[ominous music]
MAN: Being in a relationship is difficult enough.
Add to it addiction and you have a perfect recipe
for tornado to come that you're not gonna be able to stop.
There's that old saying, "Misery loves company."
I can't see it being anything other than a nightmare.
The worst hell you have ever had in your entire life.
[ominous music]
Couples in their addiction just tear each other apart.
You were done with that.
We were done with that.
And you brought it back!
The dishonesty--
(Bleep) you.
I'm going.
I'm done.
- The manipulation-- - The fighting--
I got kicked out because of your fault.
And the codependency is deep.
The only thing harder than fighting addiction
is fighting codependency at the same time.
They're playing that dance of death,
and they're killing each other.
The way I met Melly was because I
asked her for a piece of foil.
[laughs]
Ever since that day, me and Tommy are always together.
My son Tommy and his girlfriend Melly
are addicted to fentanyl.
I've been using since I was 14.
When I smoked fentanyl, it makes all the pain go away.
I hate being at this house.
TOMMY: You think I wanna be here?
Tommy and Melly, they just have
that drug bringing them down.
You don't know how to stop.
That's why.
I didn't even start (Bleep), dude.
Calm down.
Who the (Bleep) are you to (Bleep) say that?
Just send me to a (Bleep) jail, bro.
[tense music]
VICKI LUCAS: At the rate Tommy and Melly are going--
--their story is gonna end like most.
VICKI LUCAS: They'll either go to jail--
You got caught, dumbass.
--be institutionalized--
TOMMY: It's my fault, though, right?
It is because you don't care.
--or dead.
[rousing music]
We got you.
This is your opportunity.
Go, Melly!
It's not too late.
[audio logo]
My name is Tommy.
And my name is Melly.
And we are both 19, and--
BOTH: We both live in Phoenix, Arizona.
And you were the only one that was able to make me happy.
Me and Melly have been dating for about a year and a half.
It's pretty awesome.
MELLY: I love him.
He is the sweetest and the nicest dude I have ever met.
[make-up clattering]
We are currently addicted to fentanyl and meth.
We live at my Uncle Rob and my Aunt B's house right now.
Like everybody at the house, they don't like doing anything.
They like to just chill, you know?
They're always in their own world on their phones, right?
Babe.
Hmm?
MELLY: Oh, never mind.
TOMMY: I'm listening.
Another reason why I don't go to my mom's--
wake up.
TOMMY: I am.
TOMMY: Oh, my god.
What's going on?
OK, aren't you going to ask me--
stop (Bleep) with my head.
No.
You don't listen to me, I'm so I'm not gonna listen to you.
TOMMY: Stop.
Tommy's relationship with Melly,
[sighs] I feel like they could do so much
better and would be better.
But they just have that drug right there, like,
bringing them down.
So it's-- it's tough.
[chatter]
DEANNA: Honestly, if they were clean,
I don't know if Tommy and Melly would still be together.
I don't know if he would choose to be with her
or she would choose to be with him.
It could go both ways that they wouldn't be together.
[soft music]
TOMMY: If I ever won the lottery, you know what I'd do?
MELLY: What?
I wanna invest in that one business
I was telling you about.
The way I met Melly was because I
asked her for a piece of foil.
[laughs]
He had pills but didn't have no foil,
didn't have no lighter or a straw.
TOMMY: Like, I seen her, and I was like, damn, I want it.
I got it.
[chuckles]
MELLY: I was in an abusive relationship,
and Tommy was able to get me away.
He was the only one that made me felt safe.
TOMMY: I wanna do tattoos.
MELLY: Oh, yeah, tattoos.
Yeah.
Ever since that day, me and Tommy are always together.
TOMMY: I love her a lot.
She's the best person I ever met.
[tense music]
TOMMY: Do you just want to get high?
I just got this much right now.
MELLY: OK.
TOMMY: I only got three, yeah.
[tense music]
Me and Melly go through about at least 100 Percocets a day.
They're called the blues nowadays,
and they are cut with fentanyl and really addicting.
[ominous music]
It makes me feel really relaxed.
And it makes all the pain go away.
It makes my mind clear.
Yeah.
The Percs helps me to not feel as much hurting.
We don't argue when we have fentanyl pills.
But when we have no money, we don't have nothing
to trade or anything, it is kind of
rough because we do bump heads.
[ominous music]
Meth, I have been using since I was about 14.
I like it because I like to be up.
TOMMY: Fentanyl, it just makes me super tired and, like,
just relaxed.
So I have to use Meth to get up and get energy and move around.
DEANNA: Tommy and Melly will boost for money.
That's their big thing.
They've been trespassed from stores.
And I worry about him because I don't want him to get hurt.
We just went in and out to get what we're getting.
But we got candy because that's what our people want.
Tommy's lifestyle that he's living now is very dangerous.
I got nervous because that one guy with the long hair,
he kept staring.
You know how I kept telling you to hurry, hurry.
In the last year, he's probably
been in and out of jail maybe four times for stealing.
[tense music]
The drugs, physically, are changing Tommy and Melly.
My son went from 180 pounds down to 110.
He's passed out in the heat because he's so skinny,
and he won't eat.
He always worried about his appearance,
and now he cares less about it.
LEESLIE: Melanie has lost a lot of weight.
Her face has a lot of, like, marks on it.
She still looks very dead.
[ominous music]
I hate to see them like this.
But they're both on the same fentanyl drugs.
So they'd stick together because they know
they can get high together.
They can steal together.
They could do anything together.
I really feel like the only option is, like, dying.
And I don't like saying that.
It sucks to say this, but sometimes I
got to get high in order for me not to feel anything.
TOMMY: I want my life to be better than it is now.
And I just want my life to go good for me and Melly.
[tense music]
DEANNA: Today I came to pick up my son Thomas.
I've been wanting him to go back to school,
and we're going to go to the DMV to get his ID.
MELLY: Yeah.
I forgot.
DEANNA: It's Mommy. TOMMY: Yeah.
MELLY: Give it to me. - Boy.
TOMMY: Oh, what's up?
Hurry up.
TOMMY: All right.
[knocking] MELLY: Two seconds.
TOMMY: Yes? MELLY: I got it.
It's Mom. Come on.
I know. Hold on.
Tommy's pulling his usual take 30 minutes to come outside
and smoke and get high.
Like I don't have things to do, and we
don't have somewhere to be.
[knocking]
Are you ready? - Yeah.
I'm gonna go get on the truck. TOMMY: OK.
Don't make me come back in, please.
All right. That's good.
That's-- that's-- that's good. MELLY: Here, babe.
All right, babe.
I'll be back.
[somber music]
What's up, Mom?
What's up, baby?
Are you ready to do this?
DEANNA: OK.
DEANNA: You finally don't have Melly next to you.
God, tell me about it.
What's nice, we get to take this car drive like we used to.
You were always my riding buddy.
Oh, my god.
