Season 22, Episode 19 (Intervention Canada)
Elann
Age: 28
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Addiction: Alcohol
Official Synopsis: Elann has suffered through more loss than most 28-year-olds. Unable to process the untimely deaths of her father and brother, Elann obliterates her emotions with an ever-present bottle of vodka. Seeing her daughter’s mental health in steep decline, Elann’s mother believes this intervention is the only hope of pulling her back from the abyss.
What’s Memorable: There were the things that I thought were going to be memorable and then the final screen happened and nothing I thought mattered mattered anymore. “Things can only go up from here. We both have so much to look forward to now” Elann said right before the screen told us what happened after treatment. Shocking and devastating, and so tragic. I can’t stop thinking about how she was sober for her final months before she took her life but was in so much deep pain from everything she had been through that not even sobriety could save her. And I can’t stop thinking about her mother. I just…have no words.
Elann Christine Masters died of intentional overdose at age 30 on March 5, 2019.
Interventionist: Andrew Galloway
Date Aired: July 12, 2021 (Aired as Intervention Canada Season 3 Episode 15, on June 26, 2018)
i’m 14, and my mom put this on so we could possibly stage an intervention for my alcoholic uncle. this was my first episode i ever watched. i immediately grew attached to her, more and more through the episode. i remember all throughout being excited to look up afterward where she is and how she is now then i saw that ending screen. my jaw dropped and i started sobbing.
Well that is quite a first introduction to Intervention! If you’re interested in other episodes about alcoholic interventions that aren’t quite as traumatizing, I would suggest Sylvia (Season 2), Hubert (Season 3), or Jeff (Season 6).
Agree with you 100%!
My favorite episodes are Lana and Elann. I can hardly explain it, but they are both very lovable. Both have big hearts. I was shocked when I read that Elann had taken her own life.
I watched the episode several times and wondered if I could have helped her. I have been a quarterly drinker for 12 years. Despite going to the clinic, I was never able to finally stop drinking.
But: I saw intervention. Before that, I started drinking sometimes weekly. Now there are often 4 to 12 weeks in between. I’ll make it! Lots of love from Germany.
Elann was one my favourites too, were both from Canada and both alcoholics. I used to abuse cocaine as well. I saw myself in her and could see us being friends if we had met. I thought she was funny and just a beautiful soul all around. I hope she’s at peace now
I was blindsided by that screen at the end. Her poor mother, I cannot imagine how she must have felt. I don’t want to. To lose your whole family you once had, that’s indescribable pain. I hope Elann is finally at peace and her family/friends are doing well considering this horrific loss. Cannot stop thinking of her mom. This will haunt me for a while.
I couldn’t agree more. I felt the same way about Brian’s dad after he died and I learned that his wife and daughter had also died before Brian. The saving grace is that he still at least had two grandchildren through his daughter.
That last screen was so tough to watch. I was so shocked, I was really hoping she could have overcome her addiction. It was one of these moments when I stopped and reflected about my own life and how fortunate I am to just be alive and free of any addiction.
I was very drunk when I got watched this episode and the ending was a huge wake up call for me. I hate seeing people so sad, and I’m lucky I have a lot to live for. I just need to get and stay sober. A lot harder said than done.
I was diagnosed in early February with early-stage Cirrhosis after my abdomen started bloating quickly. Been drinking for years and it finally caught up with me. I just turned 40 and when I went to the ER for this, the doctor basically scared me (and rightfully so) that if I drink anymore, it WILL get a lot worse and possibly kill me. I’m on medications now to help with drainage of fluid but I know it’s inevitable that I’ll be put on a liver transplant list. I had my nightly rituals of making my vodka/cranberry (I never drank during the day or had any dependency or withdrawals) and since the doc told me the situation, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol. And honestly, it wasn’t hard and I’m not even tempted to drink. Knowing where I’m at and where it can go, it’s absolutely not worth it.
You got early stage Cirrhosis from 1 vodka cran a night?
Just asking because I’m scared for myself, I’m headed in the same direction.
wishing so much love and peace to elann’s family. she fought so hard her whole life but in the end the disease took her away. what a sad episode, but so grateful to elann’s family for opening their doors for this so that we could all get the chance to know her, too. ❤️
like others I was profoundly affected watching this and seeing that last screen. I hope Elann has peace now. And I hope her family can continue to heal 🙏
This episode really hit home – it was like watching myself. I am the same age Elann would have been if she were still alive, we both were 18 in 2005 and had similar stories. I’m now sober but so easily could have been where she is now. I will not drink to day in her honor. Sincerely hope her mother has found peace and support after so much loss.
I felt the same. we are the same age, and elann would be 35 today just like me. I am an alcoholic as well and I’m devastated that this disease can take so much from us.
elann christine: you are such a perfect, gorgeous soul. thank you for the time you were here.
What a beautiful comment.
I agree, Elann was special. RIP beautiful soul.
I just watched this episode for the first time last night and I’ve been thinking about it all day.
Even before she revealed that she had been raped, I got the sense that Elann had been through some kind of sexual trauma. I can’t put my finger on why— maybe it was the specific feelings she was struggling with, her body language, or something else. But I was actually surprised when she talked about her past that sexual abuse wasn’t mentioned. The way she drunkenly mentioned the rape in a casual way at a birthday party made complete sense to me. I felt for her because it was clear that this was something she’d been struggling with internally and felt unable to share, and that it just kind of fell out when her inhibitions were lowered. I’ve had that happen before and it’s TOUGH. For me it felt like my secret was out and everyone was judging me both for being damaged and for being too drunk (even though the response from the people around me was kind).
Seeing her reveal that she was raped mid-episode made me wonder how often there is sexual trauma in a person’s history versus how often that is disclosed on the show/how often the family knows about it. Because I mean, my family had no idea about any of the sexual abuse I’ve experienced. And that seems relatively common among folks who have been through sexual trauma.. Learning how to tell another person about being violated like that is a long process for many people. I wouldn’t be surprised if some addicts portrayed either choose not to disclose or don’t understand that what they experienced was abuse. I hadn’t thought about this as much before.
The ending really caught me off guard, it’s incredibly sad that she wasn’t able to find peace and resolve her feelings. I can’t blame her for making the choice she did. Living when you’re that depressed is torment. My heart goes out to her and everyone she left behind.
Sexual abuse or rape seems to be hugely predominant when you see female alcoholics.