Intervention (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Intervention is an American
television
program about the realities facing addicts of many kinds.
Each program follows one or two participants, each of whom has an addiction
or other mentally and/or physically damaging problem and believes that they are being filmed for a documentary
on their problem. Their situations are actually being documented in anticipation of an intervention
by family and/or friends. Each participant has an ultimatum
: go into rehabilitation
immediately, or risk losing contact, income, or other privileges from the loved ones who instigated the intervention. Often, other tactics are used to persuade the addicted person into treatment, which vary depending on the situation; some of these include threats to invoke outstanding arrest warrants, applying for custody of the addict's children, foreclosing on the addict's property, and break-up of marriages or other relationships. The producers usually follow up months later to monitor the addicted person's progress and film it for "follow-up" episodes of the series or for shorter "web updates" available on the show's website.
As of 2011, four addicts profiled on the show later died of complications related to their addiction— Dillon from Season 3 (methamphetamine; committed suicide during a standoff with the police ); Lawrence from Season 4 (alcoholic; bled to death from ruptured esophageal varices
); Bret from Season 6 (alcoholic; diagnosed with Stage IV esophageal cancer
80 days into rehab, died 3 weeks later); and Chris from Season 6 (alcoholic; committed suicide after relapsing). Sandy, a Season 6 addict (alcohol/prescription drug abuse), completed treatment in 2009 and died in 2011.
Occasionally, during the filming of an episode, the plight of another addict in the featured addict's circle becomes apparent, and the show often makes additional plans to help the other addict find treatment as well. These secondary interventions, like the primary ones, have a mixed track record of success and failure. Additionally, the secondary addict sometimes promises to seek treatment in order to get the primary addict to agree to the show's treatment offer, only to back out of their promise once the primary addict heads off for treatment (example: Paul, stepfather of Oxycontin addict Ryan from Season 3, tells Ryan that he intends to seek help for his drinking problem, but later backs out of going to rehab himself, though he does quit drinking on his own).
In situations where the family/friends/other members of the addict's circle have become co-dependents or are otherwise traumatized by the addict's behavior, the interventionist usually recommends that the entire family seek counseling to enable them to move on with their own lives. This has led to some very happy family reunions (Coley, a serious meth addict, got clean while his family went through counseling, and his marriage to wife Francine was saved by the intervention), but has also led to complete dissolution of relationships (Leslie, a suburban housewife alcoholic, went through court-ordered rehab while her family received counseling at the Betty Ford Clinic; after both treatment programs ended, Leslie and her husband finalized their divorce). Some families will promise to attend counseling for their co-dependence in order to convince the addict to agree to the treatment plan, only to break that promise after the addict leaves for the treatment facility (example: Bulimic alcoholic Amber from Season 9 agrees to go to rehab only if her entire family signs a contract to attend the Betty Ford Clinic's family counseling program; though everyone signs the contract in her presence, none of them followed through once she headed off to the treatment center).
Each episode ends with a series of black screens, upon which appear a short narrative discussing the addicts and their progress since the intervention (including a sobriety date, if known), followed by a screen that invites viewers to find out more information on addiction and recovery at the show's official website. The black screens are updated with new information each time the show is re-aired on A&E, and some video updates are made available on the show's website. Occasionally, a black screen update documents an outreach to the addict from fans of the series. The black screen update for drug addicted siblings Brooks and Ian's follow-up episode that re-aired in early 2008 indicated that Brooks had met and married a fan of the show in 2007. At the end of the original episode featuring alcoholic banker and bar brawler Jacob, he stated that he was planning to enroll in college for the upcoming semester; the black screen update for his episode that re-aired in early 2008 indicated that a fan of the series had contacted the producers after the show's airing and offered to pay for Jacob's college education.
An occasional complication arises when the addict becomes suspicious that he/she is being set up for an intervention, having watched the show before, or recognizes one of the featured interventionists on sight upon being brought into the final meeting place.
In conjunction with interventions that involve strong drug addictions where sudden withdrawal can be dangerous, a nurse travels with the addict to the rehab center, providing medical assistance to keep the addict from suffering during the journey. Patients with addictions that could cause serious risk to their health upon cessation of the substance abuse usually spend time in a detox
facility before entering the rehab phase of their recovery.
