Intervention Directory
Heroin
Episode 242: Coleman
Season 21, Episode 5
Coleman
Age: 26 or so
Location: Mission, British Columbia, Canada
Addiction: Fentanyl and Heroin
Official Synopsis: Coleman grew up with the stigma of having a father in prison. His mother did her best to raise seven children but, as the middle child, Coleman got lost in the mix. Today, Coleman is hopelessly addicted to fentanyl, stealing to support his habit with the help of his opioid-addicted girlfriend, Nikki. The longer his addiction endures, the less chance Coleman has of ever seeing his daughter again, and his family worries his addiction may kill him first.
What’s Memorable: Shoplifting cheese and steak and selling it to single moms in SUVs. Violently fighting over their haul in the middle of the street. The deep family history of trauma and death. Nikki talking about being shot up by adult men at age 11. (What the hell kind of person shoots up an 11 year old with heroin? So disturbing.). Coleman dropping his needle behind at the intervention and feeling super guilty about it. The very heartwarming followup on both of them. I know that in retrospect they both saw their relationship as very ‘partners in crime’ and highly codependent, which is clearly true, but there were also moments – like when Nikki first sat down at the intervention and Coleman immediately took off his jacket and gave it to her to wear – that gave me the impression that these two have more than just an addiction that bonded them. They seemed to truly care about and love one another despite the ugliness and desperation of their situation. I hope that they were able to remain friends and support one another as they rebuilt their relationships with their children, or if not, that they’ll reconnect some day in the future when they’re both solid in their sobriety.
Date Aired: August 24, 2020 in US, aired as Intervention Canada Season 4 in September 2018.
Interventionist: Maureen Brine
Episode 239: Chelan
Season 21, Episode 3
Age: 29
Location: Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Addiction: Heroin
Official Synopsis: Chelan was a devoted wife and mother until the breakup of her marriage sent her spiraling into the world of prescription opioid abuse. Three short years later, Chelan is homeless, supporting a full-blown heroin addiction by working as a prostitute.
What’s Memorable: Has there ever been a more uncomfortable nodding-off scene than this one, right in the middle of a family dinner, everyone just eating their meals having to listen to her slur and watch her repeatedly nod off mid-sentence? Excruciating. For everyone involved.
Date Aired: August 3, 2020 in US, aired as Intervention Canada Season 3 in 2018.
Interventionist Maureen
Courtney
Very sad to announce that Courtney Ball passed away on May 12, 2020. Here is a notice of her memorial.
Courtney’s 2012 Intervention episode was one of the most memorable and controversial episodes of the show. According to her sister Kim, who commented here in February, Courtney had been struggling with her addiction and drug-induced psychosis and was really not well, but her family had not given up on her and still had hope she would make it out the other side. She was obviously adored by her loved ones and will be dearly missed. Rest in peace sweet girl.
The Heroin Hub: Chapter 6
Season 20, Episode 6
Location: Kensington area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Official Synopsis: EJ’s lies and deceptions cause a rift in his family, as some continue to enable him while others holds a firm bottom line. Interventionist Ken Seeley intervenes on EJ, who must finally decide if he is ready to accept help and go to treatment. Janine, Nicole, Bill, Alana, Amanda and EJ give final updates about their recoveries and hopes for the future.
My thoughts: This show, man. Damn. It’s not an exaggeration to say it saves lives because it does. Frequently. Five of them this season. Janine, Alana, Bill, Nicole (OMG NICOLE!), and EJ. Incredible. But not everyone can be saved by an intervention and quality treatment. Amanda’s followup was beyond heartbreaking. She was so defeated, so resigned to suffer what she thinks is her fate, what she deserves. That “spiritual awakening” she says she’s waiting for isn’t actually anything more than acknowledging to yourself that you’ve suffered enough and that you want to live a better life. It’s not that complicated and it’s not that mystical. I think it might be one of the simplest and most profoundly human things that we experience. Amanda walking the streets with a black eye, thinking only some big sign from God will get her to quit, as if losing everyone and everything wasn’t enough of a sign, was such a tragic way to end an otherwise heartwarming and inspiring episode of television.
