Intervention

The first episode I saw I found endearing in a black and white kind of way. I never felt the addicts were in any real danger, probably because it was being stated in such an over the top way that I couldn't relate. The statements like all addicted people will end up dead unless they get treatment. Well yes, we will all die, and there is no treatment for it, sadly. But what does that statement mean? No one has a directory of all addicts. The only ones we notice are the ones that are in desperate need of help, likely. I agree that an addict can die, depending on circumstances and should receive treatment. Most people already do; So no need to treat us all like we are in the middle school gym being lectured on the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Surely a human being in psychological peril is more intricate then a few pat phrases.

I would be very interested if they showed cases of different nature, not just ones where the poor addict is tearfully begging everyones forgiveness when they are told that they don't shine anymore, and are mysteriously ruining the entire economy of the nation by purchasing a relatively cheap substance.

I don't think this show's concept is bad at all. But I want something that is more realistic and less predictable. At least in the fellow reality show "Dog the bounty hunter" where you can tell who the bounty is because they wear black leather and gloves with no fingers even if they are just convicted of traffic violation, you have a charismatic host. No such luck here.

Individual participants of all ages who are addicts are paid to be in what they believe is a show documenting their unique struggle with addiction, which it is. Whey do not know is that it will end in an intervention with friends/family. At the intervention they are offered the chance to attend an upscale in-patient rehab facility in a state other than where they live followed by the option to enter a sober-living facility for further treatment. This show is raw, transparent, gritty, as these people are at rock bottom and desperately in need of help. After all, they are in a position in which they are having to be tricked into an intervention.

I've been watching this show since its inception so it's pretty clear that I'm a fan, but from the scores it would appear that I am in the minority. The show has been on for so long, using the same format ( a.k.a tricks and setup) that it's hard for me to believe at this point that there is anyone who hasn't seen the show to fool anymore. If anyone asked me if I wanted to be in a documentary about addiction I would immediately suspect it was this show. Some episodes are more interesting than others, the deeper into their addiction they are the more interesting it is In my opinion. The episodes consist of interviews with the people who have asked the show for the intervention; family, friends, etc. There's the backstory on the addict and how they grew up, information on their past traumas and contributing factors. These interviews are conducted without the knowledge or consent of the addict. The majority of the episode consists of the film crew following the addict day to day. Obtaining and consuming their drug of choice, stumbling, staggering, fighting, sometimes even overdosing. You see not only how it affects them but also those around them. Their last "interview" is actually the intervention. They show up unaware that they will face a room full of loved ones offering them the opportunity of a lifetime, but that is not always the spirit in which it is received. Sparks generally fly as the participants feel ultimately betrayed. At the intervention they are offered the opportunity to go to an insanely upscale rehab center, followed by sober living free of charge. For those who accept the help the show ends with a 90 day follow-up at their facility. An interview as to how things are going, how they are feeling and what their future plans are.

A show about confronting family members about a problem or addiction.

Some segments look fake, others look overly dramatized and people just look dumb because they lack self-regulation and need a camera to overcome their problems.

I don't get reality TV. I'm not sure why people care for things like these that could be solved independently. Iunno.

What can be learned? It does have a positive element to it like overcoming addiction because your problem affects everyone around you.

Verdict: Do I have an imdb addiction?

Whenever I watch this show, which is one of my favorites besides Forensic Files, 48 Hours and Seinfeld, I wonder how these people are still breathing. The episode I watched last night featured a woman who drank twenty (20) beers per day (8% alcohol by volume) and lived with her parents. She lost six (6) jobs due to drinking on the job! She started drinking at an early age and was even hammered at her wedding - two years into her marriage, her husband got tired of her guzzling beer so he divorced her. Then she started drinking like crazy, like that would solve the problem, and when she had to take drug/alcohol tests for probation, she would start huffing paint since it wouldn't show up on a test. Wow. She even got so hammered one time that she pulled down her pants and took a crap on a stranger's vehicle while people were laughing at her and filming her. Why do parents keep enabling people like this by giving them money? She was admitted to the hospital on more than one occasion and had a BAC of 0.49!! Good Lord. On the way to the hospital, she called her mom a "*itch" and her mom just kept driving...if I said that to my mom, I would have been slapped into the year 2049. I used to drink but stopped after realizing that there's no point - these people think it solves problems but it does the opposite by creating problems.

This show is incredibly exploitative of individuals who are suffering from substance use disorders. This show will only further perpetuate the injustices these people face. We need compassion and evidence-informed approaches to substance use disorders, not this crap.