S08.E08: Seana's Story

[fonfereksglen]

2 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Seana managed to apply for disability handouts as soon as she qualified, ie, got fat enough. She was apparently able to contact/ meet up with/ get addicted with/ get impregnanted by an online Meth Lothario-although this was glossed over by the showrunners. Somewhere along the way she was able to acquire a pet. During the course of the show, she was able to get a (hideous) home perm. She was able to supply herself with a relatively large wardrobe- she never wore the same thing twice during the show. So she has some native wit/ resourcefulness, as long as it's in the service of stuff she wants or wants to do.

It's only when Mom tries to push her that she becomes totally helpless.

The only thing I disagree with would be the reason for SSD.  Fat while ambulatory, no.  Depression, maybe.  It has become a popular diagnosis.  There is so much I would like to say, but...... I saw several red flags.  Would not be surprised if she is the next to join the lawsuit because of increased scrutiny.  SSD is not a guaranteed lifetime benefit.  In the 'papers' you receive upon award, you are supposed to work hard to get better and are subject to reevaluation.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by fonfereksglen

[Anduril]

If she's really a juggalo then she can go to Hell for all I'm concerned.  Trashy band and even more trashy fans.

[CrazyInAlabama]

4 hours ago, Anduril said:

If she's really a juggalo then she can go to Hell for all I'm concerned.  Trashy band and even more trashy fans.

What?   You don't like people who throw their own poop at the stage if the performance isn't up to their standards?    

[Snarkastikate]

Maybe I'm a tad too cynical, but I find myself doubting a lot of the sad backstories.  After all, we're usually hearing only one side and naturally that side is going to try and blame the overeating on someone or something in order to absolve the poundicipant, as in "hey it's not my fault!".   I have no problem with showing us this however, because even if there poundicipant seems scammy/ sketchy like Seana, the fact remains that here's a super morbidly obese person who Dr Now can't help because they just don't want to be helped.  They're really only fooling and hurting themselves.  Total immobility is imminent and the road ahead is not going to be a pretty sight, and not a long road.   So it serves a purpose by proving the fact that only a small percentage of these folks will succeed.  The only one she's really scamming is herself. 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Snarkastikate
Typo etc

[AZChristian]

I get frustrated with the constant "rough childhood" stories, because they are used as an excuse for choosing bad self-behaviors as an adult.

I had a rotten childhood.  Really rotten.  Lots of the same types of abuse these people profess to have experienced.  It sucked.  It shouldn't have happened.  But what effect would stuffing myself to over 600 pounds have on those who harmed me?  

I've chosen the "Living well is the best revenge" payback against my abusers.  They are both dead now, but until the day they died, their only joy seemed to be in trying to tear me down and break me.  

Am I damaged by their behavior?  Yes.  I fight with low self-esteem every day of my life . . . but I fight it by looking in the mirror and saying, "I am proud of me."  And then I look at the quality of the people who DO care for me, and I know that I deserve to continue striving for the best life I can have.

There are LOTS of "us" out there who survived childhood abuse, but we're NOT all 600+ pounds.  CHOOSE to do better, and maybe you'll actually BE better.

[IvySpice]

Quote

When Dr. Now asked her where Derikus was, she said "he abandoned me". DIdnt he leave because the mom stopped paying him? She wants the pity party.

Yeah, "He abandoned me" is one way to put it. Another would be, "He lost his job!"

[Tosia]

16 hours ago, Snarkastikate said:

Maybe I'm a tad too cynical, but I find myself doubting a lot of the sad backstories.  After all, we're usually hearing only one side and naturally that side is going to try and blame the overeating on someone or something in order to absolve the poundicipant, as in "hey it's not my fault!".   I have no problem with showing us this however, because even if there poundicipant seems scammy/ sketchy like Seana, the fact remains that here's a super morbidly obese person who Dr Now can't help because they just don't want to be helped.  They're really only fooling and hurting themselves.  Total immobility is imminent and the road ahead is not going to be a pretty sight, and not a long road.   So it serves a purpose by proving the fact that only a small percentage of these folks will succeed.  The only one she's really scamming is herself. 

I believe them. 

Why else would someone eat themselves into gargantuity? And do so since a very young age? 

There's alot of bad shit out there.  It's been hidden and still is too a large degree. 

#Metoo.