[deanna laughs]
DEANNA: My son Tommy was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
I was young.
And by the time I was 18, I had all three of my kids.
LILY: He was really funny all the time.
He always wanted to be around you.
DEANNA: Tommy was a mama's boy growing up.
He still is.
He would prefer being around me than his dad.
They kind of bump heads a little bit.
I would always talk to my mom about everything.
And me and her, we were very close.
DEANNA: In school, Tommy was pretty good.
He didn't get in trouble.
He was never a bully.
He used to get along with everybody.
ANGELITA: And then something changed.
[tense music]
Growing up, it was a good time.
But there was arguing.
You know, our family was a little bit crazy.
THOMAS SR.: I used to drink about 12 pack a day.
I think, really, it was the stress, trying to pay rent,
trying to pay car payment.
I think I would use that as a weakness
and drink to drink away my problems, you know?
ANGELITA: All of a sudden, he's fighting kids.
He's arguing with the teachers.
Like, that wasn't Tommy.
DEANNA: He started to hang around with some rowdy kids.
He started to come home very angry and moody all the time.
He would argue with his sisters.
He would be a smart mouth toward me.
His dad kinda started to get on him.
The principal called my husband at work.
Tommy was ditching.
So when he went home, he did get the belt from my husband, which
left marks on him on his back.
At that time, it really made me,
like, hurt and, like, sad and, like, scared of him.
As a kid, I was abused a lot.
So I didn't want to do that to my own kids.
That was the first time I ever whooped him.
After the fact, I felt really bad.
And I was going crazy in my head because I love him.
When he got the marks, he showed the principal,
and he's like, hey, don't call my dad
because he's gonna whoop me.
TOMMY: DCS got involved.
And at first, they were gonna put me in a group home.
But then I got that last chance, and I
had to call my Uncle Gilbert.
[tense music]
ANGELITA: I feel like it was a good thing that my brother went
to stay with my Tio Gilbert.
Everybody was already close with him,
but Tommy was one of the closest ones.
TOMMY: When I lived with my Uncle Gilbert,
I started doing good in school.
Like, I had a report card that had all As.
It was awesome living with him for that year.
Like, our bond, it was like super tight.
After my Tio passed, my brother wouldn't
really talk too much about it.
He would just burst out sometimes and cry,
and then he would take off from the house.
I was depressed.
Like, I was hurt.
ANGELITA: It changed him.
I feel like he wanted to get away from that hurt
and to kind of numb it.
DEANNA: My son wasn't really big on drugs.
I mean, I knew he smoked marijuana occasionally.
But he took it upon himself to hang out with some friends,
and those friends did the fentanyl.
And so he kind of just joined in.
After Gilbert's death, it took me about three
to four weeks to try fentanyl.
It scared the life out of me.
Then it just got worse.
He would steal jewelry.
He was trading his clothes, he was
trading his shoes for fentanyl.
It got to the point where I had to sleep on top of my purse.
The way things were starting to get at home,
it was starting to get a little rough.
Tommy was 17 when he started running away
and staying on the streets.
He just told me he didn't want to be home anymore.
I'm not allowed to do what I want when I want.
That's the reason why I'm not at their place right now.
DEANNA: He'd been on the streets for three years.
I spoke with my brother Robert, and he
had told me that he would like my son to go stay with him.
OK, let's go get this done.
I have to clean, but they broke this broom.
Tommy doesn't know how long he's gonna be.
Hopefully, he don't take long.
I made sure he had something, you know, a little bit.
It feels weird without Melly because she's my backup.
This [muted] idiot went and got high.
Security saw him and booted him out.
I don't know where he went.
He's in all black, and he's in blue jeans.
There he goes right there.
LILY: Where?
DEANNA: Right there.
I'm gonna kick his ass.
You're not funny.
What the (Bleep)?
Tommy.
What?
You got caught, dumbass.
That's what.
It's OK.
No, it's not OK. TOMMY: I'm not in--
DEANNA: They were gonna call the cops.
We were six people away.
TOMMY: I'm not in jail.
DEANNA: You're dumb!
[tommy laughs]
TOMMY: A little bit.
DEANNA: Damn, I can't believe you did that.
He didn't get his ID today because he
chooses to do drugs over what we needed to get done.
The whole process would have took us about maybe 30 minutes.
It is my fault, but it happened, so.
DEANNA: Honestly, I'm very, very pissed.
I just [sighs].
[moody music]
TOMMY: What is it called, cosmet--
Cosmetology.
MELLY: Yeah, I wanna do makeup, you know?
First, I gotta go to school for it, right?
DANIELA: Melanie's lost so many experiences,
like being able to go to school and continuing
on to her career.
I feel like if she would have felt
the love that we have for her, it
would have been way different.
MELLY: Well, my dad was never involved in my life.
He was, like, a drug addict.
My mom, she never had any support from anybody.
She's always done it on her own.
LEESLIE: My mom was always working for, like,
most of our childhood.
I had everything I needed, but there
was times where I felt like I needed her to be more present.
DANIELA: My mom was actually the one that would always babysit
Melanie and her siblings.
We used to have sleepovers.
She was a goofball.
LEESLIE: Melanie was a great student at school,
always had good grades.
The teachers always loved her.
But she was not the same at home.
DANIELA: Melanie's emotions were definitely a roller coaster.
When she was happy, she was the happiest.
When she was upset, you could tell in her face,
her actions she was very upset.
I would scream.
I would scream like crazy.
Like, I would scream at them.
DANIELA: Melanie's behavior got a lot
worse as she became a teenager.
Melanie and her mom would spend their time
arguing all the time.
He was the kind of boy that is always getting in trouble.
The first time that I actually, like, sat and talked to him,
he was like in his own world, you know?
He was-- I didn't know--
I didn't get high.
I didn't know any of that.
But he did.
And so, of course, he was the one
to introduce me to all that.
The first time that I tried meth with him,
it scared me a little bit.
But then everything just brightens up.
And it's like, once I tried it, I did like it.
LEESLIE: At the age of 16, Melanie
stopped going to high school.
She didn't care about anything other
than being with her boyfriend and doing drugs.
LEESLIE: She was gone for weeks.
She wouldn't tell us where she was at.
And over time, that got worse.
When I eventually hit the streets,
I felt like I didn't have anybody.
I feel like it wasn't worth it anymore.
That's when I decided to smoke fentanyl.
It just numbed me so much that I didn't feel any pain anymore.
I didn't feel any of that.
One of the biggest regrets is ever trying fentanyl.
It just ruined a lot of my relationships, with my mom,
my siblings.
When I don't know where Melanie's at,
it's a constant worry every day when I don't know about her
or have heard from her.
[somber music]
LEESLIE: Now you're here, do you wanna go make candies with us?
You got $5?
[laughs]
MELLY: No.
They make these and sell them at school.
[peaceful music]
LEESLIE: The other day, I made watermelon Gushers
for those four different types of gummies.
