Intervention Recap, Episode 19: This is Ryan
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Intervention Recap, Episode 19: This is Ryan

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intervention RyanA&E struck gold back in 2005 when they launched the Emmy-winning Intervention, a docu-style series following alcoholics, drug addicts and those struggling with other disorders from the depths of their addictions through a staged intervention and, if all goes well, off to treatment. Though briefly canceled in 2013, the show was revived just a year later and is now continuing its 15th season. This week’s episode aired as the 19th episode of Season 15 on Sunday, August 21st.

This is Ryan

Canadian-born and raised, 36-year-old Ryan once dreamed of being a rock star. But after more than 20 years of chronic drug abuse, the father of two teenaged girls pawns his guitar for crack money in between disability checks. He has lost the respect of his family, including his codependent mother, his brother, his high school sweetheart and both their daughters.

Standing in the harsh florescent lighting of his rundown kitchen, Ryan sucks crack smoke out of a soda can, wearing what appears to be a kilt, and talks about how much he loves the rush. But does he love it more than he loves his family? We will soon find out.

What It Was Like

Ryan is described as a happy child who was full of life. According to his younger brother, Chad, he and Ryan were true brothers—inseparable. They had a lot of fun together as kids but when Ryan was five, his parents split up and his mom, Debbie, was left to raise him and Chad on her own. After she hired a male teenage babysitter to watch them, what started as an innocent attempt to promote bonding turned into a nightmare.

What Happened

Both Ryan and Chad were sexually molested by the person who was being paid to protect them. Though Chad, who has a strange habit of smiling no matter what heinousness he is talking about, claims to have been able to move past the violation, Ryan seems to remember it in great detail and still blames his mother for allowing it to happen. “I don’t know how to say sorry enough for that,” she says. This may be why, no matter how much Ryan mistreats and disappoints his mom, Debbie continues to aid and abet him in his addiction.

Shortly after the incident, Ryan was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes him to make uncontrollable grunting sounds and experience facial and hand twitches, like excessive blinking. As a result, his peers made fun of him and it was hard for Ryan to make friends. But when he discovered drugs at the age of 13, Ryan found an outlet to escape from his loneliness and connect with people.

After struggling socially for many years, Ryan yearned to fit in and be recognized as someone people wanted to know. So at the age of 17, he began dealing drugs (a source of income he has continued to exploit) and this boosted his confidence level immensely. His friends described him as “chipper” and fun to hang out with. He soon met Carrie and within three years they had two kids, Kira and Summer. But despite becoming a father, Ryan continued to use and deal drugs, often bringing them home. Eventually, Kira and Summer were removed and placed in the custody of Ryan’s mother and Ryan and Carrie separated. 

But things really got complicated for Ryan the night he witnessed his close friend die of a cocaine overdose. Though Ryan saw what was happening, he didn’t call an ambulance out of fear that the cops would show up and bust him for possession. “I watched him die that night,” Ryan says, “and I feel responsible for his death to this day.” Ryan subsequently overdosed 11 times the following year. He even tried to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge; however he was only successful in breaking his leg and cracking his skull. After that, Ryan was given painkillers that he ended up liquefying and injecting.

What It’s Like Now

Ryan uses up to three-and-a-half grams of crack cocaine a day. “Whether it’s a rock, a syringe or a line, I’ll be doing it,” Ryan says. But according to the people in his life, Ryan’s addiction isn’t limited to crack. “[He’ll do] prescription drugs, coke, pot, alcohol—anything that will get him high,” his mom says. In addition to what he scores on the street, Ryan is prescribed nine different medications for pain, depression, ADHD and anxiety, much of which he sells for crack money.

Ryan is now in a vicious cycle of waiting for his disability check, which comes on the 28th of the month, and then finding himself immediately broke because he blows it all on booze and drugs. He then spends the remaining three weeks hustling, stealing and begging for money or the substances that he needs to stay out of withdrawal.

Unfortunately, his mother is his worst enabler. She gives him money, brings him alcohol and food, and even takes him to the doctor. And his father, Randy, isn’t much better. At one point, Ryan calls Randy looking for beer and Dad happily invites son to come on over. They drink together and talk about Ryan getting into treatment. Meanwhile, Ryan loses track of time and ends up being an hour late to family dinner at Debbie’s house with his daughters. The evening ends with Ryan having a temper tantrum and storming out, leaving Debbie in tears. “Ryan has lost so much in his life,” she says, “and the biggest thing is himself.”

