You sit in at a hearing in Pennsylvania’s capitol building on insurance policies relating to addiction treatment.

A medium close-up of Roberta Lojack, mother of Ashley Lojack, recounts her story of trying to help her daughter get clean. Roberta proceeds to read a letter Ashley wrote before she passed.

She writes, “I don’t want to end up like my old friends and be a dope head my whole life.” After six weeks of outpatient treatment, Ashley was discharged and later relapsed on heroin. 

This is just one of many stories of addiction that plague Americans in “Addiction: A Comprehensive View.”

Can’t access the video? To watch the video above, click here.

The 86-minute documentary is one of a 14-part HBO series called Addiction dedicated to covering substance abuse. It follows first responders, families and addicts to understand common factors and challenges they may currently face.

As a documentary, this film allows for an open dialogue and discussion about the insights of drug addiction and substance abuse. You are up close and personal with real people, seeing their day-to-day lives play out. 

An example is a close-up of a patient’s arm revealing two deep wounds from an accident that involved alcohol. Another, a medium shot of a patient receiving CPR from medical staff as they desperately try to keep their patient alive. First responders encounter countless incidents related to substance abuse, and not all victims survive. I felt the silence of the room and the heartbreak of losing someone who had their whole life ahead of them.

The most intriguing footage and dialogue come from families and addicts themselves. You hear stories of parents who are trying to understand why their children are using and if they are part of that reason. Following recovering addicts to rehab sessions, hearing the advice they get and seeing how they react to that advice are especially powerful.

Addicts from the suburbs, ghettos, schools and the workforce show that addiction is more common in our society than just this specific place or that area. An important message from these interviews and discussions with addicts and doctors is that getting over addiction takes time and support. Getting clean isn’t a one-day process. 

Graphics with links to more information on drug addiction are shown throughout the film to provide more insight into the problem at hand. Statistics are also provided as reinforcing evidence. 

I found this film insightful into the ongoing battle of addiction and the process of rehabilitation. Some scenes are not for the faint of heart, but based on its clear transparency into addiction, I recommend that those interested in this subject watch this film.   

This film is part of a collection provided by San Diego City College Library Video and Captioning database. This resource is free to all students, with student login information to access the database. For other library information and resources, click here.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with the YouTube link to allow app users to access the embedded video.