Ep 3. Love in Vein

Set against the backdrop of the heroin epidemic ravaging the United States, Dopesick Nation is a riveting docuseries that follows recovering addict Frankie Holmes and his former dealer Allie Severino as they travel across the country helping other addicts find the care and support they need to get clean. In season one, episode three, titled "Love in Vein," Frankie and Allie travel to Huntington, West Virginia, where they meet a couple who has been using drugs together for 17 years.

As soon as Frankie and Allie arrive in Huntington, it's clear that the situation is dire. The couple they're there to help, Rachel and Eric, are both severely addicted to heroin. They've been together for almost two decades, and their bond is built on their shared addiction. "We're in love with each other and the drugs," Rachel admits. She sees Eric as her soulmate, but she knows that their addiction is killing them both. "One of us is gonna die first," she says.

Frankie and Allie are shocked by how entrenched Rachel and Eric's addiction is. They see firsthand how the couple steals and lies to support their habit. Rachel and Eric are visibly uncomfortable at first, hesitant to let Frankie and Allie into their lives. But over time, they begin to open up about their struggles.

Rachel has been in and out of rehab, but her longest stint of sobriety was just 14 months. Eric, on the other hand, has never tried to get clean. He's resigned himself to the fact that he'll be an addict forever. "I've come to the realization that I really can't picture myself living life without drugs," he says.

As Frankie and Allie work with Rachel and Eric, they quickly realize that the couple's addiction is only part of the problem. Rachel and Eric's relationship is toxic, built on codependency and trauma. Both have experienced abuse and neglect in their lives, and they've latched onto each other as a means of survival. "We've been through every single traumatic thing you can imagine," Rachel says. "And it's like, who else are we gonna be with? We have each other."

Frankie and Allie know that getting Rachel and Eric sober is going to require more than just detoxing. They need to address the underlying issues that are keeping the couple trapped in their addiction. So they set out to find them therapy and counseling services, hoping to help Rachel and Eric break the cycle of trauma and addiction that has defined their lives for so long.

The road to recovery is long and difficult, and it's not without setbacks. Rachel and Eric struggle to stay clean, and their relationship continues to be fraught with tension and mistrust. But Frankie and Allie remain committed to helping them in any way they can.

As "Love in Vein" comes to a close, Rachel and Eric have both completed detox and are preparing to enter a sober living facility. Their future is uncertain, but they're hopeful that they can finally break free from the grip of addiction and build a healthy, sustainable life together. It's clear that Frankie and Allie's work has had a significant impact on the couple's lives, and they're both grateful for the support they've received. "It's a real good feeling that somebody cares," Eric says. "It's a good feeling that somebody gives a shit."