Date aired: September 10, 2019
Interventionist: Ken
The Heroin Hub: Chapter 5
Season 20, Episode 5
Location: Kensington area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Official Synopsis: Amanda is torn between her addict boyfriend who’s in jail, and her ex-boyfriend, an EMT who is still in love with her. 31-year-old EJ’s heroin use has escalated since his mother’s unexpected death. While in treatment, Nicole and Janine reveal dramatic updates about where they are in their recoveries. Interventionist Heather Hayes leads an emotional intervention on Amanda.
My thoughts: Another great episode. I totally didn’t recognize Nicole at first, she looks really healthy and happy and her being giddy about her recovery was so moving to me. Such a huge difference from when we met her on the street in the first episode. Amanda’s story got a whole other level of intensity with the addition of Conner and holy cow, that intervention was a tearjerker. EJ’s story is tragic but he seems like a decent guy who respects his family and I have high hopes for him. Bummed we didn’t get to see how Bill and Alana are doing, and also sad that there’s only one more episode left in this fantastic season.
Date aired: September 3, 2019
Interventionist: Heather
The Heroin Hub: Chapter 4
Season 20, Episode 4
Location: Kensington area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Official Synopsis: After Bill’s arrest, Interventionist Michael Gonzales strategizes with his family on ways to intervene once he’s released from jail. Alana’s mother suspects that Alana may have relapsed and kicks her out of her home. Janine is released from jail and must decide if she’s ready to get clean. Bill’s family intervenes on him outside the courthouse the moment he is released from jail.
What’s Memorable: Alana and Bill going to treatment, Janine 60 days clean recognizing that she still needs more help and hoping she’ll make it through the next week, Amanda’s emotions when talking about signing over rights to her son. I am really rooting for all of these people, they’re all worth it.
Date aired: August 27, 2019
Interventionist: Michael
The Heroin Hub: Chapter 3
Season 20, Episode 3
Location: Kensington area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Official Synopsis: Alana is a recovering heroin addict who’s trying to stay sober while maintaining a relationship with her addict boyfriend. Nicole’s fianc ‘s reaction to Nicole getting help throws her whole intervention into question. 28-year-old heroin addict Amanda risks losing custody of her 2-year-old son for good if she can’t get clean. On the eve of Bill’s intervention, his family receives shocking news about Bill.
My Thoughts: This episode really kicked things into high gear didn’t it? Loved the unexpected plot twist that Bill is Alana’s boyfriend. Those two deserve such good things, they’re both really self-aware and caring and you can tell how much they love each other. I so hope it works out for them. Nicole going to treatment on her own was a surprise, I thought for sure she’d hold out for her boyfriend. So happy she went. Amanda’s story looks interesting, but I hope they give us a little more backstory before the intervention. That’s the one thing about these kinds of seasons – they tend to sacrifice the individual histories in favor of community stuff and family dynamics. Which is ok, still a lot to learn, I just want it all.
Date aired: August 20, 2019
The Heroin Hub: Chapter 2
Season 20, Episode 2
Location: Kensington area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Official Synopsis: Interventionist Donna Chavous must re-think Janine’s intervention now that she’s in jail. Interventionist Jim Reidy meets with Nicole’s family and learns how she ended up on the streets. 38-year-old heroin addict Bill finances his addiction by selling clean needles to other addicts. The city of Philadelphia organizes a mass eviction in Kensington to remove addicts from the neighborhood.
My Thoughts: This season is moving pretty slow so far in terms of the addicts, families, and their interventions but I’m okay with it. In fact I appreciate the time they’re spending on the street evictions and even wish there was a little more time devoted to that, maybe some more perspectives from the residents and community leaders about what they think some potential solutions are. It’s a pretty nuanced and balanced discussion they’re presenting here, very documentary like, but I’m guessing there are even more sides to this that could be represented by more voices.
Date aired: August 13, 2019
Interventionist: Donna
The Heroin Hub: Chapter 1
Season 20, Episode 1
Location: Kensington area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Official Synopsis: The interventionists arrive to Philadelphia’s Heroin Hub and meet Nicole, a 39-year-old heroin addict and prostitute, who’s lived in the area for five years. Also featured is Janine, a 22-year-old addict whose father just died from a fatal overdose weeks earlier.
