Ep 14. Ashley
- TV-14
- April 12, 2010
- 43 min
-
(5)
Ashley is the fourteenth episode of season seven of the hit reality show Intervention. The show revolves around the stories of real people who are struggling with addiction to drugs, alcohol, and other substances. In each episode, the show's expert interventionist, Jeff Van Vonderen, leads a team of family members and friends who stage a surprise intervention in an effort to convince the addict to seek help.
In this episode, we meet Ashley, a 24-year-old medical student who comes from a loving family in a small town in Michigan. Ashley's family describes her as a determined and intelligent young woman who has always been driven to succeed. She graduated from college with honors and was recently accepted to medical school, where she had hoped to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor.
But behind the facade of success, Ashley has been struggling with addiction to opioids. She began using painkillers recreationally in college, but her habit quickly spiraled out of control. She started stealing prescription drugs from her friends and family, and eventually turned to heroin when her supply of pills ran out.
Ashley's addiction has taken a huge toll on her family. Her parents have spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to get her clean, but nothing seems to work. Her younger sister, who idolizes Ashley, is devastated by her sister's addiction and feels powerless to help.
The episode opens with Ashley's family staging the intervention at her parents' house. Ashley is stunned when she walks in to find her loved ones waiting for her. Jeff Van Vonderen explains to Ashley that she has a serious addiction problem, and that her family wants her to seek help.
At first, Ashley is resistant to the idea of going to rehab. She insists that she can quit using drugs on her own, and that she doesn't need anyone's help. But as she listens to her family's pleas, she begins to break down. She admits that she is afraid of the withdrawal symptoms, and that she is scared to face life without drugs.
Over the course of the episode, we see Ashley struggling to come to terms with her addiction and to make the decision to seek help. Her family members share heartbreaking stories of how her addiction has affected their lives, and Ashley begins to realize just how much pain she has caused.
Eventually, Ashley agrees to go to treatment. She enters a rehab facility in Arizona, where she undergoes a grueling detox process and begins to work with therapists to address the underlying issues that led to her addiction.
The episode ends with Ashley completing her treatment and returning home to Michigan. She reunites with her family, who are overjoyed to see her healthy and sober. Ashley talks about her plans to continue her recovery and to eventually return to medical school.
Overall, Ashley is a powerful and emotional episode of Intervention that highlights the devastating impact of opioid addiction and the difficult choices that addicts and their families must make in order to recover. The episode is a reminder that addiction is a disease that can affect anyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, and that there is always hope for recovery.