A&E struck gold back in 2005 when they launched Intervention, a docu-style series following alcoholics and drug addicts (and some struggling with other disorders) from what we hope is their bottom through a staged intervention and, if all goes well, off to treatment. Though briefly canceled in 2013, the show was (thankfully) revived just a year later and has now officially entered its 15th season. The fourth episode aired Sunday, March 27.
This is Digger and Anne
Episode four delivers not one but two heroin addicts, Digger and Anne, who are married to each other, and sadly, the parents of three young children. The show opens with confessionals from each of them, the most powerful one coming from Digger, 34 (not looking a day under 44), who tells us that his children are the most important things in the world to him—then immediately calls himself out on a lie. “Right now I am lying because right now the most important thing in the world to me is getting high.”
While this is heartbreaking to hear (almost as heartbreaking as a grown man named “Digger”), it’s also really hopeful. Addicts are notorious justifiers, many of whom live in denial for years, so when a junkie is able to admit that he is choosing to get high over being a father to his kids, it’s exactly the kind of rigorous honesty needed to begin recovery.
Anne also tells the camera that every time she sees her kids it’s the happiest day of her life and they are what keep her going. But she seems much less aware of the contradiction between that sentiment and her follow-up confession that “every second of every day is based on scoring my drug.” Anne appears to still be stuck in the idea that her love for her kids is unrelated to her addiction. And while this may be true in her heart, in reality, love is an action and Anne’s actions don’t communicate love to her children, no matter how many times she tells them. In fact, as a child of an addict myself, hearing a parent say they love you but not be able to show up for you might be one of the most confusing things to have to work through later in life.
What It Was Like
What is really interesting about this dynamic between Anne and her kids is that we soon learn that Anne’s mom was an alcoholic who abandoned her and her twin sister when they were 11 years old—about the same age as Anne’s oldest daughter, Blaze. Apparently, her mother went to rehab but it “didn’t work out” and she was told that if she couldn’t get sober she should leave her family so as not to “bring them down.” So that is what she did.
At first, this kind of shocked me. Being advised by a rehab to abandon your family is not something I have heard before. But after thinking about it, I am not sure it’s a bad suggestion. It’s what my dad did and though I did carry the weight of having only one parent most of my life, I now think it was better than the alternative. But Anne tells us that because her mom left, she felt that she didn’t love her so it would make sense that in some weird way, Anne feels that sticking around for her kids—even though she is high and can’t be a parent to them—is better than disappearing altogether. But I am not sure that is true.
Digger also has a parent who is an alcoholic and a drug addict. His father, once a man he looked up to, left him with babysitters that sexually abused him. The trauma and shame of these events are clearly something that Digger hasn’t been able to come to terms with, as evidenced by his tearful retelling of that period of his life. In fact, Digger is pretty weepy most of the episode, which seems relatively unusual for a heroin addict. Typically, opiate addicts appear to be numb from any emotion whatsoever (one of the reasons the drug is so appealing to people). So I am not sure if this means the drug is no longer working as well for him or if he actually tried not to use as much when he was shooting the show. Either way, Digger’s emotionality is certainly a contrast to Anne’s zombie-like state.
What Happened
Anne and Digger met and fell in love when they were just 17 and 21 years old, respectively. They got married right away and had their first child when Anne was 18. But they were not a couple of degenerate teenaged parents; Digger and Anne actually had a promising future for a while. Digger was so gifted in math that, after high school, aviation and architectural schools were offering to pay him to attend. But he passed up these opportunities because he wanted to continue to party. So instead, he and Anne opened a clothing store and had two more children. As Anne recalls it, they were the couple that everyone wanted to be. But things changed when their store was robbed and insurance didn’t cover the loss. They were forced out of business and fell on hard times.
And while many will say that shit happens and that isn’t an excuse to turn life’s lemons into heroin lemonade, it is the natural progression for people who already abuse drugs. And that is exactly what happened with Digger and Anne. After an injury, Digger was prescribed painkillers and he promptly became addicted. When the ‘script ran out, they both turned to heroin, a common progression (or regression, depending on how you look at it) from prescription opiates.
It wasn’t soon after that Digger’s mom, Roni, insisted on taking custody of their three kids—and it’s been that way ever since. Though the intention was for Roni to only have temporary guardianship until one or both parents could get clean, it appears to have backfired and become a license for both Digger and Anne to continue their lifestyle of getting high.
What It’s Like Now
Anne tells us that her day doesn’t start off with a cup of coffee: “It starts off with heroin.” And while that might sound intense, judging by the price of a cup of hipster pour-over coffee these days, it almost seems more financially sound. However, according to the show, Digger and Anne spend up to $300 a day on heroin, using a combined amount of 2.5 grams. I am not sure where they are getting the money to do this but somehow they are making it happen (if there is one thing a drug addict is, it’s resourceful).