I believe that Melanie chooses to live at Tommy's uncle
and aunt's house because my mom does not want her doing drugs
at the house because there's little kids,
my little siblings, the more younger ones.
MELLY: I trade them, candies.
For?
For medicine.
LEESLIE: Wow.
That's not something you should be proud of.
LEESLIE: It's not pretty.
So obviously, I'm not gonna, like,
make you think that it's fine.
I'm not used to the jokes.
She's-- it's her life's.
Like, she sees it as her normal, but I don't
see it as anything normal.
It makes me feel like, am I-- what am I supposed to say?
Well, let me go up here because I have to go--
I want to go outside because I have to go outside.
I miss having somebody to talk to.
She'll hang out with us for, like, 30 minutes
and then be, like, OK, I gotta go.
[tense music]
MELLY: I hate being at this house.
TOMMY: You think I wanna be here?
MELLY: I never said you did.
It's not hard to be in a house with a lot of people
because I've been in a house with a lot of people.
It's the people that are here.
Melanie's currently living with Tommy and his uncle's
and his aunt's house.
Inside of one house, there's my nana, Anthony,
my Uncle Rob, B, me, Melly.
TOMMY: Come on.
You were already ready when I opened the door, Tommy.
TOMMY: Why do you have to do this now?
KATHY: Because you do this every day.
Right now, it's important.
Tommy, you need to get out now.
It's gonna take you four hours to get ready?
What?
What are you gonna do, run from him again?
Being at that house doesn't really
make me feel like I'm at home.
It's so much that I go through there as well as Tommy.
It's not where I wanna be at.
We can't start this now.
Don't say that I (Bleep) stole her money.
would never.
I've never taken anything from anybody.
DEANNA: B is a kindhearted person.
That's why so many people live in her house.
Being in that house got Tommy and Melly off the streets.
But at the same time, it's an enabling house
because it just-- you can do what you want to.
[ominous music]
It's horrifying to walk in that house.
Everybody in there is on fentanyl.
So is my mother Kathy and my brother Robert.
There's so many people in there dealing and smoking.
It's not a home.
It's a house of poison.
Melanie is currently living with Tommy and his uncle's
and his aunt's house.
We're 14 people inside of one house.
DEANNA: Tommy and Melanie are addicted to fentanyl.
So is my mother Kathy and my brother Robert.
It's not a home.
It's a house of poison.
[moody music]
Wake and bake, huh?
Mm-hmm.
I don't know if I was coming or going this morning.
Because oh, my god, that was bad today.
I'm in a lot of pain, like, because I needed to kind of
relax and not stress, you know?
But in this house, you know you can't.
KATHY: Uh-uh.
If it's not one fighting, it's another.
And it's always critical condition over here.
TOMMY: My nana is, like, the best.
We've always been close.
And my nana always taught me to, like, care
and, like, have a heart.
ANTHONY: How you feeling today?
KATHY: Not that good.
Not good?
You know, we got to go to the emergency room
to get you some antibiotics, try to get that taken care of.
KATHY: I have a lot of issues with my legs.
I have circulation problems.
I was in hospice a few years ago because of my COPD
and other issues.
I have-- I mean, I just kind of-- it's
difficult for me, to say the least.
It's very hard seeing you going through this,
and I can't do anything about it.
My lungs are so freaking tight right now.
And I know, once I start moving, I'll start choking, you know?
He's the meth guy.
And I do meth, but I also do the blues or whatever.
Between the both of us, it's probably less than a gram
a day.
My mom abused her pain management prescriptions
so much, they took her off.
So now she just goes to get him on the streets.
But it's not the same thing.
She's not using them for her health.
Honestly, I think it's for the high.
She uses it as a cover up.
There's no quality in my life right now
because I'm constantly in pain.
And I just can't get relief.
TOMMY: I know my grandma smokes and all.
It's not something to be proud of.
But at the same time, I don't judge her because I
know what she goes through.
[somber music]
DEANNA: I'm glad you guys came.
Your sisters are making dinner, there's tostadas and rice.
Are you gonna stay inside, boy?
TOMMY: Mm-hmm.
Just excited to spend some time with him
and have a meal with all of my family here.
- Hi, Angelita. - Hi.
How you doing?
DEANNA: We haven't had dinner since Christmas.
And it's really nice to have them all here.
[clattering]
There's guacamole.
There's green salsa too.
Nice to see you guys all here.
Spending time with my family, it feels really great,
and it gets my mind off of wanting to smoke.
[speaking spanish]
I'm glad you ate.
ANGELITA: I love you all.
We love you too.
MELLY: What, you're washing dishes?
He ain't never washed a dish at home.
TOMMY: Don't even.
Remember, though, babe, when we had to go?
Let me go grab my bag.
It does bother me that I have to step
outside in order to get well.
But honestly, my mom and my sisters
they know, like, what I go through.
Behave.
It don't really get them mad anymore.
ANGELITA: That's, like, the first time
we're all together right here.
It was nice too.
Because usually, they come in, they're, like, dozing off.
DEANNA: Yeah. ANGELITA: Or like coming down.
Mm-hmm.
[somber music]
Tommy and Melly stepped out for a minute,
and they went to go get high, obviously.
My mom followed.
I asked her if she smoked.
She said no.
But I could clearly smell it on her, so.
TOMMY: You know what I hate the most?
Hmm?
We got to cut time out of spending
time with them to come do this.
He doesn't like to really say he gets high with her.
The way they get along is just so good
that he doesn't wanna make her look bad or make her feel bad.
ANGELITA: They're all adults.
But then again, my little brother, what is
he supposed to think, you know?
My nana is using it, so it's OK for me to use it?
My biggest fear when it comes to him using the drug
is losing him.
If I lost my brother, I don't know what I would do.
[tense music]
VICKI LUCAS: My name is Vicki Lucas.
I'm an interventionist and I do about 300 interventions a year.
It's been a while since we've done this together.
Yeah. My name is Carla DiCandia.
I'm a mental health professional.
And I'm here to assist Vicki with this intervention.
[tense music]
So I'm interested to hear more about this couple.
They've only been together a year,
and it's been all about the drugs.
Tommy and Melly aren't only addicted to the drugs.
They're addicted to each other.
They don't leave each other's sides.
They're either getting along or fighting.
This will be intergenerational.
It'll be interesting.
Right.
We're going to have to hear more about their families
in order to help Tommy and Melly.
Knowing about Tommy and Melly's history, what the family
dynamics are, what ails them, why they're using
is key to getting them to go to treatment.
[tense music]
CARLA DICANDIA: Nice to meet you.
- Hi. - Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you guys.
VICKI LUCAS: As an interventionist,
my goal is to dig deep into Tommy and Melanie's histories.
I want to find out what issues they have,
and I wanna know why fentanyl is bringing Tommy
and Melanie together right now.
It sounds like things started to change for Tommy at about 13.
