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.
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.
Brian had it all. He married his high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children, and became the owner/director of his family's successful funeral home in Oklahoma.
While still a child, Zach's father was incarcerated, and Zach and his sister were adopted by their loving grandparents. When Zach's father was released from jail he moved in with the grandparents, hoping for a fresh start. It didn't take long for his father to fall off the wagon, and
A talented singer-songwriter, Bryceton's addicton to alcohol and spice (synthetic marijuana) is completely out of control. His wife struggles to raise their son while coping with Bryceton's erratic behavior, but she's fighting a losing battle.
A difficult relationship with his parents led Matthew to experiment with drugs. But when a drug test came back positive, he lost custody of his son and went from part-time user to full-blown addict.
At the age of 14, Joshua was badly beaten by his girlfriend's father - two years later he was molested by the leader of his youth group. He turned to heroin to cope with his traumas.
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.
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.
As a teenager, Ryan was on the fast track to professional BMX racing until his mother's suicide attempt sidelined his life. Ryan turned to drugs to deal with the trauma and silence around it. Now, at 23, he lives in his parents basement using and dealing heroin, enabled by his
Thirty-one year-old Amanda has exchanged her dreams of teaching for an alcohol and heroin addiction, while her family erupts in anger over her dad's chronic enabling
Kelly, a 27-year-old mother of three, mixes pills and meth to forget the man behind bars who destroyed her childhood. Can Kelly's family come together to help her face the painful past that consumes her?
56-year-old Terry, a charismatic businessman, spiritual leader and father, was destroying his legacy with his crack addiction and taking his adoring son down with him.
A gregarious man with an intense personality, 32 year-old Sean's alcohol addiction is causing him to blackout and suffer seizures, which have his wife and family on edge.
A beautiful 21-year-old addicted to Norco and meth, Christina has violent outbursts, believes that bugs are crawling under her skin, and has threatened suicide. Can an intervention save Christina before she loses her mind entirely?
To the outside world, Kimberly lives a dream life in an extravagant mansion without a financial care in the world. But the "dream" is really a nightmare because Kimberly is an alcoholic with no limits.
When Skyler was a kid, his mother pushed him to do modeling and TV work, but the tension drove Skyler to drugs. Now he uses the new synthetic drug "bath salts," which cause him to hallucinate. Can an intervention save Skyler's sanity--and his life?
Eddie, an All-American baseball player in college with offers to play in the majors, was pursuing two master's degrees but school pressure and his father's overbearing expectations pushed Eddie to drink and gamble heavily. His addictions have left him divorced, homeless, and in legal trouble due to five DUI charges.
Growing up with parents who demanded hard work, Larry rebelled with a life of crime. Today, he drinks a fifth of brandy a day even though he's a spiritual man whose religion prohibits alcohol. Can an intervention save Larry from being ostracized by his spiritual community?
Shantel uses OxyContin to cope with learning and mood disorders and to find friends in the drug culture. An overprotective mother provides her with money, and now Shantel, who faces potential jail time for a robbery, spends her days feeding her addiction in a motel.
Jeanna conquered generations of addiction until the murder of her four-year-old son sent her spiraling into a $100-a-day meth addiction. An intervention is the only way to help Jeanna start to heal her troubled soul.
Once a football player with a bright future, Darick dropped out of school to get married when his girlfriend got pregnant. Darick loved being a father, but when his marriage ended, Darick learned his daughter was not his biological child, and he was denied all contact with her.
Raised by an absentee alcoholic father, Jimmy joined a gang at 13 and was soon addicted to heroin. The birth of Jimmy's son prompted him to try to get clean, but when things got tough with his new family, he began using again.
Jimbo's addiction to painkillers has already resulted in a devastating injury and a strained relationship with his devoted dad. Unable to stop using he now spends his days snorting drugs and flying into rages that have terrorized his family and community. Can an intervention stop this small-town menace?