Two new regulars joined the cast for Season 10:
Occasionally, other therapists have made appearances to offset the workload among the regulars:
Jeff VanVonderen took an extended leave of absence in Season 5 after admitting during the special episode "Intervention: After-Treatment Special" that he relapsed with alcohol, but returned for Season 6 and remains with the series.
Ken Seeley left the series after completing the intervention for Linda in Season 8 to focus on his personal intervention service, Intervention-911.
Season 1
Season 2
Season 4
Season 5
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
), a critic of the show, argues that the program is exploitative and showcases individuals as they self-destruct. He also argues that the confrontation within the intervention is milked to show only the most dramatic moments and that the final results of the intervention and subsequent rehabilitation is glossed-over.
Melanie McFarland, another television critic, also laments that the show does little to educate on successful intervention and instead deceives the subjects of each episode in order to film them at their lowest point.
Best practices indicate that motivational interviewing
is a more effective tool for initiating treatment in resistant clients.
debuted on Slice Network.
and funnyordie.com released the video "Intervention with Kristin Chenoweth", where Chenoweth gave a gay crystal meth
addict a cheerful, Broadway-style singing intervention. More recently, the site released a sketch called "Intervention Intervention," featuring Fred Armisen
playing a character addicted to the television show Intervention.
Toronto
-based television station CFTO-TV
aired a spoof commercial in early 2009 in which local weather personality Dave Devall
would "assist" families in performing a "wintervention", confronting family members ill-dressed for Canadian winters.
On April 16, 2010, a video entitled "Best Cry Ever" was posted on the popular video-sharing site YouTube
, featuring a clip from Season 7 episode "Rocky", which featured former professional boxer Rocky Lockridge
. The clip featured a dramatic scene in which Rocky is seen crying amongst his relatives. The original video, as of October 2011, has attained more than 26,000,000 views and has become an Internet phenomenon. A Saturday Night Live
sketch featured an Intervention parody with guest host Jon Hamm crying in a similar fashion.
The April 28, 2010 episode of the TV series South Park
parodied the show by doing an Intervention-style documentary on character Towlie in the episode Crippled Summer
.
A season 3 episode
of the HBO television show True Blood
contains about Hoyt's mother attempting to intervene in Hoyt's relationship with newborn vampire Jessica. Hoyt's mother turns up at his work with Summer, whom she believes Hoyt should be dating, as well as the local school's guidance counsellor. Hoyt says he has work to do and can't stay. The guidance counselor, acting as the "interventionist", stops Hoyt from leaving, parodying Jeff VanVonderen's traditional intervention opening: "I'm here for these folks who really love you like crazy, and want you to hear them out, and then you can say what you want to say." The characters then begin to read out their letters, which begin with "Dear Hoyt", just as the letters the families normally write as part of the interventions depicted in Intervention.
In the 30 Rock
episode "Queen of Jordan,"
(which subtly parodies several reality TV shows), Jenna tries to get more screen time for herself on Angie's reality show by convincing Pete to stage an intervention for her alcoholism - even though she is not an alcoholic. Pete tries to teach her a lesson by actually arranging for her to be sent to rehab; knowing she won't be featured on camera if she is away from the show, Jenna knocks her designated escort unconscious and escapes back to Angie's party.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
program about the realities facing addicts of many kinds.
Each program follows one or two participants, each of whom has an addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
or other mentally and/or physically damaging problem and believes that they are being filmed for a documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
on their problem. Their situations are actually being documented in anticipation of an intervention
Intervention (counseling)
An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one, or often many, people to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem. The term intervention is most often used when the traumatic event involves addiction to drugs...
by family and/or friends. Each participant has an ultimatum
Ultimatum
An ultimatum is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series of requests...
: go into rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
immediately, or risk losing contact, income, or other privileges from the loved ones who instigated the intervention. Often, other tactics are used to persuade the addicted person into treatment, which vary depending on the situation; some of these include threats to invoke outstanding arrest warrants, applying for custody of the addict's children, foreclosing on the addict's property, and break-up of marriages or other relationships. The producers usually follow up months later to monitor the addicted person's progress and film it for "follow-up" episodes of the series or for shorter "web updates" available on the show's website.