My Thoughts: I feel like they’re definitely trying to go for being a gritty 6-part documentary instead of an episodic reality TV show, and I think the way they produced this episode was quite successful at that. This felt way more like a documentary than any other episode of Intervention, even more so than the Heroin Triangle season. There was much more time spent on the community and the bigger context and a lot less on individual addicts. That might be the case only for this first episode, but even so, if they continue on with the theme as it was presented here, then I imagine the whole season will be about treating the community by treating the individual, and I for one am looking forward to that. It really gets across how much of an epidemic we’re dealing with in America right now, and how hard it is to save people from it when they live in places that are as deeply sick as Kensington is. The individuals they did focus on, especially Nicole who they met on the street (although I leave open the possibility that the meeting was planned and not impromptu), felt more like documentary subjects than they usually do. Of course we’re still gonna go through the emotional process of seeing these addicts and their families struggle and then hopefully get clean with the help of our beloved Interventionists, so that’s good. All in all, a great start to Season 20 and I’m stoked about what they’re doing here. Truly trying to save lives. Much respect to Intervention.
Episode 250: Morgan (Young and Addicted)
Season 19. Episode 8
Megan
Age: 20
Location: Lancaster, Ohio
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: The fact that Morgan became a heroin addict because she didn’t want her boyfriend to lose interest in her. The phone call during the pre-intervention from the little girl crying – and Morgan threatening to take the kid with her to find drugs – was the saddest thing ever. What a waste of potential. It was such a relief to see where she was at 3 months later, but mom should’ve let her stay longer as the doctors suggested and not had her come home because she missed her. That could have gone terribly wrong.
Official Synopsis: Morgan is married, has a one-year-old daughter, and is addicted to the only drug she ever tried – heroin. Without an intervention, the once picture-perfect child may now be in danger of leaving her own child motherless.
Date Aired: May 2019
Interventionist: Ken, looking amazing. So good to see him again, it’s been a while.
Episode 250: Brett (Young and Addicted)
Season 19. Episode 8
Brett
Age: 20
Location: Fairdale, Kentucky
Addiction: Heroin and Meth
What’s Memorable: Well that was one of the more dramatic interventions. Yay for cousin Kayla getting straight in his face and speaking some hard truths to him. And how many times have we seen someone shooting up during the intervention? Not a lot. It seemed to all come down to the family telling him they wouldn’t support him any more, he wouldn’t have a place to live etc., that did the trick on this one. He was so far gone, and put up such a fight, I honestly didn’t think he was gonna go. He didn’t make it long but hopefully it’ll turn out to be the wake up call he needed to get his shit together because Heather was right, this kid was on the fast track to death or jail.
Official Synopsis: 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.
Date Aired: May 2019
Interventionist: Heather (Where have we seen her before? Was it the Heroin Triangle?)
Episode 249: Tom and John (Family of Addicts)
Season 19. Episode 7
Tom and John
Age: 23 and 21
Location: Paterson, New Jersey
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: Wow. That was freaking intense. This was about so much more than the brothers. 6 people went to treatment! It’s definitely one of the most complicated episodes of the show ever, and I would like to that say it’s also one of the best episodes ever because it almost is, but I can’t get over the fact that the producers didn’t step in when cousin Sean shot up his uncle. They knew that he was asking for a rig earlier after a year of shaky sobriety, why did they let him do that without saying anything? I don’t like that, not at all. The camera was right there in the room, did the operator not see that John gave him a bag and rig? Why didn’t they tell Donna what they heard him say so they could try to prevent the inevitable relapse? I mean I’m sure there’s stuff we don’t know here, but it sure seemed like the producers were almost willing Sean to relapse on camera and that makes me really uncomfortable. I feel like there are some instances where the producers of this show have some level of responsibility beyond just documentation, and this is one of those situations. Saying something would have been the right thing to do. It’s possible Sean would have relapsed even if he wasn’t involved in this intervention, but I don’t know, it sure seemed to be what triggered him right back into using. To be honest, Sean’s craving and relapse makes me sadder than anything else I saw on this episode, and there was plenty to be sad about here. All that said, Donna was amazing yet again, there were so many shocking reveals and suspenseful cliffhangers, so many people in pain desperate for help who were visibly relieved to finally get it, and holy crap, Paterson New Jersey needs treatment. I was hoping to hear that at the end they all uprooted and moved to some other place because going back to that city isn’t gonna be good for anyone. Damn, that was one crazy episode.
