First transmitted in January 2004

This innovative drama is an intimate and affecting modern love story that explores the raw emotions that addiction and therapy expose.

Coming round from another drunken stupor, Jake, a failed musician, is admitted to the Promis centre for alcohol addiction. Following his initial hostility to the clinic's methods, Jake begins to accept he has problems - and not just with alcohol.  But his treatment is complicated when he starts a relationship with Emma, an attractive young woman being treated for cocaine addiction.  After a drug-fuelled night, they are faced with a stark choice: they either return to their old ways or tackle their self-destructive behaviour.

Comfortably Numb throws a spotlight on the addiction and rehabilitation process. It deals with a range of issues - from the addicts' manipulative behaviour and their constant struggle for self-control to the intense nature of the bonds that emerge between addicts and their counsellors.

Aside from the two protagonists, the entire cast is made up of ex-addicts and counsellors whose personal experience have shaped both the research and the improvisational aspects of the film. Their intimate knowledge of the way the treatment process works creates a realistic portrayal of addiction and insight into the treatment process.

Home
Information available on Channel 4 Health
Organisations
Recovery and rehabilitation programmes