Ep 9. Anthony

Through the fifth season of Intervention's ninth episode, we follow Anthony as his spiraling addiction to crack cocaine begins to push him away from his family and into the dangerous drug scene of San Francisco.

Anthony, a 28-year-old from a loving family in St. Louis, Missouri, began smoking weed at a young age followed by experimenting with cocaine and ecstasy. But it wasn't until he tried crack cocaine that his addiction took hold.

The episode starts with Anthony's parents recounting the fear they felt when their son expressed his desire to move to San Francisco to chase his dreams of becoming a music producer. They knew he had been struggling with addiction, but they were hoping the move would give him a fresh start and help him distance himself from his addiction.

However, it was in San Francisco where things took a turn for the worse. Anthony's addiction became notably worse, and he became increasingly paranoid and aggressive. He lost contact with his family and began sleeping on the streets.

The episode provides insight into the enabler dynamic; a friend of Anthony's whom he met on the streets and who helped him score drugs narrates Anthony's decline. He describes their daily routine of smoking crack together, and how Anthony would have emotional breakdowns and hallucinations, desperately clinging to the belief that he could overcome his addiction.

As Anthony disappears from his family's life, his drug use shoots up to new levels of danger. On one occasion, he gets so high that he attempts to jump from a three-story building, and the police are called to intervene.

At one point, however, he finds himself in a terrifying situation as he and a friend visit a crack den in what is the most harrowing scene of the episode. The den is filled with users, dealers, and violence. In the midst of the chaos, Anthony witnesses a man being stabbed before narrowly escaping the scene himself.

Meanwhile, Anthony's family is desperately seeking help back in St. Louis. They are seeking the help of Intervention professional Jeff VanVonderen, who has been on the show since the first season and is one of the leading interventionists in the country.

VanVonderen enters the scene with a profound sense of empathy and understanding, working with Anthony's family and friends to understand the extent of his drug addiction and the depths of his despair.

Anthony's story is a painful example of the damage addiction can do, not just to the person suffering from it but to the circle of loved ones around them. As the episode ends, the family is still in the process of trying to help Anthony find his way out of addiction, but they hold onto hope that he'll finally decide to get sober.

Overall, this episode of Intervention serves as a warning sign for those facing addiction and for their loved ones. It shows how powerful and destructive addiction can be while also demonstrating the resilience of hope and the importance of the people who love and care for you.