Official Synopsis: 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.
Date Aired: May 2019
Interventionist: Donna
Episode 248: Mallory (Addicted Moms)
Season 19. Episode 6
Mallory
Age: 33
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Addiction: Heroin, Meth
What’s Memorable: Mallory’s story is pretty heartbreaking, all the trauma she suffered while still doing her best to be a good mom to 6 kids, it’s not shocking that she turned to drugs to escape. But that conversation with her daughters where she tells them that calling out her crappy behavior and telling her how they feel makes her want to use, because she’s been trying SO HARD to be sober, and her daughter saying “that’s not something you say to your children.” She’s right, it’s not, it’s so deeply manipulative, and also such a common thing for addicts to do to the people who love them. It’s taking the care and love that people show and turning it around, giving themselves permission to get high and feel justified about it, and making their loved ones feel like it’s their fault. It’s one of the uglier things that addiction does to cause family members such intense pain and frustration.
Official Synopsis: Escaping an abusive marriage, Mallory turns to drugs to cope with the fallout, becomes withdrawn, and loses interest in her children.
Date Aired: May 2019
Interventionist: Candy
Episode 248: Sandra (Addicted Moms)
Season 19. Episode 6
Sandra
Age: 43
Location: Denver, Colorado
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: What a beautiful family they are! Sandra’s story is so unbelievably common- everything was great until she started taking opioids for pain and eventually moved to heroin when her prescriptions ended. I know there’s controversy around whether the root of the opioid crisis is doctors over-prescribing, but it’s hard to deny that it’s at least a major contributor when these kinds of stories are so prevalent now. What’s memorable – seeing this amazing, gorgeous mother leaving a skeevy motel room in the morning with a ‘better plan’ for scoring today.
Official Synopsis: As a fully committed mom, Sandra was involved in her kids’ school activities as well as after school sports. But in 2015, her abuse of prescription pills after an injury led to an opioid and heroin addiction. Within 2 years, this incredible mom has truly fallen from grace. Her family is desperate to get their loving mother back before it’s too late.
Date Aired: May 2019
Interventionist: Sylvia
Episode 72: Jenny
Season 5, Episode 12
Jenny
Age: 32
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Addiction: Heroin, Meth
(Guest Post by Stefan) What’s Memorable: This episode illustrated the concept of Patriarchal Blessing in the Mormon Church, which was something I was unfamiliar with. It was a breath of fresh air to have such a religious family be as supportive/understanding of an addicted family member as Jenny’s was (it’s something I feel like isn’t so common on this show). Also, her shooting up and nodding off while giving a haircut was disturbing.
Official Synopsis: Jenny, 32, is a talented hairstylist from a close-knit Mormon family. When a diagnosis of endometriosis crushes her dreams of having a family, she turns to prescription drugs. Her addiction quickly escalates to IV heroin and meth use.
Date Aired: September 2008
Interventionist: Candy
Episode 243: Sam & Brad K.
Season 19, Episode 1
Sam & Brad K.
Age: 30 (Sam) and 28 (Brad)
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: 2 Hours! The intervention that started terribly but ended up being really effective, largely because of Jeff’s skill and experience. The fact that they kept their word to visit the sister in the hospital AND they showed up for their 8:00 am trip to the airport to go to treatment – this couple was very sick but not hopeless, they still had so much love & goodness in them, and their desire to be better and live better was really apparent.
Official Synopsis: Sam and Brad’s families have known each other since Sam and Brad were kids. Brad’s sister was Sam’s best friend growing up, and Brad’s father coached Sam’s softball team. Although Sam and Brad always had a crush on each other, it wasn’t until they were adults that they finally connected. But when Brad introduced Sam to heroin and the two quickly got married, their drug-fueled codependency became the basis of their relationship. Sam lost custody of her son from a previous relationship and her career as a dental assistant, and recently contracted Hepatitis C. Brad has had multiple overdoses, lost his career, and his daughter from an earlier marriage. Their families are desperate for Sam and Brad to get clean, but are unable to work together as a united front, leaving Brad and Sam to continue on a downward spiral. Now they fear that rock bottom will mean both of their deaths.
Date Aired: June 2018
Interventionist: Jeff
Season 18 – The Heroin Triangle
Update: One of the addicts in this season, Zachary (Zac) Reeves died of a heroin overdose on April 16, 2020. Here is his obituary.