Non disclosure agreements. 

Family secrets. 

Not that abuse gives anyone an excuse for self destructive behaviours. Although our poundicipant's use it as such, I agree. 

The pain has to go somewhere. 

Some people are more fortunate not to get addicted after using. Others are not so lucky.

Some have supportive friends; others have enablers.

Everyone is different.  

And we all know about cheap fast food availability/delivery.

Different strokes.

Emotions overrule logic and intelligence often, i.e., me wanting those Hershey's Easter Eggs or that third Margarita. Or buying another book when I have shelves full of books that I haven't read yet.  Or those cute boots because they're on sale, and I deserve them because......... I just do, dammit.  Get off my case.  I am dealing with anxiety worrying about coronavirus and politics. My hip hurts too. I got issues.

🙂

Edited March 5, 2020 by Tosia

[kassa]

This was certainly unrelentingly grim. Reading here that much of it may have been faked cheered me up, some, though, so thanks!

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Derrickus' "caretaking" job was to stop by 4 times a week when Mom was out of town and make sure Seana a) hadn't moved a meth lab into the house; and b) hadn't died and melted into the flooring.

And when Mom had the chance to move, his services were no longer required.

Edited March 8, 2020 by kassa

[El maestro]

Note to self: No more millennial pounders for me.

 

 

[mmecorday]

I'm watching this again. Seana's father almost killed her by putting a lighted match in the gas tank of the car she was sleeping in. Her mother is trying to kill her with food. I'm still not sure what she cooked for her daughter. It looked kind of like meatloaf covered in bottled barbecue sauce. The extension cord to this girl's brain either had a short in it or was unplugged because there was something very off about her.

[fonfereksglen]

Her Supersized is currently showing.

Her dog is named Jelly.

She wants to be a welder.

 

[Dramakeck]

On 2/27/2020 at 1:45 PM, Barbara Please said:

If you google "Dr. Now's diet plan" it comes up with several links to it. She had no trouble finding the number for the pizza place, but can't goggle a diet plan?

Seana is 'dead inside' Her eyes were empty. Her face, expressionless.  She has no ambition. Tour bus driver? A hell no. It's just the first thing that popped into her head. She didn't seem to have any hobbies or interests besides eating. 

As for her Mom. Yeah, maybe the relationship seemed off there, but if she was to stick around, I don't think it would have made any difference with Seana. Seana is bound and determined to be miserable for her entire life. Therapy only works if you're willing to do the work, and the same goes for diet and exercise. Seana expected the magic miracle of surgery as a way out and it doesn't work that way. 

 

 

 

[JunkFoodTV]

12 hours ago, fonfereksglen said:

Her Supersized is currently showing.

Her dog is named Jelly.

She wants to be a welder.

 

I watched the supersize this morning. I had forgotten how much swearing I did during the original episode. She drove me nuts! Is it possible for her to be that f ing stupid? 😠

My husband is a farmer. Welding is part of the day to day. There is no way she could handle the bending, stretching, and climbing around.

The dog "must be Jelly cuz Jam don't shake"...Rupaul reference. Sorry. 😊

[Honey]

On 2/27/2020 at 10:03 AM, Pondlass1 said:

I felt sad for the wee dog.  

Yeah. When her and her Mom left for Houston, they left the dog sitting on the couch.

[Chilly]

Disclaimer: I'm only halfway through the episode and I haven't read any of this thread yet, so I don't know if this has been said already, but....

 

Seana doesn't need help to lose weight.  Seana is deeply traumatized and emotionally stunted. She likely has many mental health issues, besides just depression and anxiety. She doesn't need help to lose weight, she needs psychological support and maybe even a regular/daily support worker to help her adapt to adult life. 

 

This episode was difficult for me, because she is so obviously in mental distress and nothing is being done to help her with that, just tons of pressure for her lose weight. 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by Chilly
Clarification

[Hannah94]

Did I see the opening/first eating scene correctly? Her friend came over to make her lunch.

• She asked for FOUR burritos and SIX very large hash browns.
• As soon as he left and shut the door, she got on the phone with Pizza Hut and ordered a large stuffed crust pepperoni pizza and cinnamon bites.
• While waiting for that, she put an entire bag of pizza rolls in the microwave and then ate all of it together.

