guessed myself until I just saw your post. I am an Intervention fan. I always have been and have followed all of the stories in-depth. I have a couple friends that have been on the show. About a month ago, I was driving out of the parking lot of my gym and I saw this girl who I thought I recognized and I couldn’t remember why. And then it hit me that it was the girl from Intervention. Or so I thought it was. Just three days ago, I saw her again walking by the front door of my gym. I am a Certified Peer Recovery Coach and was an alcoholic for 20 years. I’ve been sober and in recovery for 2 1/2 years and it has crossed my mind both times I saw her to just go up to her and give her my card and she can do with it whatever she wants. But she is definitely in Colorado.
I absolutely cannot believe she’s still alive. I know two men she’s led to death via overdose, one of which was my husband and father of my child. Another was a wife of her next victim. Not denying our spouses roles in their own addictions but she introduced both to Iv drug use. She is the armpit of humanity. She has been given all of the tools, time and time again. I have spent far too much of my life fretting over her actions and how they impacted my family and I now spend far too much brain power searching for her every 6months or so in hopes that her decisions have led to prison, or to the the same ending she led my sweet child’s father.
she is still doing the same thing, I just talked to her two weeks ago. Katie was released from jail earlier this year and sent to a behavioral/ mental health transitional living facility and left that treatment too. Two days later she sent me a text at 1:00 AM from the hospital because she had just fainted in some John’s car. I spoke with her in the ER and advised her to let the ER doctor know what medications she was talking from the transitional living facility. She refused to advise the ER staff of the
meds and also refused all medical treatment. Katie has a new love, it’s no longer the crack, coke and heroin that she was doing in N.Y. Meth is now her drug of choice. I’m not going to go into details but let’s just say that the last eight years of heavy meth use has really taken a toll on Katie in many ways. I’ve lost count now just how many times that she has called me from jail with a new charge. Unfortunately with each subsequent arrest the charges have gotten progressively more serious. It’s sad to have to consider jail time as a win but at least when she’s in jail serving time she’s somewhat able to recover from the effects of the drugs, alcohol and “getting back to her ways” as Katie calls it. Sorry that I don’t have some better news.
she is back at embark right now.
The only addict I’ve ever heard describe their addiction as ‘insidious”
I just watched this episode. Katherine and Mr. and Mrs. C, you are a beautiful family, no one has the right to judge any of you. Through God all things are possible. Trust in him. Katherine I believe God has a plan for your life, you can recover and heal. You are meant for great things. God Bless you and your parents.
I didn’t see anyone judging this family for their faith but they very clearly completely disregarded professional advice multiple times with disastrous results.
If prayer alone could cure addiction, Katherine would be healthy and thriving; her parents prayed constantly. Unfortunately they didn’t combine that with listening to the guidance they were given to help their daughter recover.
Just watched this episode. Does anyone have an update or fb page for her?
Hi
Does anyone know if there are any updates? Just caught this episode, wow. A great study in when what you can do alone is not working looks like. Definition of insanity anyone
It’s really easy to tell a parent they are being an enabler. However, I work with opioid dependent clients, and I find it to work much better if the person dependent has a strong support network. Bottom line/rock bottom leads to death.
It’s a rough life but I believe these parents knew she was going to die and wanted to protect her.
Katherine, if you read this…know that I am hopeful you will recovery. You can do this.
The thing is, what her parents are doing isn’t support; it’s enabling. Support and enabling are two different things. That’s why Katherine is doomed if her parents don’t change themselves from enabling to supportive or if she doesn’t cut contact with them if they refuse to draw and maintain healthy boundaries. Her mom obviously has codependency/addiction issues as well and needs professional help/intervention herself. As long as her mom continues to be at Katherine’s beck and call on only Katherine’s terms, her mom will be a roadblock to her recovery. It’s sad.
Write to dr.phil!!