One kind of odd wrench in Anne and Digger’s chemical romance is that last year, when Digger was incarcerated for driving without a license (of all things), Anne took up with his best friend, Greg, and they are a couple. But even though Anne now lives and sleeps with Greg, the three of them still work as a team in scoring drugs and getting each other high. Greg does the driving, Digger does the buying and Anne does the…well, Anne has boobs.
Anne admits that she loves them both but isn’t sure if either have them have the right intentions for her, whatever that means. But Digger admits that he likes to take care of his wife, which appears to mean buying her drugs and shooting her up, and probably will continue to take care of her “until the day he dies.” At the rate they are all going, that day may not be too far off.
Digger and Anne Visit the Kids
Regardless of their separate love lives, Anne and Digger still go visit the kids together. However, this is not the joyous occasion that both of them have claimed it to be. Before they even enter Roni’s house, they start arguing about Anne cheating on Digger with Greg and then how Digger apparently cheated on Anne 11 years ago (no one knows how to hold a grudge like an addict). All the while, the kids are in the house, able to hear every word they are saying yet still anxiously awaiting some time with their parents.
The fight lasts long enough that Digger and Anne almost don’t see the kids because they have to leave and go get high. But they do finally make an appearance and everyone seems happy to see each other.
Anne and Digger go into the backyard with Blaze, their oldest daughter, who pleads for them to get clean. Anne offers some hopeful news: “You know how Mommy used to do the nod? Mommy hasn’t nodded since November.” I am not sure what is more upsetting, that Anne thinks this is some kind of progress or that her 11-year old daughter knows what nodding is. Either way, Digger is quick to expose Anne’s bullshit, telling her that while she may not have nodded since November on purpose, she has definitely nodded. Anne and Digger begin to argue, Blaze cries and then Greg picks up Anne and they leave. Digger takes off on an electric bicycle.
The Intervention
For whatever reason, it is decided that Digger and Anne will have separate interventions. I am sure there is a good reason for this but I am not well versed enough in co-addicted couples to understand why. Interventionist Ken Seeley meets with Digger’s family and friends first (sans his former BFF Greg, of course) and preps them for the intervention. It is no surprise that they chose Digger to go first; he definitely seems more ready to get clean than Anne does. His constant crying and self-shaming about what a shitty person he is sends the message of a man at his breaking point looking to make a change.
When Digger enters the intervention, he doesn’t seem surprised. He seems like he was expecting something like this to happen and he is happy that it finally is. After allowing his family to say their piece, including his father who announces he will also be going to treatment (courtesy of Intervention), Digger happily accepts the offer to go to rehab.
Next up is Anne, who arrives at her “final interview” with her boyfriend, Greg. Since he is not part of the intervention, the producers ask if he will hang back but Anne insists that he come with her. She seems more taken aback by the situation at hand and takes a seat in the couch, Greg kneeling behind her. As soon as Anne’s loved ones start pouring their hearts out to her and ask her to accept the help that is being offered, Greg appears to mentally check out and stare off into space. I guess he didn’t turn out to be the pillar of support Anne was looking for, though in his defense, I am sure he found the situation rather awkward.
After Anne accepts treatment, the producers interview Greg, who matter-of-factly tells the camera that he wants to get sober too and is going to start right away! Sounds like a great plan, Greg.
76 Days Later
Ken Seeley pays a visit to Anne, who now looks eerily like her twin sister. She appears to be happy and excited to be clean and ready to become a mom to her kids. There is even a very pleasant scene where Anne walks along the beach and reflects. But none of this makes up for the strangeness of this segment. First of all, why is Ken Seeley doing the follow-up visit and not her dad or her sister or any of her kids? And why does Anne look like her sister now? I mean, I get that she is healthier but did sobriety cause her hair to turn brown and all of a sudden not be damaged from years of dying it red like it was before? I don’t know, man; something could be rotten in Palm Beach.
Digger, on the other hand, is visited by Blaze and his mom and the reunion is very joyous. They then video chat with Digger’s dad, who is in treatment at The Ranch in Palm Springs, California and has made the most incredible visual transformation of all. The man looks and sounds amazing. Digger is blown away. They both agree that they don’t want to throw their sobriety away because they know they won’t get this chance again. Digger says that when he moves into Sober Living, he wants to spend time rebuilding his relationship with this dad. Blaze is happy to be “reborn” with her new dad.
Today
After Anne completes treatment, she moves in with her father and stays clean for 55 days until she relapses and eventually moves back in with Greg. Digger’s dad moves into a Sober Living for 30 days but when he moves back to home, he immediately relapses. Digger manages to stay clean for 60 days before relapsing but opts to go back to treatment for another two months and is now clean, living and working in SoCal, since December 19, 2015.
Yay, Digger! Now, with a new life, can we think about a new name?
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