S16.E04: Sturgill J.

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

A former boxer gets help to fight a heroin addiction that resulted from a dependance on pain pills after several surgeries on a fractured arm.

[OhTara]

Do they really have to give Sturgill a last initial? Is this to differentiate him from all the other Sturgills the show has featured? 

[jacksgirl]

Always glad when the intervention gives the addict a chance, was rooting for Sturgill. Lots of love in the family.  Also hope he does follow thru and go to sober living.  That seems to better chances a lot. Like Sylvia as an interventionist.  She is warmer and fuzzier than most.

[Stiggs]

When the show first started I was like, "Oh no...please don't let this be in West Virginia. They sound like they are from southern West Virginia..." and then yeah, Sissonville. I spied a flying WV on a car at one point - go Mountaineers! Heh. 

Maybe it's because Sturgill's family was like a lot of families I know, but I thought they seemed like nice people, and Sylvia was the perfect interventionist for them. She read them well - honestly, I think Sturgill would have said yes after her hug. I hope Sturgill stays in California. I love my home state, but the opiate/meth problem there is an epidemic, and I think it would be too easy for him to fall back into old habits.  

[Primetimer]

This former star athlete is now lettering in just about every addictive substance. Can he wrestle his demons into submission?

View the full article

[Aw my lahgs]

2 hours ago, PreviouslyTV said:

This former star athlete is now lettering in just about every addictive substance. Can he wrestle his demons into submission?

View the full article

Nystagmus is not a type of blindness. It's a visual impairment. Sure, it can be annoying but it's nothing like blindness. I was born with the condition too (so are plenty of people) and live a pretty normal life, went to college, drive, work etc.. Sure it's hard and annoying at times but for the most part, us adults with the condition manage just fine without special treatment.

[Chaos Theory]

I liked this one because there was no real "inciting incident".  Sometimes life just snowballs and drugs just happen even to the best of us.  It's good for people to see that.  Not all of drug users are class A aholes.  

Plus it's always nice to see Sylvia again.  Me thinks she is becoming one of my favorites.  

[GeminiDancer]

I'm rooting for Sturgill too. He got cute in rehab, not going to lie. He definitely needs to stay away from WV. Realistically, there are no real opportunities there. Those jobs are gone and never coming back. California suits him well. I got the sense that he's super serious about wanting to be a drug counselor. I think he's capable of doing so much good, so I hope he stays on that path.

Sylvia was the perfect interventionist for him, for sure.

[Enero]

Another person here who really liked Sturgill. I too hope that he stays far away from WV. I think he'll have a much better chance of staying clean if he does.  Also, becoming a drug counselor seems right in line with his previous career aspirations. He said he went to college to be a nurse, and desired to become an RN and help people. If he becomes a drug counselor he'll be doing just that.  

I wish him the best of luck.

[candall]

Everyone must be full of holiday cheer--so upbeat!

I was much more okay with Sturgill than with his daft parents.  "Okay, son, go ahead and drive yourself with your suspended license and try not to get caught or hurt nodding off AGAIN behind the wheel.  Kids!  What're ya gonna do?" 

As someone who used to drive through WV 25 times a year, I did not appreciate that!  It's gorgeous there, but even the highways are hilly and twisty, never mind having Sturgill coming toward you, fucked up and on the nod.

(And I'd take one Sour Candy over a hundred sugar sweet Sylvias.)

 

Grinch-fest over, I was pleased and surprised Sturgill J. cleaned up--he seemed very candid in his THs that he really enjoyed his highs.  Newport's a good spot for you, Sturge--park it.

.

Edited December 21, 2016 by candall

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Sturgill's family really loves their pink and coral shirts.

[pasdetrois]

Guess we'll see more of this new paradigm thanks to the current easy accessibility of pain pills: relatively happy people who are prescribed too many opiods for pain and whose bodies just fall into addiction. I feel lucky that my body doesn't crave those chemicals.

I know this isn't really a totally new paradigm - 40 years ago a friend's mother suffered terribly from a car accident and became addicted to her pain medication - but the flood of opiods has increased the chances. The Washington Post does intermittent stories on pain clinics, unscrupulous doctors and such, and I read about the severe situation in WV. One town of 400 people received a half million pills via prescriptions.

What a relief to see a relatively functional family. Sturgill is smart and personable. I think he'll make it.

[Jesse]

What's awful to me is that at the same time, there are people with chronic pain who can't get enough pain relief to function! And then my (upper class, white, suburban) cousin was sent away with a handful of oxys for a fairly minor issue. 

