We are so excited to finally announce that The Discovery House helped Kacy, a once multimillionaire who lost everything to her addiction to alcohol seek alcohol addiction treatment on episode three of A&E’s Emmy Award-winning television series, Intervention, now in its 15th season.
Kacy ‘Intervention’ Update: The Rise and Fall
Before alcohol addiction, Kacy had it all, wealth, success, and a loving family. At just 18, she had her real estate license. At 20 she already had 3 investment properties and at 22 she bought her first hotel. She was living the American Dream. She was a loving mother and her business thrived. Doesn’t exactly sound like a recipe for disaster, now does it? However, addiction snatched away her life as it was. People are not born with alcohol addictions; like Kacy, anyone can be a victim of addiction at any stage of their life.
The Trigger: Traumatic Life Events
So, exactly what happened to Kacy from “Intervention,” A&E’s Emmy-winning show?
Though many cases of drug or alcohol addiction stem from not-so-sunny beginnings, for some they can also manifest from sudden traumatic experiences. When Kacy was seven months pregnant with her third child, Dakota, she developed kidney stones for which she was prescribed painkillers that she was instructed to keep taking even after the baby was born. After bringing Dakota to bed with her one night, Kacy awoke to find him not breathing. The prognosis from doctors was that Dakota had died from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
This traumatic event thrust her into alcoholism that caused her to lose everything. The loss of her baby was a traumatic event, leading to a severe case of depression, which led to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Any addiction, whether it’s drug or alcohol, can manifest from sudden traumatic experiences. Trauma, depression, and addiction are all interconnected.
Devastated, Kacy started drinking every day, sometimes downing three bottles of vodka each day, and continued to do so for years. She went in and out of the hospital, therapy, and different types of alcohol addiction treatment over the next ten years and even if she got sober it wasn’t for long. Though she had lost everything, her family had been supporting her, and ultimately enabling her. But her family had had enough and that’s when they turned to the option of orchestrating an intervention.
The Turning Point: Kacy’s ‘Intervention’ Appearance
We can’t give away the entire story, but we do encourage you to head over to A&E to stream the full episode where Candy Finnigan worked as her Interventionist to help her overcome her alcohol abuse. Kacy’s story is a true riches to rags tale and it really spotlights that addiction can happen to anyone, no matter how successful or wealthy they are in life.
The Wider Impact of Alcohol Abuse
Though Kacy’s case is dire, this caliber of alcoholism happens to thousands of people all over the country. Each year, thousands of people die from alcohol-related causes. It is estimated that excessive alcohol use causes over 140,0000 deaths in the U.S. every year. Among these people, around 43,000 are women and 97,000 are men. Excessive alcohol use is now one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States, ahead of tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity, and illegal drugs.
The Path to Recovery
Alcohol abuse and addiction affects people from all walks of life and though it feels impossible, long-term recovery from drugs and alcohol can be a reality. A proper recovery process helps addiction survivors embrace a holistic transformation. People suffering from addiction must achieve physical, mental, and emotional healing to find a sense of purpose and hope. Hope works as a driving force that helps people with addictions see a future free of addiction. It gives people the power to battle the challenges of addiction recovery.
The Discovery House firmly advocates for a holistic approach to recovery, believing it can empower individuals with addictions to regain control and live fulfilling lives. As a result, The Discovery House aims to support individuals facing addiction by offering recovery and hope.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an alcohol use disorder, contact The Discovery House or call (818) 452-1676 for a free assessment to help rediscover a fulfilling and healthy drug and alcohol-free life by setting up a visit to our addiction recovery center.