Yeah, he was-- he was a good kid up until about
13 years old, when he started getting
in trouble in junior high.
Why?
What was he doing?
Fighting.
He had broke four school bus windows.
And he was missing and ditching school.
And that was the first time he had ever got a belt.
And he went back to school--
And he reported it.
DEANNA: The principal made the CPS report and DCS,
told me I couldn't take my son home,
and my brother Gilbert ended up stepping up
to take him for the 90 days that we
needed to complete our program.
If you had to guess that something
happened just before junior high, what would your guess be?
Um, me and my husband had a little bit of domestic violence
between us.
OK.
He was a big drinker.
But he stopped drinking.
So-- so there was some stuff that the kids experienced.
Oh, yeah.
So it sounds like the domestic violence, that chapter ended.
Tommy internalized it.
He didn't get any help behind it, so he acted out.
Was Tommy already using when he broke the windows and he was
cutting school?
No, he didn't start using till after my brother passed away.
VICKI LUCAS: OK.
Actually, Gilbert, my brother, overdosed.
My son was with him in the car when it happened.
That's-- that's big trauma.
DEANNA: So when I sent Tommy to live with him,
I didn't know my brother Gilbert and my brother
Frankie were experimenting with pills at the time.
And whoever they were getting them from
gave them the ones laced with fentanyl.
They both sniffed half of the pill, started to,
like, breathe hard.
And then the third breath, I knew something was wrong.
Something's wrong with Tio Tito.
I started to cry.
Like, I'm like-- the ambulance already pulled up, you know?
He had no heartbeat, no nothing.
They even tried to shock him back to life,
everything but couldn't.
DEANNA: My brother passed in April of 2018.
July of 2019, my son tested positive for fentanyl
at the emergency room.
After Gilbert's death, I decided to do fentanyl
because if I passed away the same way,
I would be able to be with him.
But I guess, every day, I get lucky.
Your whole family, it's been trauma since way back.
But Tommy's 19 years old.
And he's experienced domestic violence, getting
the belt, his uncle dying.
That is so much trauma for somebody that's 19.
I just feel like I could have talked to him more maybe.
VICKI LUCAS: You didn't know how.
And you know this isn't your fault.
But here you are now, doing the bravest thing so
that your son can get better.
Using is almost always linked to trauma.
Right now, Tommy and Melly are relating to each other
through their trauma and through their using.
They're around a lot of people, people who are using every day,
and anything can happen.
We need to get these kids into treatment.
[tense music]
This is like--
they're arguing over stupid (Bleep).
B: Rob really has a temper, and I won't let things go.
I dwell on things.
So it's like both of us, you know, just end up exploding.
They don't got to be that loud, though.
Like, they yell at us when we argue,
and we're not even being loud.
Every time we argue, we're arguing quietly.
Oh, we do, you know, sometimes get loud.
You.
MELLY: But-- oh, yeah.
But everybody starts tripping on us.
It's a very crazy house.
It's a lot of energy, you know?
There's not any peace.
Having my own place with Tommy and bettering things up,
I would say that would be a home.
I'm just tired of being here already.
I'm grateful.
I'm grateful as (Bleep) to be inside,
but I'm just tired of this house, period.
It's my little own therapy.
A lot of stress inside the house, like, it's--
it's been a lot.
I have quite a few people living here--
friends, family, Tommy, Melly.
Since we do drugs, we're all a big family.
I've been struggling with addiction on and off since I
got into my car accident.
That actually got me on the Oxycontins.
Nobody told me what would happen if I stopped taking them.
So I was taking, like, eight a day.
And then I started to have to buy the fentanyl pills
on the streets.
And it was cheaper, and it got you higher.
When I take that, like, first hit,
every problem that I have in the world going on just goes away.
It made me lose a lot of people that I love.
Sorry.
I don't have-- I don't have my kids right now.
It, um-- it cost me my--
my life, basically.
[ominous music]
[indistinct conversation]
MELLY: Yes, they were. Yes, they were.
TOMMY: I have folded in there. What are you talking about?
MELLY: No, it was a complete-- - Where'd you get that shirt?
That's my shirt. - That's my shirt.
TOMMY: That's my--
[muffled conversation]
Mother(Bleep), you got that at the laundry right now.
That is a voice that I could do without for the rest
of my life.
I have them folded, Melly.
Uh-uh.
I put all my clothes there.
I paid for that shirt, dude.
No, you did not.
OK.
Yeah, I'm just lying, Melly.
I feel that everybody has a soul mate.
And I'm sorry, but it's probably not his soulmate.
I try to get along with Tommy's nana,
but we do bump heads a lot.
But that doesn't mean I will disrespect
Kathy because I don't want to mess
my relationship with Tommy.
MELLY: Then this is no good.
TOMMY: Shut the (Bleep) up.
MELLY: You shut up.
What did you say right now?
Shut the (Bleep) up.
Look, I'm in a (Bleep) towel, bro.
B: Melly, Melly, Melly. - (Bleep) chill the (Bleep) out.
I know. I know.
Come on. Come on.
Let's go outside.
Yeah, that's what you did, you bitch.
Let's go outside and talk.
Come on, bro.
- What happened? - No, B.
Come on. Let's go.
Come here.
What happened?
No, B.
What happened?
I'm done.
Me and Tommy had an argument.
I paid for that.
- No, you did not. - OK.
Yeah, I'm just lying, Melly.
Kathy started, you know, making comments.
She was being disrespectful, you know?
And so I guess she heard I called her the B-word.
And she-- that's when she had came out.
I'm not perfect.
I can admit to the (Bleep) that I do.
It sounds like it's you starting
just because you're louder.
If you have an issue with Tommy, just be like, hey,
I need to talk to you.
Let's go outside and talk.
MELLY: Thank you for being able to talk to me.
B: Yeah, of course.
I'm sorry that that happened.
[moody music]
I heard that Melly is having a lot
of problems with her family.
Hi, Daniela. I'm Vicki.
Hello, I'm Daniela.
Nice to meet you.
I'm hoping that her cousin Daniela can tell me
about Melly's history with her mom
and why they butt heads so much.
Let's talk about your childhood with Melly.
What kind of kid was she?
She-- she was crazy, actually.
She was always up and down.
She-- she's very emotional.
She's definitely the outcast.
I know her mom struggled a lot to deal with her.
So she was always getting in trouble from a young age?
Yeah.
Do you think she felt like she was being treated differently
or things weren't fair?
Yeah, especially because--
because of her bipolar.
At the time, no one knew.
That's interesting.
Interesting.
Yeah.
MELLY: When I was diagnosed with bipolar, I was 14.
It was in a rehab.
I went in for my behavior.
When I found out that she had bipolar disorder,
it all made sense as to why her moods would change all the time
and she was the way she was.
MELLY: I got to the point where I couldn't--
I was feeling weird.
DANIELA: It was complicated.
Monica had a hard time understanding why
Melanie was the way she was.
