I Saw a Powerful "Intervention" Show

This show was about an alcoholic woman, Marie, 49 years old. When I first saw her and before we knew her age she looked to be around 60 years old. She had been drinking heavily for 10 years and my thoughts were....that's what drinking does to a middle aged woman---makes them look old! She was puffy too and she even said she was puffy because she drank a lot.

This woman had lots of heartaches in her life and she said she drank because she was sad and missed her last husband who had died of alcoholism. He kids were trying to get her to stop. But she had a daughter who said "we were taught to help out family if they're sick, and mom is sick." So she would get the phonecall from Marie asking her to get some vodka and cigarettes and take them over to her house (Marie didn't drive). And she did!

I always like the actual intervention part of the show. They trick the alcoholic into coming somehow and family and friends are waiting, having written something they want to say to the alcoholic. So they went around the room and everyone got to say what they wanted. One daughter was crying, one son said he didn't want to see her anymore if she didn't go away for 90 days to the center to get help. At first I didn't think she would go because Marie always seemed to have an attitude and she said she couldn't stop drinking---she needed it or she'd get the shakes.

But she said she'd go! I have to admit I got emotional because she heard her kids---finally---and she got in the van to go to the airport. She started to cry.

Fast forward 2 months. One of her daughters and the fiance were going to see her. It was the first time they will have seen Marie in 60 days. They knocked on the door of the center and Marie told them to come in. She was coming down the stairs in a nice outfit, nice hairstyle and she was sober. She looked so aware. She looked happy! She had life to her.

She asked her daughter and her fiance to sit down on the couch and tell her what they've been up to. Before when Marie was drinking all the time everything was all about her. Now that she's sober she was more interested in family.

That's what happens when an alcoholic becomes sober. I can speak from experience. The self-centered life goes away and thinking and caring about others becomes the norm.