Detox

For lack of a better pun, I've become addicted to the A&E show "Invervention." The show/documentary series follows a basic three part formula.

The first part --- always the most fascinating part of the show --- is when the life of an addict is filmed. The subject is told that the producers are doing a documentary on addiction. The addict then agrees to be trailed by a film crew. They aren't told about the upcoming intervention. All aspects of the person's life are revealed: bad childhoods; good childhoods; father died at and early age; or mom is a drug addict too. Then cameras show the person scoring drugs, shooting drugs, causing havoc in his or her family and family members frustration with the addict. Sometimes the show will feature a person with an eating disorder or a gambling problem, but drugs are the main story line of this show. Part one of the show never gets old because no matter how many times you've seen a house catch on fire, it's always tragically compelling to watch flames consume what once was someone's whole life.

As repetitive and fascinating as the first part of the show is, the second part is a bit of a let down. It's when the family members gather in some motel room and confront their loved one about his addiction and offer him a trip to rehab while a "intervention specialist" helps. The intervention specialist changes from show to show --- sometimes they're full of psychobabble, sometimes they're a bit too Dr. Phil, and sometimes their speach is the sole reason an addict agrees to get help. A pre-intervention meeting is held, the families get their stories straight and each of them decide what they'll withhold from the addict if he doesn't get treatment. Then the addict arrives, is always surprised by the gathering of those closest to him, and usually breaks down after a few minutes. Sometimes they leave, sometimes they fight and won't go to treatment, and sometimes they're so tired of themselves, they agree to treatment immediately with hardly any coaxing at all. The person almost always agree to go to treatment, the question is how quick will they accept help.

I usually turn the show off by the time the third act rolls around. Addict is flown to a treatment center where the understanding staff deals with the addict. The show then catches up with the addict two months later, reports on the sucess of the treatment and then updates the progress of the addict even months later just before the credits roll. The reason I don't watch this part of the show is after watching parts one and two, I usually know what will happen during part three.

Take last night's show, which was a little unusual because the subject was the son of a minor celebrity, Chuck Negron, a member of Three Dog Night, who had a string of AM radio hits in the 70s. Most of the people on the show are nobodies --- regular people who've signed up for a lifetime ride on meth or crack. And "Chuckie", son of the rock star, is no exception from other people who have less famous fathers. He's a hard core herion addict who sticks a needle in his arm up to 20 times a day. He lives in a motel that his parents (now divorced) pay for to keep him from sleeping on the streets. Mom gives him money and even takes him to buy drugs, letting him shoot up in her car while the cameras are rolling. Aging rock star Dad shows up, but by the way he talks and acts, Dad's been an absentee father most of his life. And the consequences of bad parenting are now right before his eyes. Its not shocking when the show reveals that both Mom and Dad are former addicts --- Mom's drug of choice was herion. In fact she used smack while Chuckie was in the womb.

So when Chuckie agrees to go to treatment --- despite the pleas from his family and the mother of his 5 month old son --- there's no way this treatment is going to be effective. The fact is Chuckie likes dope. He's got a 5 month old son he's seen twice, so that tells you that no matter what he says, smack will always take priority with Chuckie. He agrees to go to treatment for two months, shoots up nine days after he leaves treatment and winds up in prison, doing 16 months for stealing a car for drug money.

The reason part three is so predictable is rooted in the founding principle of Alcholics Anonymous--- that the only people who can be helped are the ones who want help. And an addict who hasn't hit absolute bottom can't be helped.

You have to wonder whether 16 months in prison is the bottom for Chuckie. Only he knows.