S14.E13: Carrie E.

[Tara Ariano]

A young boxer's descent into drug addiction finds her living on the streets and hustling for her next fix.

[Primetimer]

A young boxer looks to KO her addiction on Intervention.

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[Chaos Theory]

And I thought my room was messy. Loved the boxing coach the best. Not sure I had any empathy for the girl. Much for her coach though.

[yogi2014L]

She did look awfully clean for a homeless person but I guess maybe her mom let her shower.

Hope she stays sober her story was kind of 'meh' to me

 

I was STOKED to see Leslie doing well--- she was a hot mess. Glad the kids are ok. She was one of those people I would wonder about years after I saw her show. I felt so bad for her kids, her ex husband, everyone. 

[Empress1]

I think Leslie had a relapse at one point so it's nice to see her and her kids doing well.

 

I was really moved when Carrie's mom broke down when she saw the abandoned building Carrie had been squatting in. I mean, I absolutely think she was right to kick Carrie out (case in point: when Carrie said "I know I'm not supposed to do drugs in my mom's house, but I'm a drug addict so I'm gonna do drugs"), but that doesn't mean it was easy for her. I thought that breakdown really highlighted that.

 

I'm kind of interested in this "returning stolen merchandise for cash" scam because I can't remember the last time I was handed cash for a refund!

[Sarah D. Bunting]

@Em, me neith, and you wonder if so many places' insistence on store credit is because of scams like that.

[AztecEagle]

I was glad that Carrie eventually got help, even though she didn't seem all that likable. Hopefully she can get into boxing again and make that her career---she's still so young that she very well do it---because it's clear that she needs that kind of discipline and routine in her life.

[grumpypanda]

I hate to say this bit I didn't find Carrie all that interesting or sympathetic. It sucks that her bio dad was a piece of shit but she seemed to having a loving family otherwise. Basically she needs to toughen up because if losing some small time boxing match was enough to send her into a downward spiral, I hate to see what happens when she faces real challenges in life.

I also wonder why she didn't shoot up. It's good that she didn't but it's strange since her boyfriend did.

Anyway, something about this episode just felt off to me. I didn't believe that Carrie really lived in that abandoned building. It's weird because she looked pretty clean and healthy for a homeless heroin addict. Whatever the real story is I hope she continues to stay clean but I don't think that she is really ready to let go of drugs completely.

[Scorpiosunshine]

I was thrilled to see Leslie! Good for her and good for her now-adult children; I'm happy for them all!

One reason Carrie may still look somewhat healthy is that she's not yet shooting up. Once she starts that, her looks will quickly fade. Not that smoking dope won't affect your looks, because of course it will. She's also a relatively short-term addict, so once smoking can't get her high enough, she'll probably start injecting. Hopefully it doesn't come to that and she stays the course this time.

I hate to read about relapses, but many will say that relapses are a part of recovery. Some can stay in recovery and never relapse, while others get caught in a neverending cycle of relapse and recovery; for many others, that one and only relapse is enough to remind them of how much they don't want to go back to that life.

[Empress1]

@Em, me neith, and you wonder if so many places' insistence on store credit is because of scams like that.

Right. I have returned items with cash values in the single digits and gotten store credit. "Y'all can't just give me $8?" "Nah." I've had money refunded to whatever card I used, but I truly can't remember the last time I walked out of a store with cash from a return. The blond guy in last week's episode was running that scam too and I had the same "Huh, that works?" reaction when I saw it then.

[pasdetrois]

Thrilled to see Leslie! I'm so pleased for her kids' sakes that she is sober. They broke my heart during the episode.

[Grasonville]

This episode also did not do much for me - sympathy or otherwise.  She was young enough when stepdad entered the family existence that she had a father figure if she wanted to accept him - and losing ONE match is like a Mom who plays tennis??  I don't think so.  She just wasn't likeable clean or otherwise. 

[farmgal4]

This episode also did not do much for me - sympathy or otherwise.  She was young enough when stepdad entered the family existence that she had a father figure if she wanted to accept him - and losing ONE match is like a Mom who plays tennis??  I don't think so.  She just wasn't likeable clean or otherwise.

I totally agree. That episode was extremely forgettable and IMO should definitely have featured two addicts. Maybe adding another addict would have made it more bearable. And the excuse that she fell apart because she lost a boxing match? Bitch needs to grow the fuck up.

[JosieThePussycat]

Basically she needs to toughen up because if losing some small time boxing match was enough to send her into a downward spiral, I hate to see what happens when she faces real challenges in life.

 

That's the difference between someone with a strong mental constitution and someone who's challenged with less. When it's easy to do, it's easy to think anyone can do it. But that's not how compulsive or addictive brains work.

 

For comparison: After decades of treatment (medicinal and therapeutic) for depression, I finally got the right diagnosis and meds. It is amazing - AMAZING - the difference between what I'm capable of doing now and simply could. not. do. my entire life before that.

 

It's easy to buck up if that's in your personal and psychological makeup. It can be impossible if it's not.

[Chaos Theory]

Some people don't handle setbacks well especially major ones. I am not an addict but the first time I had a major setback it stopped me in my tracks and took me years to recover. Some people can shrug off setbacks some need to learn how to do it in a healthy productive way.

[Canada]

Geez, Carrie had no chance growing up with such a wimp for a mom.  No consequences and making excuses for everything = a kid like Carrie.