Official Synopsis: In a collection of affluent suburban communities north of Atlanta called “The Heroin Triangle” the rise of the nation’s opioid crisis, from prescription pills to full-blown heroin epidemic, is documented through city officials, community leaders, and addicts themselves. Tiffany and Billy, a volatile couple living out of their car, receive a sizable tax return that sets them up to score a large of amount of heroin. Their addiction threatens to destroy the family they’re building. As a homeless and gay man, Tracey faces unique challenges as he spends his days hopping busses and hiding out in bathrooms stalls shooting heroin. Zac’s a free-spirit but his musical gifts are undermined by his crippling heroin addiction. Interventionist Heather Hayes enlists the help of her colleague Donna Chavous to further investigate the city’s handling of the epidemic.
Note: Because this season isn’t structured the same at all – episodes follow several different people, there’s no real back story on the addicts, and there won’t necessarily be an intervention each episode – I’m just posting this and y’all can comment on the episodes (there are only 6 episodes anyway) or the season as a whole here. I’m interested to know what you guys think of what they’re doing this season. It’s an interesting departure for sure.
Austin (Intervention Canada)
Season 17, Episode 6
Austin
Age: 21
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Addiction: Heroin, Fentanyl
What’s Memorable: The family did this intervention just in time, right after he started using needles. Once that’s the norm it seems like it’s harder to imagine getting clean and being sick feels a lot worse. The whole running away from the intervention and then him calling up mom a few weeks later and her reading the letters from the planned intervention, I think that might be a first for the show. Good job mom! Jesse’s approach to interventions is really interesting. In the two I’ve seen, he always gets straight to the heart of what the family does NOT want to talk about and basically asks them “what did you to him to make him like this?” In a gentle way, of course, but it’s effective. Both times the family had to address head-on what their role was and what the addicts’ triggers are. Seems like that’s a pretty good way to get the family to a place where they have a deeper understanding of the addict’s behaviors and know better how they’ll be able to help him during recovery.
Official Synopsis: Austin had everything he could have wanted growing up: the love and support of a close-knit family and an invitation to go to a school for gifted teens. But not wanting to be separated from his pals, Austin turned the offer down in favor of the local high school, a decision that led to a life of partying, and ultimately down the rabbit hole of heroin and fentanyl addiction. Now his family can only watch in horror as Austin wastes his considerable gifts on the relentless pursuit of his addiction.
Date Aired: September 2017
Interventionist: Jesse
Episode 193: Olivia
Season 14, Episode 9
Olivia
Age: 20
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Addiction: Heroin, meth
What’s memorable: What a tremendous amount of guilt and shame she carries with her everyday, mostly due it seems to her beloved grandmother facing her own imminent death from cancer head-on while Olivia escapes with drugs and avoids seeing her. I wonder how much that heavy shame started with the multiple instances of sexual abuse she suffered when she was a child, once by a chaplain at her church. She even feels the need to say “I didn’t do anything to lead him on” as if she’s had to convince herself of that. It’s all very sad, and she’s such a sweet and caring person, so full of love that the drugs are stopping her from expressing. It was such a relief to see her sober and doing well in treatment.
Official Synopsis: Olivia’s life was changed forever when she was repeatedly molested by a relative at age 11. Successive traumas into adulthood have led her to mask her emotional pain by injecting a dangerous combination of heroin and meth. Meanwhile, her grandmother is ill with stage 4 cancer–and the family worries they’ll lose both their loved ones.
Original Air Date: July 2015
Interventionist: Candy
Episode 226: Tanisha
Season 17, Episode 2
Tanisha
Age: 39
Location: Los Angeles, California
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: “When I think about myself being a drug addict, I hate myself… The thing I’m most afraid of is that I’m not gonna get clean. Ever. And completely ruin my life and never go back to a normal life.” Those are sentiments I think every addict can relate to. Tanisha came off here as a really sweet, honest person caught up in something she just couldn’t control. Her intervention is one (much like Courtney’s) of very close female family members coming together to say “Enough. We love you but enough.” And Donna was the perfect interventionist for this one. Being a black woman maybe helped her relate and establish trust with the family but she had a really perfect balance of empathy and realness about this particular situation. The more interventions I see her do the more I’m convinced Donna is very good at this.