Show description
The addicts featured on the show are offered a chance to undergo a 90-day, all-expenses-paid treatment plan at one of a number of rehabilitation facilities. As in real life, not all interventions depicted in the episodes end well. Several addicts have walked out of the intervention, though almost all who initially balk at the offer eventually accept it. As of 2011, only five addicts — Alissa in Season 1, Marquel in Season 8, Adam in Season 9, John in Season 9, and Larry in Season 11 - have completely refused all offers of treatment. A number of addicts who initially agree to get treatment have left treatment early due to rule violations, behavior problems, or a general desire not to be in attendance any more. Some addicts who leave early go to prison or enter another facility to continue treatment; others never return to complete the rehabilitation process, and the majority of those cases relapse and return to their former addictive habits.As of 2011, four addicts profiled on the show later died of complications related to their addiction— Dillon from Season 3 (methamphetamine; committed suicide during a standoff with the police ); Lawrence from Season 4 (alcoholic; bled to death from ruptured esophageal varices
Esophageal varices
In medicine , esophageal varices are extremely dilated sub-mucosal veins in the lower esophagus...
); Bret from Season 6 (alcoholic; diagnosed with Stage IV esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
80 days into rehab, died 3 weeks later); and Chris from Season 6 (alcoholic; committed suicide after relapsing). Sandy, a Season 6 addict (alcohol/prescription drug abuse), completed treatment in 2009 and died in 2011.
Occasionally, during the filming of an episode, the plight of another addict in the featured addict's circle becomes apparent, and the show often makes additional plans to help the other addict find treatment as well. These secondary interventions, like the primary ones, have a mixed track record of success and failure. Additionally, the secondary addict sometimes promises to seek treatment in order to get the primary addict to agree to the show's treatment offer, only to back out of their promise once the primary addict heads off for treatment (example: Paul, stepfather of Oxycontin addict Ryan from Season 3, tells Ryan that he intends to seek help for his drinking problem, but later backs out of going to rehab himself, though he does quit drinking on his own).
In situations where the family/friends/other members of the addict's circle have become co-dependents or are otherwise traumatized by the addict's behavior, the interventionist usually recommends that the entire family seek counseling to enable them to move on with their own lives. This has led to some very happy family reunions (Coley, a serious meth addict, got clean while his family went through counseling, and his marriage to wife Francine was saved by the intervention), but has also led to complete dissolution of relationships (Leslie, a suburban housewife alcoholic, went through court-ordered rehab while her family received counseling at the Betty Ford Clinic; after both treatment programs ended, Leslie and her husband finalized their divorce). Some families will promise to attend counseling for their co-dependence in order to convince the addict to agree to the treatment plan, only to break that promise after the addict leaves for the treatment facility (example: Bulimic alcoholic Amber from Season 9 agrees to go to rehab only if her entire family signs a contract to attend the Betty Ford Clinic's family counseling program; though everyone signs the contract in her presence, none of them followed through once she headed off to the treatment center).
Each episode ends with a series of black screens, upon which appear a short narrative discussing the addicts and their progress since the intervention (including a sobriety date, if known), followed by a screen that invites viewers to find out more information on addiction and recovery at the show's official website. The black screens are updated with new information each time the show is re-aired on A&E, and some video updates are made available on the show's website. Occasionally, a black screen update documents an outreach to the addict from fans of the series. The black screen update for drug addicted siblings Brooks and Ian's follow-up episode that re-aired in early 2008 indicated that Brooks had met and married a fan of the show in 2007. At the end of the original episode featuring alcoholic banker and bar brawler Jacob, he stated that he was planning to enroll in college for the upcoming semester; the black screen update for his episode that re-aired in early 2008 indicated that a fan of the series had contacted the producers after the show's airing and offered to pay for Jacob's college education.
An occasional complication arises when the addict becomes suspicious that he/she is being set up for an intervention, having watched the show before, or recognizes one of the featured interventionists on sight upon being brought into the final meeting place.
In conjunction with interventions that involve strong drug addictions where sudden withdrawal can be dangerous, a nurse travels with the addict to the rehab center, providing medical assistance to keep the addict from suffering during the journey. Patients with addictions that could cause serious risk to their health upon cessation of the substance abuse usually spend time in a detox
Drug detoxification
Drug detoxification is a collective of interventions directed at controlling acute drug intoxication and drug withdrawal. It refers to a purging from the body of the substances to which a patient is addicted and acutely under the influence...
facility before entering the rehab phase of their recovery.