Of course, the next day Ryan calls Debbie like nothing ever happened and asks if she has any booze. She says she does and drives over to his house to bring it to him. Kira and Summer are there and Ryan proceeds to get drunk and try to give his daughters sex and dating advice. It’s super awkward and really sad. When they call their mom to come pick them up, Ryan has another tantrum.

The Pre-Intervention

Interventionist Andrew Galloway sits down with Debbie, Chad, Randy, Carrie and Ryan’s friend, Stephen. He addresses the fact that Kira and Summer are not in the room. “As a clinician, it’s my job to protect them,” Galloway says. “It is a possibility that we will include them in the intervention tomorrow but there are going to be things that are going to come up today that I don’t think they need to hear.” Everyone agrees.

The first thing Galloway asks is for the family to try to pinpoint when things changed with Ryan. Debbie brings up the molestation and blames herself for it. She also says Randy blames her. When Galloway confronts Randy, he doesn’t back down. “You screen your babysitters,” Randy says. “He was just thrown in there.” But Galloway says out that no one is to blame. Randy doesn’t agree and goes on to say that he was kept in the dark about the problems that were going on with Ryan.

“Randy doesn’t know because Randy was absent,” Carrie interjects. “It was Debbie that stepped up and raised those boys.” Galloway then turns to Debbie and looks her in the eye and says, “It’s important for you to know that what happened to the boys was not your fault.” He then turns to Randy and adds, “And it’s important for you to realize that she was the one who raised the children for the most part.” Randy says he does realize that and apologizes.

The Intervention

Ryan seems genuinely shocked, but pleasantly so, when he enters the room with his family and friends. Summer, Ryan’s 13-year-old daughter, is there but Kira is not. “Your other daughter is feeling a little overwhelmed,” Galloway tells Ryan, which he seems to understand. He explains to Ryan that everyone has written a letter and asks that he receive it with love.

Carrie is the first one to read. She tells Ryan how hard it is to watch their daughters suffer, seeing their dad the way he is, and pleads with him to get help because if he doesn’t, he is going to die. Chad is next: “Our brotherhood has been poisoned by addiction, which tears me apart inside. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and if you don’t take it, you are out of my life,” he says (still smiling). Randy admits in his letter that he is terrified of losing his son to addiction and Debbie tells Ryan that she loves him but that it’s time for a change. Finally, Galloway reads a heartfelt letter from Kira in absentia, who tells her dad that he is her best friend and asks him to please accept the opportunity that is being presented.

At this point, everyone, including Galloway, is crying. Galloway offers Ryan a spot at Edgewood in Nanaimo, British Columbia, one of the best treatment centers in Canada, but Ryan still seems conflicted. “What about my dog, man?” He grunts. “Do you know how mad he is going to be at me?” People apparently say really weird things in times of stress. Ryan then adds, “Do you know how excited I was to change my life on my own?” Galloway immediately jumps on this line of BS: “How’s that been working for you so far?”

But Ryan still won’t budge. “I love that dog more than anything,” he says. And Galloway challenges him: “More than your daughters?” Summer starts to cry. Ryan tries to storm out of the room but Galloway convinces him to stay and after some further resistance, he finally agrees to go to treatment.

Two Months Later

Ryan describes sobriety as epic and says it’s the best he has felt in 28 years. “I have basically learned that I have a real bad attitude and a short fuse,” he says. Although Ryan’s counselor notes that he has changed a lot since arriving at Edgewood and that he doesn’t get angry and act out anymore. Ryan says he has also learned to love himself: “I am like Ryan version 2.0.” However, when Edgewood offered him two more months of their extended care program, Ryan refused it, insisting he had all the tools he needs to stay clean. Though this is not what the facility recommends, they feel confident that if Ryan follows his aftercare plan, he will be okay.

Ryan returns to his hometown and is greeted by his family. “I know what I have to do,” he says, “and I know that I cannot ever relapse.”

Ryan has been sober since February 21, 2016.

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About Author

Danielle Stewart is a Los Angeles-based writer and recovering comedian. She has written for Showtime, E!, and MTV, as well as print publications such as Us Weekly and Life & Style Magazine. She returned to school and is currently working her way towards a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She loves coffee, Law & Order SVU, and her emotional support dog, Benson.