S14.E05: Daniel

[Tara Ariano]

Family members come together to help a woman struggling with painkiller addiction.

 

Personal tragedies, including a parent's death, have led an artistic 27-year-old to abuse a dangerous combination of alcohol and meth. Although his addiction has alienated him from family and friends, they make one last-ditch effort to help.

[Canada]

Isn't the Allisha episode an old one?  I'm only showing the Daniel episode as being new in my TV listings.

[Sarahendipity]

I think they are showing Intervention Canada episodes as the first one, I don't think they have aired in the US before.

[Empress1]

My TiVo cut off the end. Did Daniel stay sober?

I wanted to know more about the mom and stepfather's marriage. Seems like a lot was simmering there. And did anyone get Daniel some therapy after he was molested?

[ShortyMac]

I haven't seen this show in forever! I loved it when it originally aired. I was scrolling through my guide and saw that this was on.

 

I really felt for Daniel. I could tell that he was a sweet guy under all the substance abuse "haze." Being so close to his dad and watching him die must have been horrible. I wish they would have delved into the sexual abuse a little bit more. When did his mom find out? Did he ever get counseling for it?

 

His relationship with Sarrah was soooooooooo toxic. I'm glad that she got sober as well.

 

Daniel did a complete 180 degrees once he got sober. He seemed like a completely different person. I really hope that he can find long-term sobriety.

 

My TiVo cut off the end. Did Daniel stay sober?

I wanted to know more about the mom and stepfather's marriage. Seems like a lot was simmering there. And did anyone get Daniel some therapy after he was molested?

 

No, he didn't. He relapsed after 167 days and stayed for another 90 days of treatment. He has been sober since 4/8/15.

[Chaos Theory]

It looks like the Canada ones come right before the new ones but aren't coming up as "new".

Wasn't sure what to make of Allisha"s mother. Part of me wanted to enter her into the worst mother ever category, another saw that she had mental issues of her own that were undiagnosed at the time.

The Daniel episode was sad as well. Sexual abise and I am not sure he got much love from the step father especially once the twins came.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[Primetimer]

In which the Int-R-Ven-Tron tries to digest a rapper-cartoonist turned methhead alcoholic.

Read the story

[JennB]

I was more interested in John's follow-up than anything in the actual episode.

I wish Candy had said something about Sarrah moving to be with Daniel after treatment, but I guess it might have ruined the mood if she hadn't seemed supportive. My guess is that Sarrah is completely dependent on Daniel, which is why Daniel asked his family to look after her while he was gone. If he cuts her off, she won't stay sober, so everyone's going to act like their relationship is fine.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

I mean...they met on a psych ward. This isn't snark; I just don't think that's a great foundation for a relationship, and the footage we saw would seem to bear that out.

[farmgal4]

I could barely watch this episode; since I've quit drinking, I gag every time I watch someone doing shots/guzzling booze.

[JennB]

I mean...they met on a psych ward. This isn't snark; I just don't think that's a great foundation for a relationship, and the footage we saw would seem to bear that out.

 

Absolutely - not to mention the fact that staying with someone who encouraged your addiction is a horrible idea when you're trying to stay sober. Neither of them is going to benefit from staying together.

[fliptopbox]

I knew a girl who found boyfriends in the psych ward. Not any of those relationships ended well, her latest is in jail for pedophilia. And now she is dating one of his brothers, who physically and psychologically abuses her. I don't get it. I don't know how she can overlook or justify that kind of behavior in someone who is supposed to care.

I also know she is a habitual cheater, but that still doesn't excuse anyone else's behavior.

[mythoughtis]

Alisha's Mom has a borderline mental illness, obviously has been in treatment for it.... and is still unable to acknowledge her worst sins regarding Alisha.  What she feels guilty about is 'discussing our infidelities with the children'.  Not one apology for involving her daughter in prostitution and exotic dancing, and most likely, drugs.  Since Alisha learned about the real drugs from one of the exotic dancers. 

 

Daniel's episode:  His stepfather is obviously a control freak.  Obsessing about a teenager playing with their  younger siblings when the siblings were 11.  Daniel should not have been expected to be his father's sole caregiver at 18.  Also, his Dad's marker said he was born in 1943.  Daniel is 27, so his Dad was 70-ish when he died. 

