Educate Yourself With These Documentaries About Substance Abuse and Addiction
Most of us have seen the show “Intervention” on TLC, and if you’re anything like me, have been extremely grateful to have never been on it. It features real life exposure of addicts and alcoholics whose families step in to get them the help they need, but with the ever-present camera and film crew on hand at all times.
The rise of the acceptance of addiction as a disease, particularly in light of addicted America’s opioid crisis, has recently brought it into the spotlight of mainstream media, including documentaries about addiction, and it’s unclear whether it’s doing damage or helping to shed light on the reality that many of us know all too well.
Regardless, if you are looking to learn more about drug addiction, the harmful impacts it can have, and how people suffering from substance abuse overcome their conditions, keep reading to discover addiction documentary recommendations covering a range of substances and populations.
Top Addiction Documentaries
For documentaries about addiction to be helpful to society, an unbiased approach and a goal to shed truth is probably the best place to start. TLC has made some headway with this, however, there are some documentaries and films out there that aren’t quite as scripted and dare I say… patronizing? Here is a short list of some of the most highly regarded documentaries and films.
Addiction
The Vice channel has broadcast a series called plainly, Addiction. The first episode features a city in Indonesia where the residents use cigarettes as a way to prevent cancer, with even the children smoking in the belief that it is beneficial to their health.
Obviously, this is taboo for America, and the show details the struggle these communities feel between doing what they think is good, regardless of what science and society tell them (sound familiar?).
The second episode of the documentary features a man who, as a long time struggling heroin user in search of addiction recovery, goes to Mexico to try an herbal cure to kick his habit.
The main reason why the show is so good is that it’s real life. It’s very raw and unbiased and doesn’t try to take a side on the issue. It is simply, documenting, and shedding a light on the widespread influence of drug addiction across the world.
Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery
We are used to watching movies where our favorite actors are portrayed drinking and sometimes doing drugs, (if you love Seth Rogen like I do, you’re aware that he sure does love smoking pot) so it’s nice to know that there are actors out there just like we are.
Like many other victims of the heroin epidemic, Russell struggled with his addiction for years, using uppers and downers together, and was finally told he would end up in jail or a psych ward if he didn’t stop.
His documentary is not a life story but an eye opening view for addicts and normies, about how addiction should be treated as a disease, and how drug companies and the government ties into everything.
Like Vice, it’s raw and smart and has no biased opinion except to shed the truth of the drug crisis and what the recovery journey can look like while in the spotlight.
Overtaken
This documentary about addiction features interviews with young people who have experienced near-death situations from abusing drugs or alcohol.
The shining light of this outstanding short documentary lies in the wide scope of “types” of people. There are star athletes, teens with high GPA’s, kids in student government, etc.
It’s a blaring reminder of how this disease can affect anyone of any type, whether you’re a straight-A student or high-school dropout, and how fast it can come into effect.
Ben: Diary of a Heroin Addict
This film is about a boy from the upper middle class, a boy scout who, to the outsider, had a life that was set up for success. However, he fell into his heroin addiction and documented his last few months.
The documentary follows him as he struggles to maintain his habit, from finding an acceptable spot to shoot into, to telling lies to his family and friends. The film is a brutally honest view into the daily life of anyone struggling with an addiction, particularly young heroin addicts, and the pain and torment they go through to achieve their high.
Kids on Ice
This documentary follows a group of teens from Australia and their struggle with methamphetamine addiction. With the cheap and shoddy manufacturing and easy accessibility, the ice drug has become known as one of the most dangerous drugs on earth, and one of the leading causes of drug overdose in the US.
Highlighting this region in Australia, the film exposes the low resources available for treatment, to the severe damage of the use of the drug. The teens struggle as they fall deeper into their addictions, experiencing violent fits, relationship turmoil, and the rapid deterioration of their bodies and minds.
Documentary Films About Drug Abuse and Addiction
Requiem for a Dream
While this film isn’t a documentary, it was one of the first times I ever watched someone destroy their life with drugs. It starts with a widow who, once accepted to be on a game show, becomes addicted to her diet pills and sedatives to regain her once youthful figure.
Meanwhile, her son and his two friends are violently addicted to heroin and engage in petty theft and other immoral acts to get their high. This film left such an imprint on me that when I was heavily in my addiction and doing immoral things, scenes from this movie would flash into my mind.
Recovery Boys
Acknowledging the harm the opioid epidemic currently wracking the nation has caused, Recovery Boys is a documentary film following four men as they try to reinvent their lives, mend broken relationships, and become sober members of society after years of opioid abuse and the corresponding fallout in their lives.
The documentary gives viewers a personal look at the opioid epidemic, understanding that the stigma surrounding opioid addiction (and other substance use disorders) can often prevent those struggling from getting the help they need.
The Basketball Diaries
Featuring a star-studded cast, this movie was adapted from the autobiography of Jim Caroll. The author was a young basketball star living in New York. The former gifted athlete had every opportunity to make it to the NBA but was introduced to pills, and eventually became addicted to heroin with his friends.
The true life story follows the boys as they abandon the basketball court to essentially become full-time drug users, chasing their addictions on the street. They engage in robberies, shootings, prostitution, and various crimes in order to fuel their use.
American Addict
This addiction documentary provides an informed view into how pharmaceutical companies, politics, and the healthcare system have led America to be so deep in the trenches of drug addiction and field the rise of the opioid epidemic.
Particularly when it comes to prescription painkillers, the documentary highlights how the supposed Land of the Free serves as the one that is most entangled in the grips of substance abuse.
Do No Harm: The Opioid Epidemic
This documentary is filmed in Seattle, Kentucky, and New Hampshire, which are considered to be ground zeros of the opioid epidemic. When watching this documentary, viewers are able to witness the harrowing stories of recovering addicts and families who have lost loved ones to the epidemic, discover leading doctor’s and law enforcement officer’s insights on the epidemic, and discover the role of politicians and drug companies’ shameful practices and failure to comply with drug laws and take responsibility for their role in the epidemic.
Heroin: Cape Cod
A look at the lives of eight young heroin addicts, who are personally attempting to survive America’s opioid crisis in one the wealthier regions of Massachusetts. With the Bay State being at the forefront of dealers pushing cheap heroin, this insightful documentary by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Steven Okazaki (the same director of the 1991 film ‘Days of Waiting’) takes a look at the human toll of opiates and the difficulty of making the transition from addiction to recovery.
Where to Watch Your Next Addiction Documentary
Many of these films are on Netflix or can be watched online, and there are countless more out there. They range from first-hand footage of addicts and alcoholics, all the way to the war on drugs and the effects of Big Pharma.
So whether you’re looking for a raw day-by-day view into the eyes of an addict or more understanding as to why the system works the way it does, documentaries about addictions are a great place to start.
Educational Tools for Understanding Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Some of these films may depict violence and other graphic themes and, of course, show quite a bit of drug use. If you’re like me, watching someone engage in my previous drug of choice can make you feel a whole lot of uncomfortability. My only recommendation is that you don’t watch them alone, and you hit a meeting afterward!
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