So much happened this week on Recovery Road and I am very excited to talk about the theme from episode two, which was really centered around the shame and stigma that is synonymous with the disease of addiction. Since so much happened, I’ve decided to break it down by scene so we can really get to the bottom of what each person said, did, and the complex decisions that they were faced with.
Recovery Road Recap: The Art of the Deal
Blast From the Past
The show opened on Maddie and Rebecca, a few years back when they were best friends getting high and scheming about ways to get money so they can have a more exciting summer break. They joke about stealing their dealer’s stash and selling it to make money for a sweet summer vacation.
The List
Maddie is experiencing some erratic behavior and a little paranoia that I believe is linked to the shame that she feels around her addiction. She doesn’t want anyone to know about her addiction whatsoever and she is walking around living this double life, thinking that at any moment, everyone is going to find out that she is an addict in recovery. Cynthia tells her that feeling all these feelings is a totally natural part of recovery and she encourages her to start a list of recovery goals which Maddie begrudgingly pens as “My Stupid List of Goals I Was Forced to Make.” Among them? Find the figurine, make everyone stop hating her, and discover the meaning of life.
Tell Me Lies
Another common theme throughout the episode was truth and lies, starting with Maddie lying to her friends, then to her sober housemates, and finally to herself. She skips her curfew with Cynthia and heads to the movie theatre with some friends, who apparently have a surprising piece of information to share.
In a supermarket across town, Charlotte is working through some lies of her own. She runs into an old friend who asks how Maddie has been and Charlotte says that she’s getting great grades and doing a lot of volunteering.
Blast From the Past: The Art of the Deal
As it turns out, Maddie and Rebecca did steal their dealer’s stash and have sold most of it off with much success. They are basically ready to pack their bags but Rebecca wants more. Maddie tries to talk her down but there really is no changing her mind. We also find out that Rebecca is experimenting with more than just marijuana and Ritalin, but also with Oxycodone.
That Awkward Moment at the Movies
This scene was super awkward. The surprising piece of information from earlier was actually a plot to embarrass Rebecca and out her for how “tragic” she is for being a recovering addict. So. Not. Cool. After pretending not to know Wes and acting like she hadn’t seen Rebecca in years, Maddie and her friends sit in the movie theatre passing around a flask. As the flask comes to Maddie, she is faced with a crossroads in her recovery. Before she has a chance to choose, Rebecca comes in and kicks them all out for drinking. Would she have done it if Rebecca hadn’t stopped her?
Blast From the Past: Busted
Here, we find the missing piece of the puzzle that is Maddie and Rebecca’s broken friendship. Turns out Rebecca was caught for selling drugs at school and even though Maddie played an integral role in the drug dealing scheme, she stood by and did nothing. Looks like Rebecca was in for a different kind of vacation than she anticipated.
Like a Unicorn
So at this point, we know that Maddie’s unicorn figure is a pretty big deal, and she’s made it her number one task to cross off of her recovery goal list. Due to the heated and awkward movie theatre situation partnered with the fact that Maddie thinks everyone is against her, she thinks that Rebecca stole it out of spite. So she sneaks into Rebecca’s room and finds her secret stash of drugs hidden inside of a stuffed bunny.
Blast From the Past: Drugs Bunny
At first it seems that Rebecca’s dad is being supportive but as it turns out he was just buttering her up so he could drop the bomb that he needs her not to talk about the real reason she is addicted to drugs: him. Apparently, he prescribed her Ritalin not because she had ADHD but so that she could get better grades. To make matters even more tragic, her family now wants nothing to do with her because they are “too depleted” to maintain contact with her.
Friends and Enemies
After a huge blowout, Maddie and Rebecca storm off leaving the unicorn mystery unresolved. Trish then fesses up that it was her that had the unicorn figurine and that she sold all the pills and joints that were stuffed inside of it so she could hire a lawyer to get her daughter back. Maddie then apologizes to Rebecca and the next thing you know, they are having a confessional in the girls bathroom. Maddie threatens to flush the drugs but Rebecca tells her that they are in fact Suboxone and that she needs them for her recovery. They are banned from the house and the withdrawal is very dangerous so Maddie hands them to her and they agree to keep it a secret.
Charlotte also reached out to her supermarket friend, Bri, and tells her the truth about Maddie. Not every single detail but still a lot more truth than earlier. It’s like Craig said, she’s entering a very difficult phase of her life, so keeping friends and allowing them to support you is important.
A Brewing Romance
By the end of the episode, Maddie is left pondering her list of goals. She accomplished one thing but she is still concerned that “everyone” hates her. Wes joins her for a late night karate movie sesh and Maddie changes her list of goals to say “Make one person stop hating me.” Realistic recovery goals FTW.
Don’t forget that I will be live tweeting each new episode at @lilouinla and for @TDHRehab, so please feel free to join in on the conversation or ask any questions you may have about addiction and recovery. I will also choose one question each week to include in our #LetsTalkRecovery video series.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction or substance abuse, reach out to The Discovery House today at (818) 452-1676 where we can help you discover your recovery.