What's very sad here is, all along, it's
been untreated mental health.
And by the time it got treated, she was
already down a different path.
Melanie needs help.
She's had untreated mental health for many years.
She's got addiction because of that.
We need to get Melanie on the path of sobriety,
get her medicated for her mental health issues,
and help her get on that path.
This explains a lot, and the relationship with her mom
explains a lot.
I really appreciate this.
You've helped so much.
[somber music]
I appreciate you so much right now.
MELLY: I'm glad I met you.
Like, I am glad.
TOMMY: Me too.
MELLY: 'Cause if it wasn't for you, who would know
where I would be at right now?
She's like, that's my rock.
That's-- that's my best friend.
She helped me learn to love myself again, honestly.
Because she said, if I can't love myself,
then I can't love her.
Ended up working out, and I love life, and I love her.
Within, like, 10, 11 days now?
I was 14 when I found out I was pregnant.
I was, like, excited but scared at the same time.
My boyfriend, he was pretty much locked up.
And so I was lost.
DANIELA: I was terrified for her.
I didn't know how her mom was gonna react.
I knew that wasn't gonna be pretty.
When I told her, she was just pitch quiet.
But within, like, two days, she wanted to make sure I was good.
The moment I even thought I was pregnant,
I stopped smoking meth.
I had to stop.
But my boyfriend, he did keep getting high.
The first time I held my son, oh, my god, I
didn't even want to let him go.
Would I would go back to that day?
A million times over and over.
What?
He-- he would be really happy, you know?
You think he'll like me?
MELLY: Oh, yeah.
[tense music]
While I was trying to prove to child protective services
that I can take care of my son, I was diagnosed with bipolar.
So I was required to go to more appointments for, you know,
mental health issues.
But whatever I did wasn't enough.
I got overwhelmed.
I-- I felt like nothing was getting better.
Melanie lost custody of her son
because she wasn't able to care for him.
It's really up to you to get your (Bleep)
together and see what you can do and try to be in his life.
Exactly.
Me getting high is the only way
I can stop feeling all that pain I feel from not
having him with me anymore.
It's crazy how--
how things happen and how things could
have been different if I would have done things differently.
[somber music]
[tense music]
I haven't talked to Rob since our argument the other day.
It's like you treat this relationship
like-- like I'm a joke.
Do you not realize, like, I was hurting?
I was hurting bad.
Drugs play a major role in our relationship.
If we don't have any, we start arguing with each other
because, you know, we start panicking like, oh, you know,
we don't want to get sick.
And you always say, OK, if we're going to be partners,
we're supposed to split everything.
When I got that 80 the other day, I gave you half of that.
What the (Bleep) are you talking about?
You can count how many times you've helped me.
I can't count how many times I've helped you.
Oh, my god.
You're (Bleep) staying in my house.
Like, are you kidding me?
You know what?
Forget it, just get away from me.
- Get away from you? - Yes, forget it.
Because you cannot admit what you did wrong.
- I didn't do nothing wrong. - Really?
OK, then get away from me.
Why don't you act like a man?
You know what? (Bleep) you.
- (Bleep) you too. - You're a (Bleep) child.
B: No, I'm not. - I'll go get a better woman.
B: Go. Go for it.
I don't care.
I will.
I mean, I love her.
Just right now's not a good time.
Drugs do fuel the tensions around here, especially
if we don't have drugs.
Yeah, we tend to lash out at our partners.
The arguments starts with one couple,
goes to the next couple, then the next one, and the next one.
It's like infection.
It goes all around the house.
[eerie music]
TOMMY: Melly!
Get up, come on.
No, that's not trash.
What are you doing?
This is (Bleep) trash.
MELLY: No, they're not.
They're not actually trash.
Look.
I hate when your purse is full as (Bleep) with them--
MELLY: Here, I'll prove it to you.
--when they're empty.
TOMMY: I had put all the pills on one tray.
And yeah, it is my fault. I should at least
save, like, one or two.
But I decided to start smoking and--
And what did you just do, took all my (Bleep)?
TOMMY: I ain't robbing you.
You're right there.
No, you didn't rob me.
I said you took all my (Bleep).
You gotta (Bleep) save something to have for later, dude.
- Yes, you are. - You don't give a (Bleep).
TOMMY: Like you--
If I have something, I don't have anything.
TOMMY: Like you don't do it.
You're tripping over pills, Melly.
Pills, Melly.
It's sad.
That's embarrassing.
Mine and Tommy's relationship will
be a lot better if the drugs wouldn't be in between.
Having to both be on the pills, on the Percs,
it causes a lot of problems because now he's just,
like, a whole different person.
VICKI LUCAS: Tommy and Melly have
been dating for over a year, and they're
both addicted to fentanyl.
They live in a trap house with several
of Tommy's family members.
MELLY: I hate being at this house.
Everybody in there is on fentanyl.
So is my mother Kathy and my brother Robert.
MELLY: What did you do?
Took all my shit.
This is going to be the biggest
intervention of my career.
[tense music]
Hi, Deanna.
Good to see you again.
Nice to see you too.
Hi, I'm Angelita, Tommy's sister.
Nice to meet you.
Tommy and Melly are in a serious relationship.
And their families have never met,
probably because their relationship is new
and they are so wrapped up in their addiction.
Hi.
CARLA DICANDIA: Hi, [spanish].
[speaking spanish]
Hi.
Hi, nice to meet you.
I really want this united front.
I want Tommy's mom to reach out to Melly.
And they want her to get help.
And I want Melly's mom to do the same for Tommy.
All right, everybody, we're here for the pre-intervention.
So Carla and I are going to discuss
what we need to do to prepare for Tommy and Melly tomorrow.
And then, once Tommy and Melly are finished,
we'll do the rest of your family, OK?
Thomas, let's start with you and talk about Tommy a little bit.
I don't like what they're doing right now,
but I'm hoping he goes through with it tomorrow.
VICKI LUCAS: Yeah.
Do you all understand that Tommy has a lot of trauma
and he's self-medicating most likely
and this is how he's numbing his pain, right,
and he's feeling guilty about Gilbert?
And just that whole event sounded very traumatizing,
and he blames himself.
He's been through a lot for a young guy.
Melanie too.
She's been traumatized.
We've got to help her get her son back.
Daniela?
DANIELA: I have very mixed emotions.
I miss her.
I miss who she used to be.
VICKI LUCAS: Yeah.
You want to see your cousin get to the other side of this
and live?
Yeah, I know.
Is there anything you all want to say
to each other about the kids?
I just hope both of them succeed in this and they
both come out clean.
Because neither one of us deserves to bury our kid.
[speaking spanish]
CARLA DICANDIA: Thank you so much for getting
this help for them and for including my daughter.
My son says he loves her.
So if my son loves her, I have to have love for her too,
right?
[speaking spanish]
And it's not only going to be about the kids tomorrow.
We're all going to help you guys find some resources,
so you guys can get help too.
Tomorrow Tommy says yes, we're going
to take him to First Steps.
It's a really nice program, and I think he's
really going to like it there.
They have a lot to offer.
It is not going to be easy tomorrow,
but I just need everybody to just pull
together and stand your ground.
And we need to get these kids in.
[speaking spanish]
Both of you, so, so strong.
So we're going to do this and make them strong.
Yes.
Meeting Melly's family for the first time,
it feels like I've known them for the longest.
And to know that we're going through the same thing
makes the bond even closer.
VICKI LUCAS: I really want Tommy and Melly to say yes.
Hopefully, we set these families up for success
at the pre-intervention.
[tense music]
TOMMY: (Bleep) thief, but you stole all my (Bleep).
If you don't get the (Bleep) out, little bitch--
Show the beginning of the camera--
ROB: Bounce. - --and then the after.
ROB: Bounce, bitch.
That old school bike is my friend.
It's mine.
I bought it.
So what's he talking about?
B: Who brought that bike? - I don't know.
B: Don't lie. Who brought that bike?
TOMMY: I don't know who brought that bike.
I'm ready to go. He's being a bitch about it.
He doesn't want to go.
B: Melly, stop!
KATHY: Shut up, bitch!
Ma, ma, relax.
ROB: Melly, get up and go outside.
I'm talking to Tommy.
B: So you're saying he's got to be a bitch about it?
I didn't say anything. B: Don't call her a bitch, Rob.
[incoherent shouting]
B: I keep on telling him not to call you a bitch.
You want to keep talking? Go outside.
ROB: OK, we'll go outside now.
B: Go, Melly!
Now!
You're just (Bleep) sitting down.
Go! MELLY: I'm going.
We're leaving.
I'm going to (Bleep) pull you by your hair
if you don't (Bleep) get up.
MELLY: Come on, Bitch. - Yes!
I'm talking to Tommy.
B: I'm telling you to (Bleep) get out!
- (Bleep) get out! - B, I'm going.
You won't get out, you (Bleep) bitch!
Get out!
TOMMY: Come on, bro.
- I'm done.Bleep.
And I'm always getting in the way.
I don't even want to be here. - Well, go.
You want to get--
manage this for me?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
VICKI LUCAS: Today's the intervention.
The families are arriving, and we're waiting for Tommy
and Melly to get here.
Tommy and Melly are going first because they are the priority.
Once we get them in, we'll work on the rest of the family
as well.
We are coming with letters as tools and a lot of love
and a lot of compassion.
How's everybody feeling?
Nauseous.
Yeah.
Although it seems a little light right now,
it's going to be really heavy.
Be prepared to cry.
Crying is good.
OK.
[melly crying]
Nobody can deal with it no more.
She takes it out on everybody else.
Let's get the rest of our (Bleep) and go home.
I know.
I already have my mom on the phone.
I'm already going over there.
Yeah, like you care so much.
I'm telling you to stop, stop, stop.
You act like you care so much. I didn't even start (Bleep), dude.
You don't know how to stop. That's why.
- I didn't talk (Bleep) about Rob. - She's telling you to stop.
Shut up. - Yeah, just shut up, dude.
Just shut up.
You're going to keep taking her side.
Ask her what she wants you to do.
[speaking spanish]
OK.
Melanie?
[speaking spanish]
Oh, she's hanging up.
That's what you want.
You want me to leave.
See, you're so quick to leave.
And that-- and you didn't even-- you didn't even wait
to see if I wanted you to go.
But he says he loves me, but always runs away like a bitch.
TOMMY: The fentanyl does affect Melly's bipolar.
We could be good one minute, and then all of a sudden, like,
she's pissed off.
I will not care and get mad.
And if I get mad, don't get away.
Like, I'm not doing it.
I'm not, you know?
She cries to me sometimes and tells me, like, it's not her.
And I know.
THOMAS SR.: You want me to go over there?
VICKI LUCAS: No.
I'm just afraid, if any family members
go over there, that you're not going
to make it back here because--
because there's manipulations going to happen.
I believe that they fight a lot, and they
get over it very quickly. WOMAN: Exactly.
They move on like nothing ever happened.
They fight when they don't have that (Bleep).
VICKI LUCAS: It might work itself out.
If it doesn't happen, she'll call mom back.
Let's just give it a minute to see if it deescalates.
Hey, wait a minute.
If you don't mind, can you step out while I get out my (Bleep),
please?
I just want to get my stuff and go.
Thank you.
Hope you're happy.
I'm grabbing the crate out of the room.
MELLY: That's fine. I don't mind it.
I just don't like how you lie about it.
Bitch ass heater.
That ain't even mine.
MELLY: You don't have to go if you don't want to.
Melly, don't start with me, please.
You don't start with me, please.
MELLY: I'm just saying, I'm going through all this (Bleep).
I got kicked out for your fault, and I still
have you talking (Bleep) to me.
Talking about oh, blah, blah, blah.
Like, really?
Like, can you for once give a (Bleep)
and be grateful for that (Bleep) back there ain't yours?
Tommy, get the (Bleep) back over here.
Tommy, I'm being serious.
Get the (Bleep) back over here because you're (Bleep) being selfish.
You better stop (Bleep) being like that.
If you keep walking, I swear to God,
I mean I will be gone forever.
Ask him if I'm doing this (Bleep) enough for you.
It's my fault though, right?
It is because you don't care.
- I don't care? - You don't care.
I don't?
No.
I don't.
I'm done.
I hope you're happy.
Boy.
You know where he went?
OK.
Well, if you see him, call me back on this phone,
or call my phone.
So it looks like we're going to do Melanie, first.
Yeah.
Tommy doesn't want to participate right now.
We'll find him. He just wants to get high.
Yeah.
So when Melanie shows up, I want everybody
to stand up and hug her, and love her, and welcome her.
All right.
Just follow what Carla and I do.
We'll tell you when to speak, when to read your letters, OK?
I feel like you guys are going to be troopers,
and you're going to be OK though today.
Yeah.
Want everybody to do this.
Take a deep breath.
Say a little prayer to yourselves.
Oh.
This is cool.
Hi, Melanie.
Hello.
I'm Vicky, and there's some people that want
to see you here that love you.
What?
[laughter]
Everybody's here?
Everybody's here.
They love you.
You all right? Come on.
Come sit down.
Come see your mom.
Come on.
Let's sit down, and let's read our letters.
We're interventionists, and this is your intervention.
Everybody came to support you.
We heard you're getting pretty tired of it, huh?
So much.
Yeah?
Having to deal with everything at home.
Yeah, it's a lot.
We understand that this isn't who you are.
That this is what you're doing.
There's nothing but love here, OK?
All right.
Daniella, you go first.
Cousin, we understand that drugs have been a way for you
to survive the pain you carry.
We're asking you to let us help you heal and get the chance
to live your best life.
