[narrator reading text on screen]
"Her mind travels from this to there
and wonders how in the world
she's able to manage step by step..."
[Katie]
I'm 25.
[Katie]
"The mirrored images on walls..."
[Katie]
to people that will understand and appreciate
what it is that I'm saying...
"...make dancers in her own wheel."
It's like the most beautiful thing.
[man 1]
with this tremendous gift.
She's a brilliant writer.
She always wanted to be a poet.
[Katie] It was my first published one.
I'm an alcoholic. Absolutely.
Absolutely.
[dramatic music]
[Robert]
Anything that she can get her hand on.
She hides a bottle of vodka under her bed.
If Katie doesn't get help,
Katie is going to die.
Katie's arrival was the happiest time of my life.
[woman 1]
they were this perfect young couple.
They had everything in front of them.
[Robert]
two young people in their early twenties
making a lot of money.
[Katie]
the thing that I remember
that was the most striking, impactful thing as a young girl
was my relationship with my grandfather.
Her grandpa adored her.
Adored her.
[Katie]
he was remarkable.
With my father, everything was the best,
-the biggest.
We love you and happy birthday.
Life with that family in Las Vegas
was fabulous.
Phil, happy birthday.
[Lorrie]
to live up to the expectations of my father.
And all of that got bounced back to Katie,
as what love was.
[plays gentle melody]
Katie was extremely talented.
Any single thing that she did,
she did it one hundred percent.
[April]
music, theatre...
Ballet and dance. Yes!
She was just gonna conquer the world.
[dramatic music]
[Robert]
and he kind of took care of everything.
And that was kind of pulled from under everybody.
[April]
And... it really wasn't the same.
My parents' relationship...
changed drastically.
I watched that turn into almost like a hatred
for each other.
And it was arguing,
arguing over everything.
[Lorrie]
She needed to get out of...
that toxic environment...
immediately.
She loved school.
She loved learning.
I met teachers and professors that profoundly changed my life.
Who told me, basically, that it was cool to be a writer.
She wanted us all to come to readings
and she was very excited about it.
She felt like she had found new depth.
[Arielle]
And she said, "You don't understand
Something happened."
She very blatantly shut off the rest of that conversation.
You know, I don't know the answer to that question,
because I don't...
really know, so... there.
Can I smoke a cigarette? Am I allowed? Okay.
[ominous music]
My family...
they just sort of took me
as the Katherine Elizabeth
that knew what she was doing always.
And didn't realized that I was actually
I mean, I don't know what else you want me to say.
Drinking was a way to escape.
The fact that I started drinking, like, for real,
hardcore,
came because I was...
justifying in my mind the fact that I was grinding on guys
for money.
My family should've noticed sooner because...
I think they did notice.
I think they didn't say anything.
[Lorrie]
because they did.
But they were too distracted
by their own situation
to be focused on her the way...
that two happy parents
would have been.
I don't think they gave a [bleep] really, quite frankly.
This is my mom's room.
She has the same... gnarly disorder that I do.
[dramatic music]
I love a good glass of wine. I'm not gonna deny it.
But who doesn't on occasion?
It's not a bad thing.
She doesn't cop to the fact that she's an alcoholic.
[Robert] That's what you like to do is drink and chain smoke.
You're an obnoxious drunk,
Katie.
A freaking drunk...
who cares only about herself.
[Lorrie]
He's not showing her love.
I'm really proud of you.
[Lorrie]
I don't wanna look at you or see you.
[Lorrie]
But he's making Katie's life...
worse.
[Robert] You're such a freaking loser
I can't even stand it.
[Katie]
he's kind of looking in the mirror at his own [bleep]
of his complacency as a human being.
And I think...
he can't handle it.
Other people get up and freaking get jobs!
Like your wife, right?
Like my 25-year-old loser [bleep] daughter
that I have to [bleep] support.
That's what, Katie.
"My dearest Katie."
[sniffles] "You know why we're all here.
You're suffering
from a disease
that has taken your spirit away from us.
Seth asked us if we would be willing to do
anything at all...
to help you.
I looked deep into my soul
and realized
the best thing I could do for you
was to help myself."
[sobs]
"So...
I've agreed to get the treatment...
To get treatment."
I'm flying up to San Francisco with Dad tonight.
[solemn music]
[sobs]
"I have agreed to accept
this wonderful opportunity, Katie,
to heal.
Please, join me."
Okay?
"We used to have the most wonderful family
and I'm willing to do whatever it takes
to get that family back."
I love you, Mom.
I love you very much.
-I love you. -Very, very much.
I'm so proud of you, Mom.
I'd love you to follow your mom.
Of course.
Yeah, of course I'm... Of course.
Thank you very much.
-Oh, thank God, -I love you so much.
Really, Mom. I love you so much.
-This is, like, the best thing. -I know you do.
I love you more.
[gentle music]
[Katie]
It feels...
phenomenal.
[dramatic music]
It was a brutal sexual assault.
It was terrible.
I didn't tell anybody in my family
because I was so ashamed
that I couldn't make something so grotesque speakable.
♪ Veins swell ♪
♪ You know me well enough ♪
♪ To tell ♪
♪ Five steps, you're over ♪
["Five Steps" by The Davenports]
♪ Quick cut ♪
♪ Five... ♪