Absolutely not! The man isn’t even a licensed doctor anymore. He’s a snake oil salesmen who exploits people on TV for money. I personally know a few people who have been on the show and the producers encourage the guests to lie or do whatever is necessary to make their story more sensational. It’s a farce. Katherine needs real help, not Hollywood bullshit.
I really like Katherine and I’m so sorry for everything she’s been through. When she says she is not in denial about any of it and knows what she is doing to her family… strikes a chord with me because I’ve always been the exact same way.
According to her facebook, she’s moved to Pennsylvania.
Sara, any updates?
Can you post a link to her facebook?
Is there any update to her story? She seems such a sweet girl with a broken heart and spirit. I wanted to reach out to her and her parents. Her parents seem very sweet too and beside themselves because they don’t know how to help her. If anybody has an update on her progress, I would love to know. Blessings, Jenn
I hope Katherine finds the strength and courage to make the decision to seek a better life. There is so much more to an addiction than the use of drugs. I wish I could give her the wisdom that comes with overcoming extreme adversity.
You can love yourself, Katherine.
the mother does not truley want katherine to get better because she is afraid if she is better katherine will no longer need her. the mom is enabling her for her own selfish reasons and should not be commended for anything. In fact she should be arrested and convicted for buying drugs for her daughter. Please get help katherine and stay away from your mother, it is the only way you will get better. Praying for you Katherine.
whoa!! first of all, nobody should be arrested for buying OR using– that’s 40 years of sorely failed war-on-drugs rhetoric gone stale. also, co-dependency might be many things, but since when is it a criminal statute? drop the law and order jazz, friend.
I agree. Decriminalization for possession and use. More funding for rehabilitation.
Buying and selling drugs are a criminal offense, and that is what her mother should be arrested for. If that is what needs to happen for Katherine to finally get help then I hope that is what happens.
Laura, read her friend Sara’s comments about the things her mother does for or better wording to her and tell me it not criminal. Her mother needs to be held accountable.
“criminal” is a social construction, and again, not one that has functioned well at ALL at the policy level in this country. just because the parents’ approach isn’t healthy doesn’t mean drug consumption/purchasing should be punished; there are so many alternatives to using the police and jail as a solution. a retributive society doesn’t allow for healing. if this girl was living in Portugal, where decriminalization of drugs has re-framed the issue as a public health issue (by all accounts, successfully), this would most likely be a different story.
Troy, I honestly understand where you are coming from. I have a mother who is sickingly codependent to the point of not wanting me to be a full person and I’ve struggled throughout my life to maintain distance and boundaries. It’s quite difficult when no one will intervene and I was never nearly as sick as Katherine is. Reading this board makes me very sad for this whole situation.
The addict is addicted to the drugs, the codepedent is addicted to the addict.
Just as hard as it is for Katherine to give up the drugs, it’s as hard for her parents to give up addicted Katherine.
I got sober by getting arrested and getting sent to rehab by the judge. I was 23 in 1993. I’m actually for decriminalization of all drugs. So, let’s say that wasn’t the case, that Katherine’s use was legal. Even with that, the parents are putting up with abuse and chaos in their home.
If they focused on their own health and putting the needs of Katherine ahead of their own needs, she would not be living there. Nor would her mother drive her to dealers and clients. Notice when Katherine was “on her own” for a month, she came begging back. She cannot continue her addiction comfortably unless parents enable her by providing safe housing and transportation. It doesn’t mean she’ll get healthy, but it does mean that two people who desperately need to focus on themselves can get healthy.
I agree with everything you said. Thank you. I may not have quite the same views on decriminalization of drugs as you have but I can respect your view on that.
This episode was probably one of the most heartbreaking that I have seen. My heart aches for her parents. While they are the biggest contributors to her addiction, I feel as though they are very misinformed and think that by trying to micro manage her life they think are helping her. This family needs help, but it almost seems like the parents do not want to listen to the advice given to them from the experts. So tragic. I think about them often, and I truly hope things work out. I could not fathom the downward spiral Katherine would go into if one (or both) of her parents were to pass and vice versa.