[hnygrl]

4 hours ago, Jesse said:

What's awful to me is that at the same time, there are people with chronic pain who can't get enough pain relief to function! And then my (upper class, white, suburban) cousin was sent away with a handful of oxys for a fairly minor issue. 

Me too Jesse, Me too. Every time I get an ache or a pain. Every freaking time? I get Oxy. Or Vicodin. Every. Single. TIme. I've got so much of the stuff in my medicine cabinet I could sell it and make a small fortune if I were so inclined!  I even once asked for JUST Naproxen instead (works better, faster and won't make me goofy/high) and he gives me Vicodin. Seriously. Somebody needs to do something about the easy accessibility of prescription pain meds.

[GreyBunny]

I'd never be an oxy addict because opioids make me throw up.  It's awful.  I've been in the hospital a couple of times and I was given morphine or dilaudid, even a small dose (I made it clear to the nurses no more than 0.5 mg of dilaudid), or something related and I'd have to get an anti-emetic before each dose or else whatever I ate would come right back up. If my stomach was empty, it was dry heaves that went on forever to the point when I thought I would barf up my stomach and intestines.  When I went home I emphatically refused prescriptions for vicodin or percocet and insisted on non-opioid painkillers.  I just can't take the stuff.

Edited December 23, 2016 by GreyBunny

[Trampolina]

I kept hoping that they would mention that Sturgill was friends with the cast of MTV's Buckwild, which I believe was in Sissonville. Several of them turned out to be into opiates as well.

[pasdetrois]

Quote

kept hoping that they would mention that Sturgill was friends with the cast of MTV's Buckwild, which I believe was in Sissonville. Several of them turned out to be into opiates as well.

I knew I remembered the name but could not figure it out. Didn't the Buckwild cast lose someone to drugs? Or was it a ATV crash?

[Indy]

4 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I knew I remembered the name but could not figure it out. Didn't the Buckwild cast lose someone to drugs? Or was it a ATV crash?

What happened is that one of the boys was out mudding with a few other people and their truck got stuck in the mud. The mud covered the exhaust pipe and they all died of carbon monoxide poisoning. 

I think there also were some drug related arrests to cast members. 

[Trampolina]

The girl with Middle Eastern Heritage was busted for heroin.  Between Buckwild, Intervention, and Teen Mom 2, West Virginia sounds like the pill capital of the US...

[starri]

On ‎12‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 6:51 AM, pasdetrois said:

Guess we'll see more of this new paradigm thanks to the current easy accessibility of pain pills: relatively happy people who are prescribed too many opiods for pain and whose bodies just fall into addiction. I feel lucky that my body doesn't crave those chemicals.

I don't know where you live, but in many states, it's exactly the opposite.  In my state (New York), it's damned near impossible to prescribe controlled substances.  If I wanted to call in a prescription for, say, Percocet, I'm only allowed to give five days' worth at a time, and then I have to provide the pharmacy with a written prescription within 72 hours.  If I'm not calling it in, I can only prescribe electronically, even if it isn't a controlled substance.  Controlled substances require and additional level to it, because when the prescription goes in, I have to wait on a text from the state to enter into the prescribing website to confirm it.  And then I'm required to check a state database to see how many controlled substance prescriptions the patient has had filled in the last little bit.  And then there's backend records keeping, plus on the federal level, the DEA scrutinizes everything.

And on the surface, this all sounds great.  Patients can't doctor-shop and unethical doctors can't sell pills.  Except the actual effect has been to shift addicts from prescription pills to heroin.  The laws I'm describing started to phase in in 2013, and the rate of deaths from overdose has actually increased.

[Aw my lahgs]

16 hours ago, Trampolina said:

The girl with Middle Eastern Heritage was busted for heroin.  Between Buckwild, Intervention, and Teen Mom 2, West Virginia sounds like the pill capital of the US...

They are still light years behind Ohio...

[Stiggs]

I grew up in the Ohio Valley - right across the river from Ohio. The pill/heroin/meth problem there is astounding and a horrible, horrible epidemic. One of the local sheriffs said last year that he would "take the crack epidemic back" in a heartbeat because this one is so much worse. When I was up visiting friends last year, I was STUNNED by the # of people I knew who were trading pills. These are people in their 40s with jobs and kids, and they acted like throwing down some opiates with their beer on a Friday night was just what you do. Was NOT like that when I grew up there in the 80s. Very, very sad. 

