[narrator reading]
My name is Brittney. I'm 24, and I live in Laguna Hills.
The Orange County scene itself
is pretty high-quality, high-class.
[upbeat music playing]
I would like to, one day,
be my own CEO and COO of my own company.
I'd like to own country clubs, hotels.
You know, salons.
And eventually have my own empire.
However, they tell me that
I'm not where I should be in my life.
Labeling me as having a problem
and me being an alcoholic,
I think, yeah, in a lot of ways, that's overboard.
[dramatic music playing]
She is an alcoholic.
And she just doesn't believe she is.
-All right. -[laughing]
[Brittney]
to party and drink,
and I don't think I'm doing anything wrong.
[Aja]
there's a problem.
[Brittney]
I go overboard, but...
You ask anybody, you know,
who doesn't go out to drink and get...
completely messed-up?
She will overdrink, double drink,
triple drink until she's drunk and passed out.
There've been times where I've gotten so drunk
that I didn't... I don't even remember what happened.
[Melissa]
'cause she passed out on somebody's floor.
[Brittney]
"Do you remember what you said last night?"
Or, "Do you remember what you did last night?"
And I was like, "Uh..."
Guys will buy her a drink because they know,
uh, that she will pay for it in one way or another.
She could definitely go home with the wrong guy.
She
[dramatic music playing]
I've found myself in the back of a bar
just passed out.
My late-night calls. [laughs]
She's gonna end up in a situation
that she can't get out of.
[Maria]
she was the prettiest little thing.
As a child, Brittney was always sneaking food and treats.
[somber music playing]
Did a lot of closet eating and hiding food and eating,
or hiding candy and eating.
I'd find candy wrappers in the closet
or in her bed or in her shoes.
Food wrappers or, you know, old chicken bones.
It was probably around middle school for Brittney
when her weight started to, um, become an issue.
[somber music playing]
The culture of Orange County is a lot of pressure
to look good.
We went to a high school
where, you know, it was mostly Caucasian
and all of the girls were slim, tiny and in shape.
A lot of people constantly made fun of me, you know.
"Shamu" and "beached whales" and...
I just remember feeling sad about it, you know?
People made a point
to make Brittney feel like she was an outcast.
[Brittney]
And that's all I remember from back then.
I was never the popular one. I was never the pretty one.
She said, "I wanna be like skinny people.
I wanna do things skinny people do."
[Aja]
so she could have fun, so people would like her,
so people would love her, you know?
And, um, give her the attention that she wanted so much.
[uplifting music playing]
She started to get attention. People were looking at her,
you know, a lot differently.
[Maria]
They started gravitating toward her.
Just almost falling over her.
[Brittney]
people wanted to hang out with me more.
[laughs] My social life evolved rapidly.
[tense music playing]
She just immediately jumped into the fast lane.
Immediately jumped into the fast lane.
[dramatic music playing]
I was like, "All right, this is cool."
You know? "I like, uh...
I like drinking."
And she, um, got into the drinking
and the partying lifestyle.
Heavily.
It's like she just had no limits.
And the more they cheer her on, "Shots, shots, shots!"
She's just gonna keep going, 'cause she loves the attention.
[Maria]
There's times when she's drunk, she would tell me,
"I'm trying my best to... to get thin."
And I'd have to tell her, "Well, you are thin."
You know? "You did lose the weight."
"No, I'm not. I'm still fat.
Look at myself. Look at me. Can't you see that fat girl?"
I think that she's just afraid of not being popular.
I think that she's afraid of being neglected.
That's why she takes drinking
as far as she does.
[somber music playing]
Oh!
Hey, Brittney, how are you?
How you doing?
Come on in.
I'm gonna sit right here.
There's a seat for you right there.
Everyone came together here today
because they love you very, very much.
And there's a few things
that they wanna talk to you about and tell you.
All you have to do is listen.
You don't have to do anything else. That's it.
Maria?
Brittney, the things that I am concerned
about your drinking, Brittney...
You get into situations, Brittney,
that it's difficult to get out of.
I'm concerned that someone you're eventually
going to end up hanging out with
will be the wrong person,
and one day they're gonna hurt you
and possibly take your life.
Your consequences, Brittney...
[somber music playing]
I am done allowing you to manipulate me
and take advantage of my kindness,
love and respect for you.
I have given you my world.
You are getting farther and farther out of control.
And I will not see you self-destruct.
Not in my eyes, not in front of me.
If you choose not to accept this gift of healing
that is being offered to you today,
I will no longer be available to you
for anything.
You will need to leave today, right this minute.
You will no longer be allowed in this house.
The locks will be changed, the alarm will be set.
We'll not allow you back in here ever again.
Brittney, will you please accept this gift
of going to rehabilitation?
Wow, I'm sorry to disappoint you guys,
but I'm not doing that. [sniffles] I'm sorry.
I'm not doing it. I'm not going.
-I love you guys, but... -Brittney.
-Brittney! -I'm not doing it.
-I'm not doing this. -All right, all right.
-I'm not doing this. -All right, Brittney.
Well, here's what's gonna happen, then.
-I'll tell you what's up. -I guess I'm gonna leave then.
All right.
You're 24, almost 25 years old right now,
and the gig is up.
-Stop it! Get away from me! -Why don't you...
Why don't you just go get evaluated?
-Get off of me! -Why don't you get evaluated?
-Get off of me, please. -Please, Brittney.
-No! No! -Why? Why?
Because you guys are seriously overreacting!
-They're not overreacting. -Brittney.
-You are! Get off of me! -Brittney.
They're not overreacting, Brittney.
Brittney, what's the worst thing that can happen
if you just go?
You may get help.
You may learn to deal with some of the things
you've been avoiding in your life.
And you know what, if you don't have an issue,
they will send you home.
They'll send you home.
-These are professionals. -Yeah.
You got one chance.
One chance.
-Sweetheart, all these people... -Fine.
I'll go. But I...
I don't [bleep] love you anymore.
-Brittney. -That's okay.
-I don't love you anymore. -That's okay.
-Let me out! Then let's go. -That's okay.
Let's go. Get in the car, let's go.
All right. Bring the suitcase, and let's go.
Let's go.
-We'll bring the suitcase. -All right.
Hi, Brittney.
[Brittney]
I don't think I need to be here.
♪ Veins swell ♪
♪ You know me enough ♪
♪ To tell ♪
♪ Five steps you're over ♪