Official Synopsis: Tanisha was living the dream life as an assistant to rap icon, Snoop Dogg. But when her fiance was brutally killed in front of her, grief-stricken, Tanisha turned to her mother, who introduced her to heroin. Tanisha has become a full-time junkie, and her family is terrified that without help, they will lose her.
Date Aired: August 2017
Interventionist: Donna
Episode 220: Tiffany
Season 16, Episode 4
Tiffany
Age: 32
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Addiction: Heroin
Official Synopsis: Tiffany had the talent to be a successful graphic designer, but severe complications from the birth of her first child led to an addiction to prescribed pain pills. Then post-partum depression after her second and third pregnancies, resulted in an opiate addiction. After her husband took their three kids and filed for divorce, Tiffany became a full time heroin addict. Today, she has a new husband and baby, but her addiction is threatening to end the marriage, and if she doesn’t get help–her life.
Date Aired: Dec 2016
Interventionist: Sylvia
Episode 224: Katie S.
Season 16, Episode 2
Katie S.
Age: 36
Location:
Addiction: Heroin, Meth
Official Synopsis: Katie was a beautiful and successful mortgage broker and drug & alcohol counselor whose pride and joy were her two kids. But a devastating breakup resulting in losing custody, and sent Katie into a downward spiral of heroin and meth addiction. Her face is now ravaged from use, and her veins are so damaged that she resorts to injecting anally, aka booty bumping. Katie supports her habit by webcam stripping and prostitution, and her family fears that if she doesn’t get help, the next step will be an OD.
Date Aired: Nov 2016
Interventionist: Candy
Episode 217: Brittany
Season 15, Episode 17
Brittany
Age: 27
Location: Derby, Kansas
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: Brittany’s relationship with her dad is really moving. The guy seems so damn cool and a really good father, despite his addiction. I had a lot of respect for his willingness to go to treatment to help get his daughter clean. If that’s what he needs to motivate himself, fine, as long as it keeps him clean and keeps Brittany feeling supported.
Update: Brittany Christine Howard died on August 20th, 2016 of an overdose, 2 days after completing treatment. Her family has a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses. And here is Brittany’s obituary
Official Synopsis: Brittany was part of the all-American family. But rape, drugs, and divorce have caused this family unit to crumble. At the center, Brittany’s heroin and meth abuse has created a tornado that has divided the family and now threatens her life..and worse yet, Brittany may not be the only active user in the house.
Date Aired: Aug 2016
Interventionist: Ken
Episode 213: Alicia
Season 15, Episode 13
Alicia
Age: 29
Location: I missed the location. Accents sound like New York City though. Staten Island maybe?
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: The nodding off, the going to work pretending to read papers that were blank, answering the phone with eyes pretty much closed, the family dinner. I’ve seen and experienced this before but it really hit home for me in this episode: addicts understand that they’re affecting their families, they just prefer not to think about it and when they do, it makes them want to be high. Addiction is a sick self-perpetuating cycle. The more addicted you are the more shitty you get, the more shitty you get the more guilty you feel, the more guilty you feel the more drugs you think you need to do. Repeat Repeat. Also Jeff nailed co-dependency with this simple line: “She’s being protected from the negative consequences of her actions.” And that followup, it’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Official Synopsis: With a booming family business that could one day be hers, Alicia’s future looked bright. But reconnecting with her biological father sent Alicia down a path of pain and self-destruction that has led to a full-blown addiction to heroin and Xanax.
Date Aired: July 2016
Interventionist: Jeff
Episode 210: Daniel & Robert
Season 15, Episode 7
Daniel and Robert
Age: 30 and 31
Location: Westfield, Massachusetts
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: Oof. This is a tough one but also hugely satisfying. The ugly situation at their dad’s house, the bedroom Daniel & Renee live in, the heated custody fight between the grandparents in the intervention room, Renee refusing to admit to using drugs but still going to treatment (no surprise that she had to address an eating disorder, she was scary skinny). These three people were all so damn sick, and all of them went to treatment and got healthy. Intervention saves lives.