My husband is a stage 4 cancer patient, and he NEEDS pain medication every day. Getting his prescription filled is more difficult than getting a freaking passport. I went to pick it up one time and the pharmacy tech literally called me a drug dealer. I had to contact the corporate office to get them to release the prescription (my husband was home from surgery and could not pick it up). And even then, they would only give me a partial refill and said when my husband could get in the car, bring him in and he can get the rest. I have never been so horrified in my life. Getting that classification of drugs prescribed to you now, where I live (south-ish Florida, west coast) is insane. 

I hope Sturgill stays in California. Aside from the drug epidemic in WV, the state has been in an economic downward spiral since the 80s. There's really nothing for him to come back for. I hope he finds his way on the West Coast. 

[IvySpice]

Sturgill was kind of adorable in his mess. Is it me, or is it refreshing to see someone who actually seems to enjoy their drugs? I mean, smoking crack is supposed to be fun (I hear). If it's not, wtf are you destroying your life over?

ITA that Sturgill needs to stay away from WV. He seems to be one of the rare addicts who hasn't had any children to traumatize. He's free and young enough to start over. Go get that RN, Sturgill! A drug counselor with medical _and_ psychological training can do a lot of good.

[crepesuzette]

I found him on facebook. Looks like he lived in sober living in California for awhile, had a son, and now is moving back home.  

[IvySpice]

WTF, Sturgill?! Now is not the time to reproduce.

[Aw my lahgs]

IIRC the baby was born in November, so he was conceived way before his intervention... The mother had been involved with him for a couple of years (why don't hear girls get involved with these addicts?).

[TurtlePower]

On 12/26/2016 at 6:27 AM, Stiggs said:

I grew up in the Ohio Valley - right across the river from Ohio. The pill/heroin/meth problem there is astounding and a horrible, horrible epidemic. One of the local sheriffs said last year that he would "take the crack epidemic back" in a heartbeat because this one is so much worse. When I was up visiting friends last year, I was STUNNED by the # of people I knew who were trading pills. These are people in their 40s with jobs and kids, and they acted like throwing down some opiates with their beer on a Friday night was just what you do. Was NOT like that when I grew up there in the 80s. Very, very sad. 

My husband is a stage 4 cancer patient, and he NEEDS pain medication every day. Getting his prescription filled is more difficult than getting a freaking passport. I went to pick it up one time and the pharmacy tech literally called me a drug dealer. I had to contact the corporate office to get them to release the prescription (my husband was home from surgery and could not pick it up). And even then, they would only give me a partial refill and said when my husband could get in the car, bring him in and he can get the rest. I have never been so horrified in my life. Getting that classification of drugs prescribed to you now, where I live (south-ish Florida, west coast) is insane. 

I hope Sturgill stays in California. Aside from the drug epidemic in WV, the state has been in an economic downward spiral since the 80s. There's really nothing for him to come back for. I hope he finds his way on the West Coast. 

Indeed. I had a hard time after dental surgery getting one filled. I damn near took the gauze out of my mouth and bled on their counter to make them "believe" me.

It's not up to the pharmacists to decide who gets what (a doctor who wrote the script has decided that) and making judgments on people is highly unprofessional. If they suspect anything suspicious, they should contact law enforcement and just DO THEIR FUCKING JOBS.

Edit: This isn't the first time I've had to deal with dickhead pharmacy techs. I fractured my femur several years ago and they wanted to make me "wait" a day for the pain meds. For a femur fracture. Really? REALLY? I'd just gotten out of the hospital. Had to call the doc back and tell him they didn't want to release the medication. 

I get that people abuse this stuff but when I go into the pharmacy after breaking a bone or having had surgery (which is clearly obvious), I'd appreciate not being treated like a criminal by the staff.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Runnergirl

[GeminiDancer]

On 1/3/2017 at 2:33 PM, crepesuzette said:

I found him on facebook. Looks like he lived in sober living in California for awhile, had a son, and now is moving back home.  

Oh, no... This is not going to end well if he goes back. There's simply nothing there.

[starri]

Maybe his son will be enough to keep him sober.  Parenthood can be a good motivator.  Or it could make this an even bigger tragedy.

[ExAddict]

I liked this dude. I think he should become an EMT if he wants to work in the medical field. It's fast paced and never boring.

[Dr.Jim]

It's tiring to hear authors like this one slam people of WV (and others of the Appalachian region) for their "holler" accent. This is rude and insulting. An accent doesn't necessarily indicate intelligence. I know--I am from WV and am a doctor! In the future, let's leave this trivial information out and address the real problem at hand (namely, addiction).