I did the math and that is approximately 14,600 calories in one lunch sitting. That is equal to roughly 10-12 days worth of food. That really chaps my ass because think of all the hungry people in the world that don't get that many calories in an entire month.

[Linlin138]

Somehow, I made it through this episode. Even though every time she opened her gaping maw, all I heard was “Duh duh duhhh”.

Is it just me or does this season hold the record for cringiest people?

[Ralphster]

On 4/3/2020 at 6:07 PM, Chilly said:

This episode was difficult for me, because she is so obviously in mental distress and nothing is being done to help her with that, just tons of pressure for her lose weight. 

Dr. Now does that. He just tries to slap a band-aid onto severe emotional problems. That's why he basically has no success rate; people cannot cure the mental illness that drove them to eat by eating differently. And the therapists he has on staff are mediocre at best. Also, you cannot force people into therapy before they're ready. All that does is make them clam up even more and then eat even more. Dr. Now is terrible at addressing his patients' psychological needs.

Seana clearly is terrified of authority figures and what does he do? He yells at her when she confesses she was afraid to call about the lost diet plan lest she bear his anger. He even said she didn't consider it important enough to keep track of. (The other 3 times were clearly self-sabotage, but we didn't know that was going to happen at this stage of the game.) When you're traveling, shit happens; I thought that was outrageous of him to say, rude, unhelpful, and counter-productive, because she just clammed up entirely around him from then on and refused to be honest about anything. Yet what did he keep on doing? Badgering, raising his voice, haranguing. I really haven't much respect left for Dr. Now; he doesn't truly try to tailor his approach to each patient. He has a one size fits all badgering approach and it backfired awfully with Seana.

[Ralphster]

To clarify, I found Seana distasteful and abhorrent. She evidently never learned how to chew with her mouth closed and it's appalling and trashy. It says a lot about how she was brought up, namely by low-class people. She lumbers through life with her mouth hanging open and this does nothing so much as underscore the blatant stupidity that wafts from her like BO. I went back and watched her episode again and some of the gems that escaped her maw include "I just nonstopped ate" and "[F]ood is my cope." I am firmly in the camp that views Seana as abominably stupid. It's a shame she reproduced; the cycle is likely just going to keep repeating.

Her mother is not particularly bright and is especially strange. She went from smothering Seana with kisses and delightfully singing out, "Time to eat! Your favourites!" to "'Bye, kid, you got this!" Could she be borderline? She seems mentally ill herself and her logic is pathetic as she attempts to reason out the why and how of her behaviour. Also, as someone else pointed out, that parking job was execrable.

It seems like Dr. Now actually promotes codependency with his insistence that the pounders move to Houston with someone. He should be encouraging them to move toward independence, something none of them have truly had by the time they visit him, rather than encouraging them to continue to depend on others. They could hire a care person, or have a friend/relative stay with them, for the time post-surgery when help is needed. It makes no sense to move to Houston in the first place, and it makes equally little sense for all the relatives and friends we've seen to uproot their lives so that the pounder can follow a diet, or not, in Houston. The pounders can follow his diet, or not, long-distance, with weigh-ins and tests done at local doctors' offices. Special visits to Houston can be made in the event Dr. Now needs to examine them in person. It is really stupid to insist that the pounders move to Houston just to lose weight. I'm betting that Dr. Now owns or has a stake in one of the low-income apartments we consistently see the pounders move into - specifically, the one with the brick fireplace that is painted over in white.

[Ralphster]

Caught her episode again (am on bedrest following back surgery) and feel renewed anger at how Seana treats her poor dog like shit. She ignores it, doesn't bother to train or discipline it, and clearly never takes it for a walk as evinced by the puppy pads (on the carpeted section of the room, no less - for fuck's sake, Seana!). The dog seems depressed when it isn't begging for food. Seana can lumber off into her dismal future if she wants to but she should rehome the dog with people who would actually give a shit about it. I shouldn't be surprised; she's had two children but didn't mention them once during the program. She cares very much about her own past woes but doesn't seem to give a fart about the two lives she brought into the world. How touching.

Her mother blocked the handicapped ramp at Dr. Now's office with her god-awful parking job! She should have been ticketed for that. How utterly selfish for her to not correct the parking job. Dr. Now's practise is full of people who rely on walkers and wheelchairs; I wonder how many people she inconvenienced that day with her dumbassery. "Cricket" is empirical evidence that intelligence is a heritable trait.

