Brett was an only child when his alcoholic father abandoned him. Raised by his mother in her parents’ home, Brett was on his way to success despite their struggles. But when his mom moved them into a new home with her violent boyfriend, Brett’s addiction spiraled.
John and Tom are brothers who spent their formative years working with their parents and grandparents in a successful business. While they appeared to be a close knit, hard-working family, a dark family history of drug abuse entrapped the brothers. Their mother realizes that without help, all could be lost.
With the birth of her two daughters, Samantha gave up using crystal meth and heroin. But when she began consorting with figures from her druggy past, she fell back into addiction and soon lost custody of her children. Samantha’s family are desperate to help her be the good mother she
Season 16, Episode 3 Kathy Age: 51 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Addiction: Crack, alcohol What’s Memorable: Kathy is obviously a very smart, vibrant, fun, strong woman when she’s not high or trying to get high. She had ROUGH childhood, and adulthood for that matter, so it’s not shocking that she
Season 12, Episode 13 Kelly Age: 27 Location: Harbor City, CA Addiction: OxyContin and meth What’s Memorable: The man who raped when she was a kid (her sister’s boyfriend) went to jail for raping someone else and is about to be released. Her need to escape is understandable. The way
Season 10, Episode 7 Luke Age: 23 Location: San Francisco, California Addiction: Crack What’s memorable: Living on the streets with his mother who is willingly homeless just so she can keep an eye on her son. That’s some crazy co-dependency there. The craziness that he spouts when he’s high is disturbing. The
Season 10, Episode 6 Penny Lee Age: 48 Location: Waipahu, Hawaii Addiction: Alcohol (beer) What’s memorable: The crazytown drunken rants, how she quit her long-term job because she wanted to drink, how guilty her son feels about going to live with their dad, how she’s forced to babysit her grandson
From an early age, Anthony's father made him feel worthless. His parents divorced, and his mother remarried, but she was still unhappy and turned to alcohol and drugs. It was little wonder, then, that Anthony began drinking at age 13. Another blow came when Anthony's younger brother died of leukemia.
Season 10, Episode 5 Megan Age: 27 Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina Addiction: Cocaine, opiates (oxy, heroin, xanax) What’s memorable: All the degrees she has, how smart she is. How her mom stayed with the husband who was abusive toward Megan, then left him as soon as he started being abusive to
Season 12, Episode 10 Cher Age: 50 Location: Dana Point, California Addiction: Alcohol (vodka) What’s memorable: Cher’s alcoholism seems to have made her a pretty awful person to be around. She’s just so mean and needy and sensitive, so desperate for attention; the things she does and says to try and
Season 12, Episode 8 Susie Age: 41 Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada Addiction: Crack Miriam Age: 41 Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada Addiction: Alcohol What’s memorable: The abuse they suffered and how Susie would take the brunt of it to protect her sisters, the amount of violence she experiences now as a result of
Season 11 Episode 12 Kaylene Age: 21 Location: Barnardsville, North Carolina Addiction: Pain meds (Percocet mostly) and Xananx What’s memorable: Girl gets giddy when she’s high! At least when she’s not passing out. She seems really convinced that she’s super happy and loving her life. Her entire goal right now is
A 34-year-old gay man, Richard grew up knowing he was different and never feeling accepted. His stepfather disciplined him severely for his effeminate behavior.
Season 11, Episode 2 Dallas Age: 21 Location: Portland, Oregon Addiction: Heroin What’s memorable: Shooting up in the femoral veins, the insanely oblivious enabling mother, how ridiculously good-looking Dallas and her fellow Portland street kid boyfriend would be if they weren’t junkies, the fact that they both prostitute themselves for heroin. “You
Season 8, Episode 8 John Age: 30’s Location: Houston, Texas Addiction: Alcohol What’s memorable: “Oh yeah, I’m the party.” Dude’s a super fun guy! And in some serious denial. He’s been arrested 24 times for drunk and disorderly conduct and has been hospitalized more than 20 times. His family thinks he has
Growing up Hubert, now 50, never felt truly loved by his stepfather. And his stepfather admits giving more love and attention to his three biological children. Meanwhile, Hubert protected his brother and sisters from hearing and seeing their parents screaming and hitting one another. Forty years later, it's
Growing up, Dillon showed tremendous promise. But after a bitter divorce, his mother, Tammy hoped that Dillon wouldn't follow in the footsteps of his violent, alcoholic father. But today Tammy's worst fears have come true. Dillon, 20, is living with his father in a dilapidated trailer where he injects methamphetamines
A tall, beautiful brunette, Tiffany maintained a perfect GPA in high school and played Varsity basketball. But despite her achievements, Tiffany's childhood was plagued by her parents' violent marriage and their drug and alcohol abuse.
Season 7, Episode 8 Vinnie Age: 28 Location: Hartford, Connecticut Addiction: Crack What’s memorable: How he gets money for crack by stealing and selling auto parts, his poor put-upon enabling mother, his dog Max as primary companion in the place of the family he wants so badly. It’s a very sad story.
Season 8, Episode 1 Donna & Josh Age: Josh is 20, Donna is 47 Location: Covington, Washington Addiction: Alcohol What’s memorable: The very unhealthy mother-son dynamic. The awesome followup. Official Synopsis: Every day, Donna, 47, and her son, Josh, 20, cause a storm of drinking, fighting, and chaos in the overcrowded
Next, a talented singer and the owner of his own karaoke business, 22-year-old Josh is addicted to food and weighs 550 lbs. Josh's father, Rex, has the same weight problem--at 317 lbs., he's a diabetic who's had six strokes.
Ben, 25, experienced a childhood filled with domestic violence, homelessness and isolation. He never got to fulfill the potential of his 170 I.Q. and found a new way to find comfort when he was in high school--a drug called DXM.
Having graduated high school with academic and athletic honors, Lawrence, 34, became a successful owner of a chain of tanning salons. But he was never able to dull the pain of emotional and physical abuse suffered in childhood.
Season 9, Episode 5 Cassie Age: 22 Location: Coral Springs, Florida Addicted to: Oxycodone, crack What’s Memorable: The horrible Costa Rican and Jamaican “modification camps” her father sent her to as a teen. Official synopsis: Cassie, 22, is a crack and oxycodone addict who was abandoned by her mother and raised by
Season 9, Episode 7 Jenna Age: 28 Location: Boston, Massachusettes Addicted to: Heroin What’s Memorable: The stepfather and the intense long-term emotional turmoil Jenna and her siblings have suffered as a result. Jenna’s decision to meet with her stepfather at a waterpark – while I personally understand it, I get why
Season 9 Episode 10 Jamie Age: 27 Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada Addiction: Alcohol, Ketamine What’s Memorable: The death of Jamie’s twin sister, the really messed up ways that her family thinks they’re helping her, the weird intervention. (“Since I arrived here, none of this has been about Jamie” – Candy) Official
Kim is a beautiful 34-year-old make-up artist who grew up a cheerleader and popular. But fearing her good looks and slim figure were deteriorating, Kim turned to bulimia and anorexia.
By day, Jacob, 25, is a banker. But most nights, Jacob is drinking, driving and often engaged in barroom brawls. He recently overdosed on alcohol and prescription drugs. His heart stopped and he had to be revived with paddles. Jacob blames his mother -- a drug user and former dealer
Season 9, Episode 11 Tiffany Age: 24 Location: Florida Addicted to: Meth, GHB, Xanax What’s Memorable: How insanely skinny she is. Doing drugs in the storage unit. The GHB. Official synopsis: Tiffany, a former beauty queen, has always wanted the family she never had. Now, after ten years of using crystal