Extreme empathy. Feeling anothers horror.

Cainkane1 · 14th December 2009, 11:26 AM

I knew a man who worked where I worked. He hadn't had a drink in one year. He went to AA meetings religiously. One day a drunk who was suffering from DT's came to his door begging for a drink. I went with the first man and we bought a bottle of cheap vodka. My plan was to give the man suffering from DT'S the whole bottle but the man I'm talking about wanted to give the drunk doses of alcohol while he "drank himself sober".

Ok I left because I had to go to work the next day. I personally drank nothing. Ok the first guy got to drinking himself. The next day he showed up for work drunk and was sent home. The company I worked for was very fair and compassionant to this man at first.

He came to work drunk three more times and was fired. The man was in a panic. He couldn't collect unemployment because the termination was his fault. He had no one. No friends, no family nothing. He was able to pay the rent for two more months and then he was evicted. I felt his pain but I couldn't help him.

Ironically the guy with DT'S was retired and had an income comming in. My ex coworker died on the street a few years ago.

Hallo Alfie · 15th December 2009, 04:15 AM

Alcohol kills alcoholics.
Drugs kill drug addicts.

There is little, more certain in life.

I have seen and heard this (type of) story hundreds of times over, I've been to many funerals of thos who couldn't get and stay sober.

Dancing David · 15th December 2009, 04:40 AM

Well,

Relapse prevention, I as a former addict do not put my self in situations where I am at risk. Or at least I try not to.

So if someone has a serotonergic hallucinogen, I have to walk away, otherwise I will give my self permission to use. I avoid sudafed, which is much easier now due to the other decongestant.

But I think about all the unwise choices I made, in so many different ways and how by the grace of the Flying Spaghetti Monster I was not arressted, I am not homeless, I have employment, I have my family, I am not infected with some dread disease. It is truly amazing how close I was to all of those things, like the time I was the test fish in a sting operation in a state park. Seriously there was guy with a wire and the other cops were right there. But I didn't offer to buy or sell, but I shared some smoke with the dude. They let me go, and on and on and on...

Cainkane1 · 15th December 2009, 05:02 AM

Originally Posted by Dancing David

Well,

Relapse prevention, I as a former addict do not put my self in situations where I am at risk. Or at least I try not to.

So if someone has a serotonergic hallucinogen, I have to walk away, otherwise I will give my self permission to use. I avoid sudafed, which is much easier now due to the other decongestant.

But I think about all the unwise choices I made, in so many different ways and how by the grace of the Flying Spaghetti Monster I was not arressted, I am not homeless, I have employment, I have my family, I am not infected with some dread disease. It is truly amazing how close I was to all of those things, like the time I was the test fish in a sting operation in a state park. Seriously there was guy with a wire and the other cops were right there. But I didn't offer to buy or sell, but I shared some smoke with the dude. They let me go, and on and on and on...

Good for you. I only wish my ex co worker had had the sense to do as I suggested.

WitchyWoman · 15th December 2009, 06:53 AM

I'm sorry you had to experience that. As a child of an alcoholic (who died an alcoholic) its something you can't take on yourself. It's a sickness.

Ivor the Engineer · 15th December 2009, 07:01 AM

Why is this in SMM&T?

Safe-Keeper · 15th December 2009, 09:11 AM

Tragic story. I volunteer at a publishing house that lets drug addicts and others in a troubled financial situation sell street magazines, and I'm eternally thankful I never started doing drugs. It's not a life I'd wish upon my worst enemy.

WitchyWoman · 15th December 2009, 08:49 PM

Have you watched intervention?? Eeeep. Makes me cringe. We've done projects for raise the roof. Handing out warm clothes and food to the homeless, the things you see, so scary and so sad. Lots of addicts there because they have lost everything.
I'm with Safe-Keeper.....so happy I never went down that road.

14th December 2009, 11:26 AM	#1
Cainkane1 Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The great American southeast Posts: 7,198	Extreme empathy. Feeling anothers horror. I knew a man who worked where I worked. He hadn't had a drink in one year. He went to AA meetings religiously. One day a drunk who was suffering from DT's came to his door begging for a drink. I went with the first man and we bought a bottle of cheap vodka. My plan was to give the man suffering from DT'S the whole bottle but the man I'm talking about wanted to give the drunk doses of alcohol while he "drank himself sober". Ok I left because I had to go to work the next day. I personally drank nothing. Ok the first guy got to drinking himself. The next day he showed up for work drunk and was sent home. The company I worked for was very fair and compassionant to this man at first. He came to work drunk three more times and was fired. The man was in a panic. He couldn't collect unemployment because the termination was his fault. He had no one. No friends, no family nothing. He was able to pay the rent for two more months and then he was evicted. I felt his pain but I couldn't help him. Ironically the guy with DT'S was retired and had an income comming in. My ex coworker died on the street a few years ago.
	__________________ If at first you don't succeed try try again. Then if you fail to succeed to Hell with that. Try something else.