After the tragic and shocking loss of her two young children years ago, Maryanne turned to alcohol to cope with the pain. Today Maryanne is the mother of three, but her inability to stay sober has jeopardized the safety of her children. She's lost custody of two and lives in
Tiffany, a former beauty queen, has always wanted the family she never had. Now, after ten years of using crystal meth and looking for love in all the wrong places, Tiffany may lose the one thing she values most, her one-year-old daughter. Her family is terrified that they're going to
very day, Donna, 47, and her son, Josh, 20, cause a storm of drinking, fighting, and chaos in the overcrowded home they share with Donna's sister, mother, and a stable-full of dogs and cats. Raised by alcoholic parents, Donna was exposed to violence and abuse at an early age, and
Adam was once one of top skiers in the United States. As a Marine, he served in 15 countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan on terrorist-related missions. But when he came back home from overseas, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and started drinking. His alcohol abuse is ruining his
Once bright, likable, and athletic, Andrew has become a gaunt, menacing OxyContin addict. As a child, Andrew learned to manipulate his father, Dan, who now admits, "I can't stand up to Andrew. He'll threaten to commit crimes and trash our motel room. I'd rather give him money for a pill
Though he grew up in a close-knit family, Joe has felt lonely and isolated all his life. As a child, he was tormented by neighborhood boys, and his father viewed him as a failure. At age 8, Joe learned "the choking game," in which a person uses his hands to
Greg once owned a thriving business and was a devoted husband and father. But after a back injury left him disabled, he lost his business, started gambling, and became dependent on pain medication. He also became obsessed with Internet sweepstakes scams, and he has bankrupted his family in a relentless
Once an effervescent, beautiful young woman, Jennifer was considered a genius by her teachers and was the pride and joy of her parents. But at age 17, Jennifer was involved in a car accident that caused a brain injury and kidney damage.
Once a gifted singer/songwriter, Rob was part of a successful band. He loved the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but he began a long descent into addiction when he turned to drugs and alcohol to fuel his creativity. When his band fell apart--a casualty of his drug use--he was devastated. He
Raped when she was 14 and feeling abandoned by her family, Sarah turned to drugs, even becoming a stripper to support her drug habit. She's prohibited by the courts from seeing her three-year-old son, and now lives with a man who is more than twice her age and manages a
Although she has a blood clot in her brain that makes drinking dangerous, Kristine is an alcoholic. But she doesn't believe her condition is a reason to quit because she recently learned that she may have leukemia. Now she figures she may as well keep drinking because the leukemia might
A talented cellist and an aspiring music producer, Shane's musical aspirations are now out of reach because he abuses prescription drugs and deals drugs out of his grandmother's house. After injuring his neck in a car accident, he began abusing OxyContin. His father was a drug addict, too, who died
Ashley was raised by a mother who was addicted to methamphetamines and gambling. Ashley flourished when her aunt and uncle became her legal guardians, but she started using heroin when her beloved grandfather died. Now she bounces back and forth between her rigid aunt's house and her permissive mother's house,
A gifted mechanic, Tyler, 26, worked in the family business with his brother, Zach, and his sister, Ashley. Their father built the business to provide his children with a wonderful life. But the family's dreams turned to tragedy when Tyler found both Zach and Ashley dead from drug overdoses. Unable
Jason grew up in a seemingly perfect upper-middle class family in Littleton, Col., but he struggled to gain his father's approval. When Jason failed to make the baseball team his freshman year, Jason and his father were devastated.
Aaron was a mixed martial arts champion, but at the height of his career he started working in adult films. Through the porn scene, Aaron was introduced to crystal meth. His daily habit took over and he lost both his film and fighting careers.
Although she has two loving children and an adoring husband, Danielle is dangerously addicted to Percocet. As a teen, Danielle felt neglected by her alcoholic father and began cutting herself.
Sebastian, 21, and his brother Marcel, 20, were soccer celebrities in their town at a very young age. Cool and rebellious, Sebastian hung out with older teammates and started doing marijuana, cocaine and meth.
Beloved by his five sisters and his teenage son, Nik 35, was the glue that holds his large family together. He was a proud college graduate who became the director of a multi-million-dollar casino chain at a young age. But now Nik is a homeless drug addict.
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.
As a former clean-cut track star, John's life used to revolve around athletics. Now, after a leg injury ended his running career, John spends his time abusing his body with alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy and hallucinogenic drugs.
The chaos and bloodshed that Brad witnessed as a young soldier in Iraq, including the death of a close friend, left him emotionally damaged. He now suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and uses alcohol and marijuana to quell the endless nightmares and flashbacks that haunt him.
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.
She sits in her garage every day, popping painkillers, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and sleeping pills. Sandra's pill use is so bad that her two sons, 17 and 11, have left the house. Her best friend, Julie, moved in with her, and although Julie suffers from multiple sclerosis, she takes care of
After a troubled childhood that sent him to juvenile hall for felony arson, Chad's father introduced him to cycling at age 15. Chad went pro and cycled on the same team as Lance Armstrong. But after getting kicked off the team for "personality conflicts," Chad was crushed and turned to
She was a pre-med student on her way to becoming a surgeon, but the trauma of being molested as a child and her parents' brutal divorce haunted Allison.