Interventionists
The "cast" for each episode is primarily the addict and their family members, circle of friends and others. The only regular cast member in each episode is the interventionist, whose job it is to conduct the intervention. The show originally featured three regular specialists:- Ken SeeleyKen SeeleyKen Seeley, born Kenneth R. Seeley on October 25, 1962, is an interventionist and author. He is best known for his appearances on the A&E reality show, Intervention....
: A former meth addict who founded Intervention-911, a service specializing not just in interventions but also in finding appropriate treatment centers for each kind of addict. - Jeff VanVonderenJeff VanVonderenJeff VanVonderen is an author, motivational speaker, former pastor, and interventionist who is best known for his appearances on A&E reality show Intervention...
: A former pastor and former alcoholic who became a full-time interventionist to help families through their moral and social issues involved with addiction. - Candy Finnigan: A former alcoholic who became an interventionist to help families work through their issues and problems; she specializes in counseling female addicts, especially addicted mothers.
Two new regulars joined the cast for Season 10:
- John Southworth: Founder of Southworth Associates, LLC, an Idaho-based intervention/counseling service. He was the interventionist for Jason, a heroin addict, in episode 123, and is one of two new regular interventionists in the tenth season.
- Rod Espudo: An interventionist of over 20 years, and one of two new regular interventionists in the tenth season.
Occasionally, other therapists have made appearances to offset the workload among the regulars:
- Tara Fields, PhD, M.F.T.: Also a licensed marriage and family therapist. In Season 1 she was the interventionist for Vanessa (episode 1), Christine (episode 9) and in Season 2 for Howard (episode 16), Heidi (episode 18) and Gina (episode 25).
- Jenn BermanJenn BermanDr. Jenn Berman is a media psychotherapist, sports psychology consultant, author, speaker, and media figure. She also has a private practice in Beverly Hills, California. Dr. Berman is sometimes appears in media under the name "Dr. Jenn."-References:...
, PsyDDoctor of PsychologyThe Doctor of Psychology degree is a professional doctorate earned through one of two established training models for clinical psychology...
: A Beverly Hills-based psychotherapist who made a single appearance in Episode 22. She was the interventionist for Annie, who had an eating disorderEating disorderEating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
. - Lee FitzGerald: A staff member at Promises Treatment Centers. She was the interventionist for John in episode 122.
Jeff VanVonderen took an extended leave of absence in Season 5 after admitting during the special episode "Intervention: After-Treatment Special" that he relapsed with alcohol, but returned for Season 6 and remains with the series.
Ken Seeley left the series after completing the intervention for Linda in Season 8 to focus on his personal intervention service, Intervention-911.
Celebrity Subjects
Most episodes feature "everyday" people struggling with their addictions, but entertainment professionals have also been featured.Season 1
- Vanessa MarquezVanessa Marquez (actress)Vanessa Marquez is an American actress. She is primarily known for being a recurring character on the first few seasons of ER playing Nurse Wendy Goldman, as well as having a role in the 1988 teacher drama Stand and Deliver...
, a supporting actress on the first three seasons of ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, appeared in episode 2 due to a compulsive shopping disorder. - Travis MeeksTravis MeeksTravis Shane Meeks , is an American musician, and is the lead singer, guitarist and song writer for acoustic rock band Days of the New.-Early life and career:...
, lead singer of the Alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Days of the NewDays of the NewDays of the New is an American alternative rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians...
, appeared in episode 6, focusing on his methamphetamineMethamphetamineMethamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
addiction.
Season 2
- Antwahn Nance, a 6'10" former NBA power forward for the LA Clippers, was featured in episode 8, as he ended up homeless due to his crack cocaineCrack cocaineCrack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
addiction. - Chuckie Negron, the son of Three Dog NightThree Dog NightThree Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
vocalist Chuck NegronChuck NegronCharles "Chuck" Negron is an American singer-songwriter, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night, which he helped to form in 1968.-Biography:...
, was featured in episode 6, as he battled heroin addiction.