I'd love to continue having our endless conversations
about life for many more years to come.
I'm scared we won't be able to create more
memories if you continue to use these drugs that
are killing you.
We hear you have a son, and I know how hard this must be.
I know because I'm a mom, and I got my kids back.
And I can tell you that it's never
too late to become a good mom.
All right, sister.
I just want to tell you that we all love you so much,
and we believe in you.
There's a lot in the world that you haven't experienced,
so much you can do, and it's so scary thinking that if you
don't stop, you will die.
This is a cycle you need to stop.
If you go, Tommy will as well, and we all
know you both really need this.
Monica.
[spanish speech]
So Melanie, are you willing to go to treatment?
Yes.
You are?
And we're going to get Tommy some help too.
Let's get going.
Let's get her in the van and get her to treatment, guys.
Good job.
You're strong.
You got this.
- Don't give up, either. - Yeah.
Don't give up.
Keep going.
We'll see you later, OK?
Bye.
All right.
Hop on in there.
Bye.
Drive safe.
Oh, God.
That was a lot.
The good news is she's on her way to treatment.
The family is so happy, but I could see Tommy's family
in the middle of being so happy for Melanie they were like,
Tommy, what about Tommy?
Listen, we got her to go.
We'll get Tommy to go.
We're going to get him.
That was the biggest obstacle.
[music playing]
Ma never showed her emotions in that way to us,
so her just being able to do that was like showing me,
you know, how much she cares, so I got to show her,
you know, I'm willing to do better because I don't
want to keep disappoint her.
OK.
Take a deep breath.
Please Tito, help him, Tito.
Don't let him lose his life to this.
Thank you guys for staying.
All right here we come.
Hey, Tommy.
I'm Vicky.
Hello, nice to meet you.
Got some people in here that want to talk to you.
What's up?
- How're you doing? - Good.
How about you?
Love you.
Love you too.
Want to come in and have a seat right here?
Yeah.
So I'm Vicky, and this is Kallah,
and we're interventionists.
And your family came together-- and Melanie's family--
because everybody loves you and wants you to live.
Everybody's got something to say.
OK.
Little sister.
To my best and only real bro, I
want you to know that I love you so much,
and I miss all the good times we had growing up,
and I wish we can go back.
You're the best brother that anyone could ask for.
I wish you a happy and successful life.
You can do it, brother.
I have a lot of faith and hope in you.
Love your.
Sister.
Love you too.
Thomas, do you want to say something?
I want you to know, son, that I love you a lot, boy.
I'm sorry for the childhood that you had to grow up in.
I'm scared every day, boy, that I'm going to get a phone call
from your mom that you died.
I don't want that.
I love you a lot, boy.
I want you to get some help.
All right.
Mom?
To my son, Tommy, I love you with all my heart,
and I'm so proud to be your mom.
You're a blessing in my life.
I don't know what I could do without you.
So please, son, take the help.
I have faith in you, and I know you can do it.
And this means so much, son.
What you're using and the way you're using is so dangerous,
and nobody in this room gets any sleep because everybody
is afraid that they're going to get the phone call
that you're going to be gone.
That's a very scary place for a parent and a sibling to be, OK?
So Tommy, are you willing to go to treatment today?
I'm willing to take it.
You are?
I'm willing to go to treatment today.
[music playing]
Thank you.
To know that he got here all the way
and was willing to come in and accept the help
was the best part ever.
I didn't know if you could do it.
When Tommy said, yes, I was elated.
He's such a sweet kid, and his family really loves him.
I love you, son.
Love you too.
You got to be strong, dude, and do it, all right?
He's only 19 years old.
He's a very special kid.
I love you, baby.
Love you too.
Melly was ready.
Tommy was ready.
I really hope this works for him.
See? - Hell, yeah.
Yes.
We did it.
Yes.
All right.
Thank you, everybody.
You guys can go ahead and go home now.
Get some rest.
And the rest of you, we got some more work to do.
Yeah.
Let's get them all in.
Yeah.
The only time I ever seen my daddy get emotional
was when my uncle passed away.
And tonight, when I seen tears coming out of his eyes,
it makes me know how much he really loves me
and how much he really wants me to get help.
ANNOUNCER: And ready for an on time departure.
Please report immediately to gate B12 for final boarding
of your Sacramento PLANE.
Melly.
Yeah.
I'm happy that you did it.
Finally you got out that house.
It's going to take a little bit of time, but I'll see you.
We're going to start boarding.
OK.
Well I'll let you go so you guys could get on.
Love you too.
All right.
Really glad he said yeah.
Finally.
I'm like, finally.
Hi, Melanie.
Hi.
Welcome to Opensea.
I'm Taryn.
I'm the admissions coordinator here,
and we're going to get you all settled in, OK?
Sounds good.
My fears about treatment right now
is just being away from Tommy.
Put this in your arm, please.
It can be really hard for patients that
enter treatment, especially early on, to know
how to focus on themselves.
And so for Melanie, having relied
upon her significant other for so long,
it will definitely be very challenging
for her to be able to create some kind of healthy distance.
All right.
Good.
My prayers up for Tommy.
You know, that he does good, and so
when we both are ready to go home,
we can both be sober together.
Now that Tommy and Melly are on their way to treatment,
we're going to intervene on the rest of his family.
We are offering treatment to Tommy's uncle
and his girlfriend, B. Helping everyone is our best shot
at helping Tommy and Melly.
They're coming in, everybody.
Get in your seats now.
Hi. I'm Vicky.
How are you, B? - Yeah.
Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- Hello. - Hey, Robert.
I'm Vicky. Nice to meet you.
Some people here that want to talk to you guys.
Give me a hug.
Uncle Willie, you're here.
What are you doing here?
Oh, my God.
So guys, I'm Vicky.
I'm an interventionist.
And this is Kallah, and this is an intervention if you
haven't figured that out.
Hi, Tommy.
Welcome.
My name is Selena.
I'm the nurse. - Nice to meet you.
Come on in.
Welcome to Firststeps Recovery.
Tell me a little bit about yourself, first.
You have a girlfriend back home.
- Yeah. - Yeah?
How long have you guys been dating.
Like a year and a half now.
She's getting treatment too.
Good.
So you're both kind of on the same track?
What I really want to work on in treatment
is just to get well and get my mind straight,
but I am really missing Melly a lot,
and it feels weird just knowing that tonight I'm going
to be going to bed without her.
At the same time that makes me feel good just
to know that she's going to be somewhere safe
and getting better herself.
Deanna.
To B, I would like to say thank you for taking
in my family off the streets.
The best way to say thank you is to ask you to take the help
and get clean, so you can show your kids
what a sweet and kind person you are and what a great mom
you can be.
So please, take the help and get clean for them.
OK.
William, you want to go?
Belem, I have come to help you put an end
to your pain and suffering.
You are not alone on this.
I have never given up on you.
Please, don't give up on yourself.
