Sure, we all knew it was coming.
But there was still something shocking about witnessing the build-up and aftermath of Amber Portwood’s arrest for domestic violence.
The moment was captured on Monday night’s episode of Teen Mom OG, and while many have delighted in making (well-deserved) jokes at Amber’s expense, her scenes reminded us that this is a deeply troubled woman who is badly in need of professional help.
Fortunately, she is taking some steps to treat her mental health issues.
However, as we learned last night, different people seem to be receiving different information about Amber’s emotional state.
And it seems she may not have been taking her therapist’s input seriously enough.
"There’s just too much life to live to keep living this way. Then you have those moments, where you’re not proud and you’re like… ‘ugh, I did it again,’" she told the therapist while discussing one of her recent outbursts.
"I push away happiness, which leads to like pushing away you. All you can do is just be there for me and be happy," she later told Andrew when he asked about the session.
Unfortunately, when talking to her friend Krystal, Amber fell right back into the self-pity trap that’s been the cause of so many of her problems.
"He’ll joke when it’s not time to joke," Portwood said of Glennon.
"I just think that when he jokes when we’re talking about things that bother me, that bothers me. I know it’s hard for people to understand."
Shortly thereafter, we cut to the familiar black screen with the ominous white text:
"On the night of July 4th, Andrew sent a text message to 911," it reads.
An officer’s voice could be heard saying, "I received a text message from someone that their life and their son’s life is in danger,"
We see Amber’s mug shot, and the implication is clear.
As was now know, Amber (allegedly) attacked Andrew with a machete and even struck him while he was holding her 1-year-old son.
The altercation reportedly occurred when Amber became upset that the family was running late for their local Fourth of July fireworks display.
From there, we cut to the other people who are most affected by Amber’s actions — her daughter Leah, her ex Gary Shirley, and Gary’s wife Kristina.
"I wish we could just wake up and say it was a dream," Kristina said.
"You know, if anything is true, from what I heard, there need to be some sort of repercussions for something," Shirley added.
"He’s saying one thing. She’s saying one thing. And a hit’s a hit. Whether you do it with a flip flop or a hammer," he continued.
"I mean this has an impact on all of us. She didn’t just affect her own self and her own family, it trickles down to us too."
"It’s heartbreaking. I know it’s flipped the world upside down of everyone that’s involved," Kristina said.
"How do we continue to co-parent with, you know, the legal issues involved and Leah’s emotions? And I know that you’re taking it pretty rough too."
"My heart breaks for the kids. I went through this with her," Gary added.
Leah went through this with her. And now, it sounds to me like James is gonna have to go through this."
Kristina then pointed out that this time is different, as Kristina is old enough to understand the situation:
"I mean, ultimately, Leah is almost 11. She knows a lot of what’s going on," Kristina said.
"I think the only thing she’s said to me though was, ‘If mommy goes back to prison, what will happen to James? Will James be taken away from me as well?’ And I don’t have those answers, I don’t know how to answer her," she added.
"She deserves to be a kid, and these are adult situations."
The remainder of Amber’s storyline may have focused on her family out of necessity (since she was still in jail), but the editorial choice served to highlight her most crippling issue — the woman consistently fails to consider how her actions impact others.
And it’s a tendency that’s sure to cause her more problems down the line.