 

I hope the Mom left Daniels' step-Dad, she had obviously had enough of his behavior towards Daniel - that was why she left the pre-intervention. Usually the show offers treatment for the significant other, but not for Sarah?  Was that because she either had other issues (psych ward), or had the financial resources to get to rehab if she wanted? Zachary (brother-in-law) had more feelings for Daniel (even though conflicted) than the step-Dad did. 

[camom]

I felt differently about Daniel's step dad.  According to him, he was told in no uncertain terms that Daniel's mom was going to raise him and that his help wasn't needed.  And it seems reasonable to me to be concerned when a young child is only playing with children several years older.  I think Daniel did have an affect on the marriage, but only because step dad didn't approve of mom's enabling.

[Empress1]

I felt differently about Daniel's step dad.  According to him, he was told in no uncertain terms that Daniel's mom was going to raise him and that his help wasn't needed.  And it seems reasonable to me to be concerned when a young child is only playing with children several years older.  I think Daniel did have an affect on the marriage, but only because step dad didn't approve of mom's enabling.

I agree. I couldn't get a read on how close the stepdad and Daniel were, but it did seem to me like the stepdad took an interest in being an actively involved presence in Daniel's life, and Mom was like "Your services are not needed, thanks," and Stepdad was resentful. When Mom said the marriage was in trouble, I bought it.

 

Also, we don't know that Daniel was required/expected to be his father's caregiver; it just said he was. He may have wanted to do it - he didn't seem like he resented it when he talked about it. I'm sure it was hard, grueling, emotionally draining work (I was involved in the end of life care of three of my grandparents), but that doesn't mean he didn't want to do it, particularly since he and his father were so close.

[mythoughtis]

I agree that Daniel wanted to take care of his Dad - but I don't agree that it should have been done. He was a 18-20 year old. That responsibility should not have been expected of him, and I think, contributed to his downfall afterwards.

I hold to my opinion that Daniels step-dad is Not a nice guy. I think Mom said what she said about step-dad not being involved because he was not a good step-dad. I wish my Mom had stepped between us and our stepdad - who made our childhood miserable. I am now in my 50s, with adult children, and I am very well aware our childhood didn't have to be the way it was. No one stepped up for us, and I am glad Daniels Mom stood up to stepDad.

Edited April 22, 2015 by mythoughtis

[lovinbob]

Many awful things about this, but I'm rooting for Daniel. That said, drunk people are soooo annoying! Watching Daniel and Sarrah together was painful.

Was there a connection between the older friens the stepfather didn't like, and the molestation? I thought there was, which would make me more sympathetic to the stepdad.

Feels like things are going unsaid in all these episodes. What was the story with the mom and stepdad's marriage? Candy seemed not fond of the mom. She rubbed me the wrong way too. Seemed to thrive on the drama a bit.

[LuciaMia]

What about the one sandwiched between these two episodes, Kristine?  The vodka drinker with all those health problems. They hinted that she might have leukemia, but it was still an unknown by the intervention. Did they ever say if she was diagnosed?

[farmgal4]

What about the one sandwiched between these two episodes, Kristine?  The vodka drinker with all those health problems. They hinted that she might have leukemia, but it was still an unknown by the intervention. Did they ever say if she was diagnosed?

She was diagnosed, and it wasn't leukemia; it was a blood disorder caused from all the alcohol. I don't know if you're aware of the fact that she was on Dr. Phil awhile back and she had started drinking a gallon of hand sanitizer a day to get her buzz. She said she learned to do that while in rehab. Guess that's why the rehab I went to only used liquid soap; there was no hand sanitizer to be found! Anyway, Dr. Phil sent her back to rehab but IMO she's bound and determined to kill herself regardless.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

 

Watching Daniel and Sarrah together was painful.

 

Yeah, especially not recommended for people named Sarah and Dan who are married to each other. Trust me. (hee)

[starri]

Guess that's why the rehab I went to only used liquid soap; there was no hand sanitizer to be found!

Partly, but also because if people are taking Antabuse as a deterrent, if they got desperate and drank it, they would get incredibly sick.

[IvySpice]

Sarrah was seven kinds of messed up. I wanted to smack Daniel through the screen when he was like, "I love this woman, she's got everything I've been looking for..." Buddy, you've never even met her. You've both been drunk the whole time. You don't know anything at all about what kind of human being she is...just that she's blonde and chesty.

Joan's phone call to Sarrah was masterful. I even bought her whole "we love you, honey" routine, which could not possibly be true of this woman who's encouraging her son's alcoholism. I could not have pulled off that kind of acting job on the phone.