All of your children pray every night for mom
to finally come home to be reunited
and be a loving family.
Please, accept this gift of love and redemption.
We love you dearly.
OK.
So now, we're going to read you some letters.
All right?
Let's start with your niece.
I just want to tell you, Tio, that I love you so much.
You're always the one that I could call and talk to.
And your son, he misses you.
He always asks how you're doing.
So I just hope that you take the help that's offered to you.
Love you.
Love you too.
Diana?
I want to say I love you, and I'm
here today to ask you to take this help and get clean.
Not just for us, but do it for little Robert.
He needs his dad back, just like I need my brother back.
I don't want to lose another brother.
So I want to know, you guys, will you go to treatment
tonight, both of you?
Will we be together?
You won't be together, but you'll both be here in Arizona.
I hear you have been taking care of a lot of people.
It's time to take care of you and of your family.
This is your opportunity both of you.
It's not too late.
So will you guys go to treatment tonight?
Do it.
Don't think about it.
Just go.
I'll go.
You'll go to treatment tonight?
Will you go to treatment tonight?
I'll go.
OK.
And it's not goodbye.
It's hello.
It's going to be off to a new start.
Thanks.
All right, guys.
Come on.
All right B.
We will be talking to you soon, OK?
I love you.
I'll miss you so much.
Get your seat belt on.
Seat belt on.
Robert, your car's back here.
I love you, tio.
Bye.
Love you.
Let's go in real quick and figure out what
we're going to do about Nana.
My mom's the big twist tonight she ended up not coming
after all to get some help, but we
have another shot at it tomorrow,
so we'll see how it goes.
Couldn't get Kathy to the intervention
last night, so we decided to make
our move today and show up at the house,
so that we could talk to her.
Man, I've been holding on for a minute already.
Call her.
Where she at?
My defibrillator, my heart and all stuff, monitors, and all this stuff,
I got to do it the way that they tell me to do it.
I'm telling you right now. This is serious.
This is not a game.
Hi, Kathy.
I'm Carla.
- Nice to meet you. - I'm Vicki.
Nice to meet you.
I'm kind of fragile right now.
Hey, look.
We want to talk to you about getting out of here because B
signed the rights over to the house to her dad,
and he's coming with the sheriffs to kick everybody out.
So after this, I'm homeless again?
No because we can put you in treatment,
a really nice facility--
I'm telling you I'm not going anywhere
until my doctor lets me go.
I'm not going to go through--
Can I just be frank with you?
You're smoking meth and doing fentanyl.
I have a feeling that any doctor is
going to say you need to get off the drugs
so we can get you better. - Obviously.
And you'll be comfortable.
Tommy and Melly is already in California.
Rob's in Prescott and so is B already.
They've left last night.
I'm not ready.
I have to be ready. I have to have all my stuff.
I don't want to be worried about nothing.
Can I talk to you by myself, just you and me?
Give me a minute with her. Will you hold these?
Yes.
You're the head of this family.
They need you clean.
Tommy needs you clean, and yeah, Melly needs you clean.
You can do this.
I promise you.
This isn't home.
This is a house of (Bleep) poison.
Her dad's coming with the shrubs to put everybody out.
The sheriffs will make them leave.
Now, where would I go?
California.
It's called Pillars Recovery.
It's right by the beach in Orange County.
In a beautiful place.
You can do this.
You're brave. Come here.
You can do it.
We got you.
Your whole family's getting better,
and you to get better today too. - I'm just scared.
I know, but you know what?
It's a lot less scary than doing drugs every day,
wondering when's the last time you're going to live.
You're going to do it?
You can go to treatment today?
All right.
We convinced my mom to go and get some help.
She tried every excuse possible, but we
were just glad she was willing to take the help and go.
Come on.
Come with me.
Let's get you in this car right here.
I've done a lot of interventions,
but this is the first time I've done so many.
Lots of twists and turns.
Lots of moving parts.
The fact that they were all successful blows my mind.
I love you.
I love you too.
I hope Tommy's family can stay off of fentanyl,
so that they can become a foundation for Tommy and Melly.
I feel super excited that I got all members
of my family to go get help.
And everybody was willing to be strong and have the courage
to take this opportunity to get themselves some help
and get clean.
Family gets to heal.
If everybody gets better, everybody can stay better.
And I'm just glad that my brother, Tito, is watching
over everybody, and he always will be by their sides
the whole way through.
Ooh.
I am feeling pretty awesome.
I have energy.
I am able to even work out.
I'm able to eat better.
I can actually say I can do things without having to use.
It was hard for the first 30, 60 days.
I started having trouble with codependency, detoxing.
It was quite hard.
I was quite homesick for a while,
but I believed I could do it, and I did do it.
Ooh.
Ooh, that (Bleep) looks nice.
It does.
I made a big change.
I did go by Melly.
That was my street name like they say,
so I don't need that name anymore.
I've gotten my life together where I can be myself again.
I can be Melanie again.
I think I got to blend it in a little bit more.
Let me see.
It looks good.
After treatment, I plan on getting into Job Corps.
I want to get my GED.
I want to study for nursing.
I will always have love for Tommy.
I just hope the best for him.
I hope he's ready to make that change in his life,
but right now, I tell him, like, I
want to focus on myself right now
as well as what you should be doing.
In therapy, Melanie has been doing a lot of what
we call cognitive reframing.
So essentially, identifying and then challenging
negative core beliefs.
What this does is it allows a person
to have a better relationship with themselves,
so that they can have healthier relationships.
It feels awesome to be honest, being
able to have the opportunity to change my life around.
It's a blessing.
There's a beautiful life you can live.
Like, you don't have to live like that no more,
and you can be happy without using.
I feel free.
I don't feel like a slave to that drug anymore,
and I just feel really blessed.
It feels really good.
I think you're going to be good, man.
From like that nervous wreck, sitting there,
shaking back and forth, wanting to leave like every three days.
I'm out. I'm out.
I want to go.
It's been a roller coaster.
It took a little while-- like over two weeks to three weeks
to finally get to the point where I'm at today and just
wanting to get sobriety.
I'm starting to love myself again.
I don't want to lose that.
And then the respect from my dad and my family--
It's been a big thing for you the whole time.
- Yeah. - Earning the respect back.
So if we want to be the respectable kid to our parents,
like at the end of the day, you have to stay sober first
and foremost. - Yeah.
That's what. Yeah.
My plan is to start going to meetings to get a sponsor
and not to put myself in a situation I
don't need to be in.
Me and Melly talk every day.
I'm very proud of her, and if we don't end up being together,
like, I just want to wish her the best and hope
she keeps doing good in life.
I think a lot of the strategies that you can apply
to the substance abuse-- things like relapse
triggers and cues on his sobriety can
be applied to the relationship.
They're both addictions for Tommy.
I'm grateful, and I feel blessed about everything
that's happening to me.
And now, it's time to just do the new stuff in life
and really get to know who I really am.
[music playing]