A 44-year-old singer and songwriter, Phillip used music to escape the pain of an unstable childhood. He gained fame due to his charisma and musical talents, but Phillip now consumes up to four pints of peppermint schnapps a day.
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
Anthony has been working at the pizzerias owned by his family since he was a kid. A good athlete, colleges offered him baseball scholarships. But at 14, everything changed. His sister died of a heroin overdose and his mother fell into an emotional black hole.
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
Not long ago, Andrea, 31, decided to follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother and become a nurse. It was a field in which she excelled and was revered by colleagues and friends. But all the while, Andrea was hiding a dark secret--a growing crack addiction.
Growing up, Ricky seemed to be on a path to greatness. He was a straight-A student, a star athlete and named one of the three brightest students in school. He joined the Marines, where he served as a police officer.
As a child Caylee was an over-achiever from an affluent family. But despite her myriad successes, her mother, Christy, was never satisfied with her. Christy, herself was sexually-abused as a girl, and has hidden her bulimia from her family for 35 years.
Audrey, 24, was popular and artistic. Now, she is a heroin addict living on the streets. She has been an addict for 5 years and her family feels like the next time they will see her is going to be in a coffin. Her family plans an intervention to save
Michael is not the typical addict. However, Michael is inflicting terror in his family by using rage as a means of getting what he wants. His violent actions have put the family at risk for abuse. Can an intervention show Michael the destruction he is causing?
After relocating to Los Angeles, Troy had a promising future until his recreational crystal methamphetamine usage escalated into a full-blown addiction. While high Troy reports to having had, "hundreds of homosexual encounters."
A young mother, addicted to alcohol and heroin, is in the midst of losing custody of her 5-year-old daughter Sadie, who recently told her "mom, you are a loser." Kristen has now reached the point of no return. Her family has reached out to Intervention as a last hope of
Andrea is a 30-year-old, divorced, single mother addicted to alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. She says that she loves the party lifestyle and that she can't end the cycle of drinking and drugs in which she's immersed herself. Can an intervention can bring her the "peace" she's looking for?
At 33, all John can see is the loss in his life. His mother died when he was 12. This year, he lost his sister, his cousin and his best friend. His only escape from it all is in his addiction to crack and alcohol, an addiction that has already
A high achiever as a young man, Mike developed a life-threatening dependency on speed balling, which involves mixing cocaine and heroin. Only an intervention can save him now that he's lost his marriage, his business, and the custody of his children to drugs.
Betsy went through a devastating time when her marriage fell apart. She began drinking heavily to help the pain. Her family is trying to help her with no results. They finally give her an ultimatum. She either quits drinking or she will lose all of their support and she would
Sylvia had four wonderful kids, a strong marriage, and a successful business. But when family tragedies struck, Sylvia looked for solace in the bottle, and today she is a frail, vulnerable, alcoholic. An intervention is her only hope.
Lauren has known plenty of success in her life. Growing up, she was a cheerleader, a dancer, a swimmer and a great student. After college, she became a high school health and phys-ed teacher, and the students loved her.
Alyson was a White House intern and an award-winning student. She met a boy in college who showed her the world of drugs and she became an addict. Alyson now lives at home with her parents and is a heavy user of morphine and crack. She works hard to alienate
Jerrie's family calls interventionist Jeff Van Vonderen to help their 29-year-old daughter, who is addicted to Vicodin. Jerrie is so addicted that she has been forging physician signatures to get the prescriptions that she thinks she needs.
Alissa's parents and friends try to save her from her gambling addiction. She has lost over $30,000 on 25-cent slots. Her boyfriend has three jobs and makes all of the money, while Alissa gambles it away.
Matt, who comes from an upper-middle class home, is addicted to crack-cocaine and has stolen from his family and friends to support his habit. Desperate, his parents turn to an interventionist to save Matt from himself.
Peter is so addicted to video games that he identifies himself as the characters in the games he plays and refers to other characters as people he hangs out with.
Kelly is an anorexic who weighs 93 pounds and whose young daughter is following in her footsteps, often picking at her food or refusing to eat altogether. Her friends are seeking help not just to save Kelly, but her daughter as well.