Edited August 17, 2020 by Ralphster

[The Mighty Peanut]

I just want to say in advance I already know I'm going to hell. Ok? Ok.

For the first and hopefully only time in my life I found myself thinking "maybe she SHOULD try a little meth." It's an appetite suppressant and a mood lifter, and she doesn't have the wherewithal to do the things addicts do to get drugs so it'd be short term.

Otherwise I felt bad and frustrated by her...is she unintelligent or super depressed? The monotone, one word responses..."yessir". "Nosir". No personality at all. The only thing I liked was when dr now sent her home on the one visit where she had lost weight, he sent her with another copy of the diet and exercise plan "just in case you lose it again."

[swankie]

This girl is so mentally bankrupt it's pathetic. 23 with the mind of an 8 year old.  Her go to answer of, "I don't know." was driving me crazy!  It kills kills kills me when they get off of the scale after failing to reach their goal and they say they don't know why they failed!  You failed because you've been chugging ice cream and pastries you idiot!  I just can't with them. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

This entire episode was bizarre.   I wonder if the mother actually lived with Seana, or if that was just staged for the show?   The mother certainly was in a hurry to get on with her own life, wasn't she?    

[mmecorday]

They should have gotten Morgan Freeman to narrate this.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the rerun, and have some new observations.    I think the trailer she lives in is one that is owned by the trailer park, and rented furnished (often a trailer is sold with furniture and curtains included, and you either put it in a trailer park, or it's bought by the trailer park and rented out or resold).    The lack of anything but furniture makes me think it's a rental.    I don't think the mother actually lived with Seana, I bet she always lived in Arizona.   

I feel sad about her backstory, but she has had every chance to get therapy to help herself.  I think mother dumped her for a relationship, and maybe another job after she moved, but I bet she was sick of being around her daughter.   

I feel sorry for the poor abandoned dog.   Does the poor dog ever get outside? 

I think 'losing' the diet repeatedly told the mother that Seana would never change.   I think the mother finding out that Seana wouldn't help herself was the last straw, and she noped out.  She may have supported her financially, but no other way after this failure.   I suspect the caretaker wouldn't move to Houston, and I don't know many people who would move with Seana.   

I wouldn't have moved in his place, and I bet if he truly was a caretaker, that he could find another job in Kansas City.  

In the first hour she's now received three copies of Dr. Now's diet.  

After moving to Houston, paying for a hotel is so expensive, she should have spent some of her time in Kansas shopping for apartments.   That certainly was a nice hotel room.   When she would go for a walk, she left the dog behind, take the poor puppy for a walk, and let the dog get some fresh air.  She was a poor owner for that poor dog. 

Then she not only gains weight, but gets the fourth copy of the diet from Dr. Now.   That pouty face at Dr. Now's when she gains weight and gets another copy of the diet is absurd.   

The caretaker's cooking is horrible, a full skillet of corn and fried potatoes aren't on anyone's diet.  

I hate that so many do what Seana did, "Dr. Now will be so mad at me", he's not their parent, he's their doctor. 

Dr. Now's suggestion of a group living situation for her was a good one, she needs to be somewhere she can afford, and be around other people.  

Edited May 7, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[newyawk]

OMG, this is on right now. I caught it about 30 minutes in. She is hella stupid, LOL!

[CrazyInAlabama]

This is reruning 5 to 7 p.m. today, on TLC, but they split it into Part 1 and Part 2, an hour each.   To fool your VCR.   

The fact that she lost 4 copies of Dr. Now's diet is certainly notable. 

When this originally aired, there was a lot of speculation that the mother didn't live with Seana, but paid her bills, and had already moved away.   I think the mother pushing her to go see Dr. Now was a last ditch effort to help her, but Seana wouldn't do anything to change.  

Edited May 10 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bluesky]

On 2/27/2020 at 3:37 PM, ninjakid said:

Depressing and sad. I don't really like these, or even the full on train wreck ones. I want to see them succeed at some point.

 

Same.  That was horribly sad.  Of course she has no coping skills.  She looks like she has a few undiagnosed disabilities and no one cared  enough to get her the help she needed.  Her mother was terrible.  Move away but get your daughter situated first.