15th December 2009, 04:15 AM	#2
Hallo Alfie Alexithymically superadjusted Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 10,015	Alcohol kills alcoholics. Drugs kill drug addicts. There is little, more certain in life. I have seen and heard this (type of) story hundreds of times over, I've been to many funerals of thos who couldn't get and stay sober.
	__________________ Alfie is a real goose. Lionking http://forums.randi.org/member.php?u=14601 'Sex by surprise is a form of "rape" unknown outside of Sweden.' Bit Pattern http://forums.randi.org/showthread.p...91#post8776491 'Show me a young conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains.' Francois Guizot

15th December 2009, 04:40 AM	#3
Dancing David Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 34,729	Well, Relapse prevention, I as a former addict do not put my self in situations where I am at risk. Or at least I try not to. So if someone has a serotonergic hallucinogen, I have to walk away, otherwise I will give my self permission to use. I avoid sudafed, which is much easier now due to the other decongestant. But I think about all the unwise choices I made, in so many different ways and how by the grace of the Flying Spaghetti Monster I was not arressted, I am not homeless, I have employment, I have my family, I am not infected with some dread disease. It is truly amazing how close I was to all of those things, like the time I was the test fish in a sting operation in a state park. Seriously there was guy with a wire and the other cops were right there. But I didn't offer to buy or sell, but I shared some smoke with the dude. They let me go, and on and on and on...
	__________________ Hell, dynamiting fish in a barrel is more challenging. - Ladewig I suspect you are a sandwich, metaphorically speaking. -Donn And a shot rang out. Now Space is doing time... -Ben Burch You built the toilet - don't complain when people crap in it. _Kid Eager

15th December 2009, 05:02 AM	#4
Cainkane1 Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The great American southeast Posts: 7,198	Originally Posted by Dancing David Well, Relapse prevention, I as a former addict do not put my self in situations where I am at risk. Or at least I try not to. So if someone has a serotonergic hallucinogen, I have to walk away, otherwise I will give my self permission to use. I avoid sudafed, which is much easier now due to the other decongestant. But I think about all the unwise choices I made, in so many different ways and how by the grace of the Flying Spaghetti Monster I was not arressted, I am not homeless, I have employment, I have my family, I am not infected with some dread disease. It is truly amazing how close I was to all of those things, like the time I was the test fish in a sting operation in a state park. Seriously there was guy with a wire and the other cops were right there. But I didn't offer to buy or sell, but I shared some smoke with the dude. They let me go, and on and on and on... Good for you. I only wish my ex co worker had had the sense to do as I suggested.
	__________________ If at first you don't succeed try try again. Then if you fail to succeed to Hell with that. Try something else.

15th December 2009, 06:53 AM	#5
WitchyWoman Scholar Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 100	I'm sorry you had to experience that. As a child of an alcoholic (who died an alcoholic) its something you can't take on yourself. It's a sickness.
WitchyWoman Scholar Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 100	__________________ Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable. -Mark Twain It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair

15th December 2009, 07:01 AM	#6
Ivor the Engineer Philosopher Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: South Britain, near the middle Posts: 9,553	Why is this in SMM&T?
	__________________ My Blog.

15th December 2009, 09:11 AM	#7
Safe-Keeper Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sogndal, Norway Posts: 7,121	Tragic story. I volunteer at a publishing house that lets drug addicts and others in a troubled financial situation sell street magazines, and I'm eternally thankful I never started doing drugs. It's not a life I'd wish upon my worst enemy.

15th December 2009, 08:49 PM	#8
WitchyWoman Scholar Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 100	Have you watched intervention?? Eeeep. Makes me cringe. We've done projects for raise the roof. Handing out warm clothes and food to the homeless, the things you see, so scary and so sad. Lots of addicts there because they have lost everything. I'm with Safe-Keeper.....so happy I never went down that road.
WitchyWoman Scholar Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 100	__________________ Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable. -Mark Twain It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair