You leave out an important group of potential viewers… the friends and families of addicts and alcoholics.

It’s easy to become trapped in a cycle of “helping” and “rescueing” an addict/alcoholic, without realizing that all you are doing is enabling them.

Watching the show, and seeing someone who is not “your” loved one, seeing them do many of the same behaviors and putting their friends and family through a living hell to satisfy their selfish addictions… that can be a wakeup call to stop the co-dependent enabling actions that only further the problem. When you realize that what you are doing, even though you think it’s the “right” thing, is not what needs to be done, only then can progress be made.

In a nutshell, the program shows non-addicts that if they call the addict on their behavior, if they stop accepting it and enabling it, then the addict has a clear choice… get clean or chose addiction without the involvement of loved ones.

It can be a life-changing show for the friends and families. And face it, addicts don’t need much of an excuse to crave drugs or to use drugs. Don’t blame the show, blame the addicts. If they want to be clean and sober, it’s hard work… but this show proves it can be done.

I am the father of an addict who as been clean for over 3 yrs and is now working as an addiction counselor. He credits this show for showing him that it is possible to stop. He says that before watching Intervention, he had no idea that people could really stop using. Granted, he would watch when he was stoned, but find him self saying, he stopped, wow, I could do that. As a result, everyone in our family is a fan of the show. I can’t address the issues of triggers, etc., I’ve never been there myself. But, I thank the producers of Intervention that my son is not only clean, but is alive today; the show gave the the hope that he could recover. Is it over-dramatized? Probably, it is televison. But I personally hope it airs forever. If my son’s life is the only one its saved, its worth it. I’m sure there are lots of similar stories.

I’ve been clean now for 3 yrs. and I have to be honest, it is a HUGE trigger to watch someone shooting dope or smoking crack. As a multi-drug user nearly every episode would be difficult to watch.I do see the “shock” value they may try to present to the viewers but I’m sure the story can be presented without the graphic drug use being shown. That’s how I began to use drugs. Observing others.

Addicts have to live in the world. Triggers are specific moments that heighten the addictive characteristics in the brain. Any recovering addict knows how to deal with triggers because they will happen throughout the rest of their lives. I don’t smoke a cigarette (as an ex-smoker) every time I see or smell a cigarette. Staying clean means knowing your trigger and working through it. Of course watching the show would trigger an addict. So would hanging out in a crack house. If you’re recovering, you know how to work through these trying moments.

I’ve been clean now for a lot of years. Pulled myself together, got my life together. I’m now a middle of the road, moderately successful, professional family man.

But I tell you.. I see someone shooting up on the tv, I’ll be damned if I don’t feel a twinge inside my elbow… the worst was an episode of the Bionic Woman remake… they not only showed the shooting up; they even showed the plume of blood and the syringe is drawn back. Anyone who’s been there will tell you about that moment and the hold it has on you.

Showing addicts using is, 99% of the time, a blatant, irresponsible ratings ploy.

“Addict” and “TV Show” don’t belong in the same sentence. I’m not sure the show’s purpose is to educate as much as it is to entertain and that’s pretty grotesque.

“Each year, drug abuse and addiction cost taxpayers nearly $534 billion in preventable health care, law enforcement, crime, and other costs. For NIDA, the key word in this assessment is “preventable.” The best approach to reducing the tremendous toll substance abuse exacts from individuals, families, and communities is to prevent the damage before it occurs.”
– National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse

Prevention is key. The scare tactic sure works for me.