Season 22 Episode 5
Erika
Age: 28
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Addiction: Xanax, heroin
Official Synopsis: Born in Las Vegas, Erika overcame a heroin addiction due to childhood trauma, but now anxiety from the COVID-19 pandemic has caused her to relapse, placing her life and her dream in jeopardy.
What’s Memorable: The sweet siblings, the photo shoot, the crazy dangerous drug mixing, “doing bars”, the compulsive smiling, the mom who told her if she had obeyed the house rules she wouldn’t have gotten herself raped, the fact that no one else in the family even knows that happened (I wonder if she told them before the show aired?), and the Covid-ness of the whole situation. It made me think a lot about how this pandemic is going to be the “and then Covid happened” part of so many peoples’ addiction stories, and for so many different reasons.
Date Aired: April 12, 2021
Interventionist: Vance Johnson – Great article about Vance’s story and his appreciation of Intervention here on ESPN.com
Just finished watching and I agree Dizzy. I was waiting for them to cover someone who’s been triggered by everything that’s been happening in the world. I myself have gained around 15 pounds in the past year.
I really connected with Erika! I found her to be sweet, just very lost in it all. I didn’t notice her compulsive smiling until Dizzy pointed it out; I’ll have to rewatch the episode back to pick up on it. I feel like this season is going to heavy on, “…and then COVID-19 hit”, which I can get behind. I have changed a lot since the virus and it’s interesting to see how others have been affected. Makes me feel less lonely. I absolutely understand Erika’s isolation- it’s so easy to do when everything is closed.
Only wishing the best for her!
Another thing: her sister saying, “Erika walked so my sister and I could run” REALLY hit home with me. I’m also the oldest child in my family, and watching Erika get cut down by her mom brought back so many memories. I’m glad she and her mom reconciled during the intervention.
I am the oldest child of immigrant parents. And yes. I too heard that and thought, yup. That’s a lot of pressure. You are the one they push the hardest. It was a struggle growing up like that. When she said she would raise her daughter differently. I was so happy. I’m glad she’s learning to cope.
She really reminded me of myself. Wow. I’m glad they really finally talked about someone affected by the pandemic.
Me too. I’m not an addict (fortunately!) but I do have PTSD, and the pandemic has been detrimental to my mental health. I’ve been fully vaccinated for several months, but I’m still practicing social distancing and working from home for now. The widespread isolation, coupled with sheltering in place with family members without pause, has been particularly difficult. Even as I love my family and they aren’t critical the way Erika’s mother is, I miss routine and space. I have no doubt Erika is just one of many addicts grappling with this.
Does anyone know how I can catch these new episodes in the UK? I’m desperate to watch them but can’t seem to find them anywhere!
I’ve been watching on the A&E website, not sure if that works for you in the UK? I’ve also been trying to find the new episodes on various sites that are… legal haha but no luck :/ I would suggest getting an american VPN that allows you to watch the episodes on A&E and all you have to do is log into your cable provider if you have one. If not! Hulu does a free 7 day trial of live tv that includes A&E so you could do that and binge them!
Hulu isn’t available outside of the US.
You’ll need a VPN but it’s easy to get one. I used mine to watch the latest season on Putlocker. I think there were (very briefly) a couple of episodes on YT but they get taken down fast.
Wooooow I was so shocked at how many different drugs she does. the last interview I really got the feeling she was still so sad and unsure.. I really hope she continues to heal and stays sober
Good episode. I really hope this girl can keep it together. She has a lot going for her. She’s funny, cute, blessed with a really good family. She reminded me of one of the SNL players – off the top of my head I think her name is Melissa Villasenor. Something like that. Anyway, if you read this Erika – try real hard to stay clean. You can have a terrific life if you do. Best of luck.
Why are people excusing this girl? Of course I wish her the best, Ive battled with addiction as well and i know its hard, but others here get hate for minuscule things yet it looks like Shes getting a pass for basically making p*rn with her kid and parents downstairs and she did not look like she cared at all about it. I hope she stays clean but with someone that lives off attention it’ll be hard
I don’t think it’s fair to assume that she LIKES the attention she gets from selling her body. People in active addiction do what they need to do to support their habit and sadly for a lot of young women that means selling themselves. Most of us have seen this in countless episodes and still find empathy for the addict…it seems like you were somehow triggered by Erika?
I just read what Ann wrote which I believe was a response to my comment on Erika. I just wanted to clarify – I wasn’t supporting (or excusing) Erika’s actions in any way. All I was saying is she has a lot going for her, which she does. I think Gigi is right in that Erika “triggered” Ann. Ok wait now I see a comment from someone named Bumble. Wow! I have found some of the addicts to be very unlikable human beings. Although I don’t agree (or am I supportive) with plenty of what Erika does – I didn’t find her unlikable. She’s bright, she’s cute, she’s funny. She’s lucky to come from a nice family. I agree with what I said two months ago – I hope she keeps it together. She’ll have a great life if she does.