Season 4
- Tressa ThompsonTressa ThompsonTressa Thompson is an American shot putter.She is a three-time NCAA shot put champion from the University of Nebraska in the late 1990s. In the early 1990s, Thompson won several high school shot put state titles...
, a women's shot putShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
champion, was featured in episode 7, as her Olympic dreams were crushed by her methamphetamine drug abuse.
Season 5
- Chad Gerlach, a member of the Postal Service Pro Cycling Team featured in episode 1, ended up living on the streets and smoking crack cocaine after his dismissal from the team.
Season 7
- Aaron Brink, aka Dick Delaware, a porn star and once moderately successful mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA) fighter, featured in episode 8, lost both careers due to his methamphetamineMethamphetamineMethamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
addiction. - Rocky LockridgeRocky LockridgeRocky Lockridge , is a former boxer and world champion. As a professional, he is perhaps best known for handing Roger Mayweather his first defeat, in a first-round knockout for the WBA super featherweight championship.-Amateur career:...
, a two-time Super Featherweight boxing champion, was featured in episode 113, due to his homelessness and drug addiction. His appearance on the show, specifically, a scene where he is crying, has become an Internet memeInternet memeThe term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
, known as the "Best Cry Ever".
Season 8
- Linda Li, an actress who played a Taresian woman in the Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
episode "Favorite SonFavorite Son (Star Trek: Voyager)"Favorite Son" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 20th episode of the third season.Harry Kim becomes convinced that he's from the planet Taresia and he wants to return home to his people.-Plot:...
" as well as appearing as an extra in over 200 TV shows and movies, was featured in episode 1, battles an addiction to ActiqActiqActiq by Cephalon, is a solid formulation of fentanyl citrate on a plastic stick that dissolves slowly in the mouth for absorption across the buccal mucosa. Generically Actiq is a form of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate . In the UK, Fentanyl is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971....
(transmucosal Fentanyl lozenge on a stick, a.k.a. "perc-a-pop"). - Robbie Pardlo, formerly of City HighCity HighCity High was an American R&B/hip hop trio, consisting of rappers/singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz. City High is best known for their song, "What Would You Do?", which earned a Grammy nomination.-Career:...
, was featured in episode 4, battling his alcoholismAlcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.
Season 9
- Lorna Dune, a Soul TrainSoul TrainSoul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
dancer who worked her way up to an A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
position at A&M RecordsA&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, was shown in Season 9 battling a crack cocaine addiction.
Addictions
Addictions covered by the show have included:- alcoholismAlcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
- anorexia nervosaAnorexia nervosaAnorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
- bulimia nervosaBulimia nervosaBulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
- compulsive shoppingOniomaniaOniomania is the technical term for the compulsive desire to shop, more commonly referred to as compulsive shopping, shopping addiction, shopaholism, compulsive buying or CB...
- compulsive exercise
- drug addiction, both legal (over-the-counter medication, prescription drugs) and illegal (heroin, meth, crack, cocaine)
- food addiction
- inhalants addiction
- gambling addiction
- plastic surgeryPlastic surgeryPlastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
addiction - rage addictionRageaholicA rageaholic or "anger addict" is a person who gets excited by expressing rage, or a person prone to extreme anger with little or no provocation...
- self-injury
- sexual addictionSexual addictionSexual addiction is a popular model to explain hypersexuality—sexual urges, behaviors, or thoughts that appear extreme in frequency or feel out of one's control...
- video game addiction
- Comorbid health problems that can exacerbate an addiction, such as diabetes
- psychological issues that can exacerbate an addiction, such as bipolar disorderBipolar disorderBipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
and obsessive-compulsive disorderObsessive-compulsive disorderObsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
Criticism
Matthew Gilbert (The Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
), a critic of the show, argues that the program is exploitative and showcases individuals as they self-destruct. He also argues that the confrontation within the intervention is milked to show only the most dramatic moments and that the final results of the intervention and subsequent rehabilitation is glossed-over.
Melanie McFarland, another television critic, also laments that the show does little to educate on successful intervention and instead deceives the subjects of each episode in order to film them at their lowest point.
Best practices indicate that motivational interviewing
Motivational interviewing
Motivational interviewing refers to a counseling approach in part developed by clinical psychologists Professor William R Miller, Ph.D. and Professor Stephen Rollnick, Ph.D. The concept of motivational interviewing evolved from experience in the treatment of problem drinkers, and was first...
is a more effective tool for initiating treatment in resistant clients.