Legacy Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0mQumAHzLM
Official Synopsis: Brothers Daniel and Robert were on the road to success. Daniel was headed for a career with the NY Yankees and Robert was an aspiring civil engineer. Injury ended a once bright career for Daniel who slid into using pain pills and then heroin to cope. The constant insecurity of living in his younger brother’s shadow lead Robert down the same path. Now the brothers spend their days injecting up to 21 bags of heroin per day–each. It is only a matter of time before this family loses both boys. Jeff Van Vondernen is the Interventionist.
Date Aired: April 2016
Interventionist: Jeff
Episode 209: Karissa
Season 15, Episode 6
Karissa
Age: 28
Location: Central Square, New York
Addiction: Heroin
UPDATE: Karissa Hilts was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Florida on March 8, 2017. By all accounts she was sober at the time. Here is her obituary.
What’s Memorable: Despite her intimidating and manipulative behavior, Karissa is still somehow very likable. It’s not a mystery why she became an addict given her childhood traumas, but it’s clear that if she wasn’t addicted she would be such a cool person to be around. Also: That family diner has such personality, but it was disturbing to me what the non-family employees had to deal with everyday. I mean that’s a borderline abusive working environment, having to be witness to all that and pretend to not be affected. The idea that Karissa thinks she’s a ‘functional junkie’ because she gets up in the morning to go to work shows how deluded she is about what “functional’ means. Leaving work to go lie to the doctor in order to get Suboxone and immediately selling it for 10 bags of heroin and then needing people to stay up watching you all night with an overdose kit at hand because they’re afraid you’ve taken too many benzos with your heroin and you might die – that is not functional. I’m so glad Karissa made it and as of February 2016 is still sober. She deserves such a better life.
Official Synopsis: Karissa was always a talented cook – so much so, that her mother had one day hoped to pass the family diner down to her as a legacy. But Karissa’s life took a drastic turn when a close family friend fed her Oxycodone, and then ultimately made her a drug courier. From there Karissa was lost. Now, years of self-abuse, self-medication, and a severe addiction to heroin have left her volatile and desperate. Her family fears that if she does not heal from her violent past and the childhood she lost, she will never have the future she deserves.
Date Aired: April 2016
Interventionist: Sylvia (who rocked this one)
Episode 207: Anne and Digger
Season 15, Episode 4
Digger & Anne
Age: 34 and 29
Location: Weaverville, California
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: Their toxic relationship and what they show to their children – it’s just very, very ugly. There is so much addiction in and surrounding this family and the impact it’s all had on Blaze is remarkable. She’s a truly incredible, unbelievably perceptive person who knows way too much about how fucked up adults are.
Official Synopsis: Digger and Anne are husband and wife–and both are addicted to heroin. Intervening on addicted couples is incredibly difficult; and Digger and Anne’s situation is complicated further by other addicts in the family. Their three young children are in danger of losing both parents if the couple does not get help soon.
Date Aired: March 2016
Interventionist: Ken
Episode 203: Kayne
Season 14, Episode 14
Kayne
Age: 27
Location: Aberdeen, Ohio
Addiction: Heroin, Xanax
Official Synopsis: After his mother died, Kayne turned to drugs to cope, which eventually cost him his marriage and the custody of his children. This drove him further into his addition and now he spends each day getting high on a deadly combination of heroin and Xanax.
Original Air Date: August 2015
Interventionist: Jeff
Episode 203: Justin
Season 14, Episode 14
Justin
Age: 32
Location: Bryan, Texas
Addiction: Heroin, Methadone
Legacy Update: As of the June 20, 2018 episode (Abbie), Justin has been sober a little over 2 years and looks AMAZING. Here’s the video
Official Synopsis: The black sheep of a successful family, Justin got hooked in prescription opiates after he was run over by a truck. Now he begs, borrows, and steals from family and friends to maintain his methadone and heroin habit.
Original Air Date: August 2015
Interventionist: Candy
Epsidoe 202: Carrie
Season 14, Episode 13
Carrie
Age: 20
Location: Arlington, Washington
Addiction: Heroin
What’s Memorable: The room she squats in, how she started doing drugs because she lost a boxing match.
Official Synopsis: Carrie was a yong boxer with a shot at going pro, but losing an important fight triggered the trauma of being deserted by her father and she turned to drugs to cope. Now Carrie’s boxing career is on hold, she’s living on the streets and hustling for her next fix.
Original Air Date: August 2015
Interventionist: Jeff
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