As a former addict it seems like you could have a lot more compassion for Erika and her addiction, especially considering the PTSD she has to have from multiple sexual assaults.
And just because you find “making p*rn” distasteful doesn’t mean it isn’t a viable job for a lot of people, addicted or not, many of whom have children that they support. Plus it’s puzzling that you find *that* more appalling than her shooting up (I’m not judging either the photos or her drug use, just curious about your priorities with your judgment.) I would urge you to unpack some of your Puritan thoughts about sex work.
Also your comment about her probably not staying clean because she needs attention is just…. Awful.
In general you don’t know who comes to this site and how your judgmental comments may impact them so I would also urge you to get off your high horse & remember how devastating addiction can be for people. Anonymously insulting someone at their televised lowest moment on a public forum is pretty gross and all around unkind & I hope you find peace within yourself that’s not dependent on tearing others down with your hurtful opinions.
Sounding pretty judgmental there yourself, Courtney.
I don’t think all addicts use for attention, but the vast majority of addicts I’ve seen on the show who were abused, raped, molested, neglected in their youth use the drugs as a way of forcing their families to notice that they are suffering. And it also seems like a very dysfunctional way of receiving validation for having been assaulted and having their parents refuse to believe them or even report the abuse to the police.
see cristy, Linda, Allison, Skylar, Susan’s entire family except her, Derek, Sylvia, Penny Lee, Hubert etc.
It’s not child abuse to make porn in the privacy of your room. She’s an adult and her friend was an adult. I don’t like the sex industry but there’s no need to shame this person as if she’s an abuser. She probably made choices she normally wouldn’t make during her addiction. She was actually very polite and sweet.
Dizzy do you think it’d be possible to add COVID as an addiction trigger? Probably will come up a lot more in new episodes like you said.
Yeah good idea.
I agree with another poster. People seem to be supportive of her and avoiding her acknowledging herterrible antics, making herself look like a fool on social media while gloating about Xanax with her sister. She was annoying. Everything “triggered” her, it’s a cop out to keep using just like every other addict.
This is exactly how i felt
Erika kind of reminds me of Brittany Murphy…I think its the hair cut (when blond) Iris is a gorgeous little girl. I hope Erika does well in her recovery. Love Vance…he seems very warm and caring.
i’ll admit i did find her kind of irritating (especially when she’d use her anxiety as a cop-out), but she seems like a sweet girl. i hope she stays clean.
Can we please all get together and kick the a**es of these parents that blame their children for being raped ON THE CHILD/ADULT CHILD AND NOT ON THE RAPIST.
This sh** has to stop and we have to show these disgusting examples of ‘parents’ that if you’re going to to do…life isnt gonna be easy for you. I feel like these so called ‘parents’ say this sh** and NO ONE says anything about it. No one says, “That’s wrong, you’re wrong, you’re a shi*ty parent for saying/believing/thinking such”.
If you are Erika’s ‘mother’ (and yes, I put that in quotes) and you’re reading this…..you are DEFINATELY part of the reason why your child used If you feel bad, YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD. It is GROSS that you would blame rape on the child. Erika deserves better.
I don’t care if Im meaning mean or judgmental, Ill happily die on the hill of “people shouldn’t blame the act of rape/molestation on the victim”.
A WHOLE lot of people in the comments are turning a blind eye to the PTSD Erika must have suffered from surviving not one, but TWO sexual assaults. A lot of the behavior you guys see as “annoying” are well-studied coping mechanisms that some folks who have suffered sexual violence develop after their assaults. Mostly, though, you all should be ashamed at the utter lack of compassion you’re showing her. May you never be in her shoes.
– someone who is also a rape survivor
This!
So well said. She’s coping. She’s trying her best in a very difficult situation with serious trauma in her past.
Her friend was annoying me. One of the biggest enablers I’ve ever seen.
Does anyone have her social media or an update?
wish this would tell us if she is still alive or sober her son Bobby was so adorable and loved his mama
she relocated to Utah and left Vegas behind, so she’s probably doing fine
I can’t understand how they didn’t know she was using. She was wearing short sleeves with bruises & sores from shooting up openly in front of her whole family.
they could’ve very well known and just pushed it under the carpet. a lot of families on the show do that.
I know her personally and unfortunately she relapsed.
Any update?
Would you be able and willing to provide an update? I know many of us on this thread would like to know how she’s holding up and what’s going on. Her story resonated with many.