AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

[Alky]

I watched a couple of episodes of A&E Network's program "Intervention." For those of you who haven't seen it, an addict's life is documented, whether it be alcohol, drugs, gambling or a combination thereof, and at the end of each episode, a professional interventionist leads the family in an intervention to try and get the addict into rehab.

In one episode, it is stated that an alcoholic mother consumed up to a gallon of vodka daily. Granted, she is overweight (I wouldn't say morbidly, though), but I just don't see how this is humanly possible. The alcoholic lived in Utah, so I'm assuming that they're referring to a US gallon, which is about 3.7 liters, or about the equivalent of five fifths in a 16-24 hour period. They did qualify it by saying, "up to a gallon," but this implies that at some point she had. Even at my hardest drinking, I could barely choke down a fifth in a 12-16 hour period. I can't help but to think these quantities are exaggerated and sensationalized in the name of ratings. Same thing with another alcoholic, a woman of normal proportions who drank "10 bottles of wine per day." That's 7.5 liters of wine. I can't imagine drinking 7.5 liters of ANYTHING. I can believe Duff McKagan (bass player for Guns n' Roses) did it, but we're talking about a hard-partying rock musician who led a high-flying lifestyle. It's difficult for me to swallow that an alcoholic suburban mom does the same.

[paulywogg]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

Alky,i think over time in some people tolerance can build pretty damn high,ive drank 30 beers a day on benders and im not overweight or tall,but who knows?maybe they just say it to astonish viewers

[looking for peace]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

Alky, I saw the episodes you are talking about and have also questioned that quantity. All that I could think of was that the person drinking was mistaking the big half gallon bottles of vodka for full gallon bottles. I don't think they even sell full gallon bottles of vodka retail.

Anyway regardless, it's still way too much. I know I have posted this about the show Intervention before, but I found it an excuse to keep drinking. The people on it were so over the top that in comparison I was still "ok". After all, they were real alcoholics... I was a saint compared to them. I never thought I would get as bad as them so I felt relieved that I didn't have a problem. NOT.

[Alky]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

Yeah, I'm going to call BS. I ran the stats through an online BAC calculator. I estimated the weight of the heavier woman at 275 and the weight of the normally proportioned woman at 140, and drinking in the quantities they described would result in BAC's over 1. There is no documented evidence that anyone has survived a BAC over 1. And the only reason Duff McKagan probably survived is that he was probably simultaneously hopped up on cocaine.

In comparison, Pauly, 30 light beers in 24 hours would result in a BAC in the .4's - getting up there, but at least survivable.

Looking, I only watched a few episodes and I'm not impressed. Several were kicked out of rehab for disruptive behavior and/or drinking/using, two flat out refused to go, and more than a few relapsed and ended up doing jail time. The success stories seem few and far in between. My own rehab experience was a "one trick pony" in that they just hammered into you that you are an addict and you always will be, when in reality, many of us need several tools to get us through the rough patches.

[Sunbeam]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

I agree with Peace: this show sounds like it sends the message that these are the "real" alcoholics, and people drinking less than this may be normal. It reinforces stereotypes instead of the stories of real people. I'll bet everyone goes off to rehab, then lives happily ever after. Pure entertainment, helping no one.

[Alky]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

Sunbeam, perhaps it was just the episodes I saw, but there were very few happy outcomes. Two refused to go to treatment, several more were kicked out of treatment for disruptive behavior and/or drinking/using and several others completed treatment but relapsed. The positive outcomes seemed few and far in between. Again, it could have been the specific episodes I saw, but in my experience it is not a "touchy-feely feel-good" show.

And again, after running the numbers through a BAC calculator, I think the amounts the show says these people drink are exaggerated to make them look worse than they really are. Seriously, a GALLON of vodka in 24 hours? That would give you a BAC of 1.1 at least and there is no documented evidence that anyone had survived a BAC that high.

[K9Lover]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

I agree that these are the "worst of the worst" drinkers picked for ratings. They really should highlight an average mom, drinking 12 beers a night, holding down a job and being overall functioning (with a few mishaps here and there). It would be a lot more believable. And it would also send the message that you don't HAVE to be a falling-down-passing-out-on-the-lawn drunk to have a problem. You can appear "normal" and still be an alcoholic. The people they pick for the show OBVIOUSLY have a problem. Duh.

[treetops]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

I have always wondered about the ethics of these shows. How do they get 'informed consent' of any kind? I really liked the UK doco (I think it's the one with Vanya in it) because the doco maker confronted his ethical dilemma of making the doco and watching someone kill themselves.

I also think it's easy for many viewers to think that alkies are another breed and to self justify that they don't have a problem as their own drinking is not so bad.
Having said that 'shock docos' helped to kick me up the bum to stop.

[looking for peace]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

There are 128 ounces in a gallon. At 1.5 ounces per standard drink is 96 drinks per 24 hours. Even at 2 ounces per drink that's 64 drinks per 24 hours. Same as 64 to 96 beers.

Yikes!

[Poink]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

Yeah, I'm with you on calling BS. As an alcoholic with a lot of alcoholic friends and who has attended maybe thousands of AA meetings, I've never met anyone who claimed to drink that much. Even when I would be on benders where I would get drunk/pass out/get drunk/pass out 3 or 4 times in each 24 hour period for several days running I wasn't hitting a gallon a day. That's a lot of booze.

[byebyebridgetjones]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

I share your thoughts and horror folks.
I tend to watch Intervention as one would watch a car accident. Just can't look away.

I do remember one episode where the gent drank and vomited on a continuous cycle. I imagine the amount he got through was astounding.

But for the grace of God and all that......

[Alky]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

i stand corrected. I guess there are documented cases of a (very) few people surviving BAC's of 1+:

Blood alcohol content - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So I suppose it's possible that these alcoholics on this show did drink in the quantities stated, I still don't believe it's plausible. More people have been to the moon than have survived BAC's of this magnitude.

[bettygirl]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

to be fair, the families of these people are at their wits end and desperate for help. that means the addict is probably at death's door. we all know alcoholism is a progressive disease. when I first started I could drink 3 beers and be drunk, at the end I drank 2-3 bottles (or most of a box) of wine a night...It would have killed me in the beginning. the tolerance levels of some people amazes me. I know a woman who drinks the bigger bottle of vodka (750 mls?) a day plus some beers thrown in to "slow her down". she isn't functioning at all, but she manages not to die.

[bettygirl]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

it would be nice to have a show about average drinkers, but those people aren't desperate. it's like the "rock bottom" theory, some people need theirs to be extreme, and some folks can quit on their own because they want to. addiction is as varied as the addicts themselves.

the last episode of intervention had their statistics at the end of the show. I don't remember the numbers, but it's out there, if you are interested.

I agree it is like a car accident, and I would watch it while drinking (well, I drank everyday, so, duh!), and feel like I was just fine...

[paulywogg]

AE Network Intervention/Exaggeration of alcohol consumption?

I dunno,i watched this show alot and it woul sometimes scare me into trying to quit,but then again it would scare me into not trying cuz i figured it couldnt be done without rehab