Legal Troubles from Watching
It has been passed as a law in the states of: Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wyoming, that it is illegal to watch this series in the morning, afternoon, evening, late evening. Must only be watched at 11 P.M to 6 A.M.Spinoffs
On September 9th, 2011 Intervention CanadaIntervention Canada
Intervention Canada is a Canadian reality TV series based on the A&E show Intervention, and airs on Slice, Fridays at 8 pm....
debuted on Slice Network.
Parody
On August 27, 2008, Kristin ChenowethKristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
and funnyordie.com released the video "Intervention with Kristin Chenoweth", where Chenoweth gave a gay crystal meth
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
addict a cheerful, Broadway-style singing intervention. More recently, the site released a sketch called "Intervention Intervention," featuring Fred Armisen
Fred Armisen
Fred Armisen is an American actor, comedian and musician best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and portraying off-color foreigners in various comedy films such as EuroTrip, Anchorman and Cop Out...
playing a character addicted to the television show Intervention.
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based television station CFTO-TV
CFTO-TV
CFTO-DT, broadcast on channel 9 and cable 8, is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Currently branded as CTV Toronto, it is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network, and was one of the charter members of the network when it was launched in 1961. It...
aired a spoof commercial in early 2009 in which local weather personality Dave Devall
Dave Devall
David "Dave" Devall is a retired Canadian weather reporter for the television station CFTO-TV in Toronto. He served in this capacity for more than 48 years beginning in 1961, and was recognized as having had the "longest career as a weather forecaster" by Guinness World Records and the World...
would "assist" families in performing a "wintervention", confronting family members ill-dressed for Canadian winters.
On April 16, 2010, a video entitled "Best Cry Ever" was posted on the popular video-sharing site YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, featuring a clip from Season 7 episode "Rocky", which featured former professional boxer Rocky Lockridge
Rocky Lockridge
Rocky Lockridge , is a former boxer and world champion. As a professional, he is perhaps best known for handing Roger Mayweather his first defeat, in a first-round knockout for the WBA super featherweight championship.-Amateur career:...
. The clip featured a dramatic scene in which Rocky is seen crying amongst his relatives. The original video, as of October 2011, has attained more than 26,000,000 views and has become an Internet phenomenon. A Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
sketch featured an Intervention parody with guest host Jon Hamm crying in a similar fashion.
The April 28, 2010 episode of the TV series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
parodied the show by doing an Intervention-style documentary on character Towlie in the episode Crippled Summer
Crippled Summer
"Crippled Summer" is the seventh episode and mid-season finale of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 202nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 28, 2010...
.
A season 3 episode
True Blood (season 3)
The third season of the television series True Blood premiered on June 13, 2010 simultaneously on HBO and HBO Canada. It concluded its run on September 12, 2010 and contained 12 episodes, bringing the series total to 36...
of the HBO television show True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
contains about Hoyt's mother attempting to intervene in Hoyt's relationship with newborn vampire Jessica. Hoyt's mother turns up at his work with Summer, whom she believes Hoyt should be dating, as well as the local school's guidance counsellor. Hoyt says he has work to do and can't stay. The guidance counselor, acting as the "interventionist", stops Hoyt from leaving, parodying Jeff VanVonderen's traditional intervention opening: "I'm here for these folks who really love you like crazy, and want you to hear them out, and then you can say what you want to say." The characters then begin to read out their letters, which begin with "Dear Hoyt", just as the letters the families normally write as part of the interventions depicted in Intervention.
In the 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
episode "Queen of Jordan,"
Queen of Jordan (30 Rock)
"Queen of Jordan" is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 97th overall episode of the series. It was "written" by Tracey Wigfield and directed by Ken Whittingham. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
(which subtly parodies several reality TV shows), Jenna tries to get more screen time for herself on Angie's reality show by convincing Pete to stage an intervention for her alcoholism - even though she is not an alcoholic. Pete tries to teach her a lesson by actually arranging for her to be sent to rehab; knowing she won't be featured on camera if she is away from the show, Jenna knocks her designated escort unconscious and escapes back to Angie's party.