More times than not, the media depicts addiction and recovery all wrong. In both movies and tv series, the person with a substance use disorder is either the villain or butt of the joke. However, there are shows that are trying to break this trend.  If you’re looking for something new to watch that delves into the TRUTH behind recovery and addiction, check out these 7 shows. 

The Queen’s Gambit 

The Queen’s Gambit is one of the hottest shows on Netflix right now. It’s an honest and refreshing depiction of women resorting to drugs and alcohol to cope with trauma and the hardships of daily life.  The series takes place in the late ’50s and early ’60s and centers around a young chess prodigy named Beth Harmon. Orphaned at a young age, Beth along with the other girls at the orphanage were given “vitamins” that in reality were tranquilizers. 

 Throughout the series, Beth struggles with an addiction to these tranquilizers, which she takes in massive quantities to help her chess strategy. The dysfunctional relationship between the protagonist, Beth, and her adopted mother, Alma, shows how women during this time used alcohol and drugs to deal with anxiety, insomnia, and the overall difficulties of everyday life. The show focuses on how the destruction of Beth’s addiction eventually makes her learn to come to terms with her own trauma.  The Queen’s Gambit does an amazing job of exploring American culture by revealing how prominent alcohol and drug abuse really was for women during this time.  

This show deals with overdose and drug and alcohol use which could be triggering for some.  

This is Us 

NBC’s hit television series This is Us is wildly loved for its honesty, and portrayal of many heartbreaking, controversial, yet everyday issues. This show will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions that never fails at leaving you teary-eyed. Not only does the show expose the realities of family hardship such as adoption, death in the family, the show also shines a light on substance addiction, eating disorders, and mental health issues. 

Nurse Jackie 

The Showtime dramedy, Nurse Jackie follows a drug-addicted nurse in a New York City hospital. The co-creators of the show both struggled with alcohol addiction and created the show to show the realities of a high-functioning addict who has a high-profile job. Nurse Jackie portrays life as high-functioning addiction like a tight-rope walk, in which falling off results in pain and destruction. 

Mom 

Mom is a CBS comedy series following the life of a mother and daughter – both in recovery.  Throughout the series, the daughter, Christy, battles temptations to drink and regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Christy’s mother Bonnie, a recovering-alcoholic, re-enters her life only to cause her more stress with her passive-aggressive comments. Christy, her mom, and their friends create an open dialogue around their past and lean on each other to stay sober in the face of the conflicts in each episode. The show is praised for covering difficult topics like addiction, alcoholism, relapse, domestic abuse, and homelessness in a humorous yet realistic way.  

Feel Good 

Netflix released Feel Good, a semi-autobiographical comedy series in March 2020.  The series goes into the story of Canadian comedian Mae Martin’s struggle with addiction. Feel Good is a deeply personal and poignant story about the unique pressures of navigating the modern-day fluid landscape of gender and sexuality. Things become even more complicated for her, as she gets into an all-consuming relationship with her new girlfriend, George, played by Charlotte Ritchie. As the show goes on, we see how Mae’s struggle with addiction goes back to when she was a teenager. She’s still processing anger at her parents-with an incredible performance by Lisa Kudrow as Mae’s overbearing mom-for kicking her out of the house when she was young. Feel Good is a charming and intimate representation of addiction and love. 

Love 

Netflix’s Love is a dark quirky comedy about navigating modern relationships through the perspective of a couple struggling with addiction, Mickey and Gus.  Though addiction is not the main focus of the show, it’s prevalent and discusses how it impacts relationships. Mickey abuses alcohol and prescription medications start going to AA meetings, though struggles to stay sober.  However, Mickey never truly reaches a perilous rock bottom like many other shows depicts, sensationalizing addiction. Instead, addiction prevents Mickey from connecting with others and living a fulfilling life.  

Flaked 

The Netflix dramedy series Flaked was co-created and directed by Will Arnett which largely draws on his own experiences with alcoholism and divorce while living in Venice, CA. The show portrays the main characters regularly attending AA meetings and coping with their challenges with sobriety. Arnett maintains some mystery about the main character’s past which draws you into his story and his struggles with alcohol. 

If you are looking to change your relationship to drugs or alcohol, and build healthier relationships, check out our warm, welcoming Avalon community! Join our free meetings by phone, by Zoom, or in person at www.avalonrecoverysociety.org/meeting-schedule/