Alcohol dependency

Typically I wouldn't post about a topic like this but yesterday, it kind of smacked me in the face and is hard to ignore now.  On my flight yesterday, I sat next to an overweight woman in her 60s named Cathy.  Cathy had just had knee surgery on both her knees last year and had a hard time with mobility on the plane.  She had a bag full of prescription medication and she was growing increasingly frustrated looking through the bag for a specific bottle, cussing and sweating while she did it.  I volunteered to hold her bag on my lap while she dug through it and as she looked, Cathy told me about how she was a Christian, grandmother to 6 and was flying to a wedding on the West Coast.  She started tearing up and silently sobbing as she told me about how she had been to prison because of multiple DUIs and was kicked off the last flight she was on because she had been causing a scene and disturbing the other passengers.  While Cathy talked, she also kept ringing the service bell and asking me when the beverage cart was going to come by, saying that she needed a drink in the worst way.  The stewardesses refused to serve her alcohol during the flight, which was probably a smart move on their part, but by the end of the flight, Cathy was visibly shaking and started having a minor panic attack.

Prior to this, I had never met anyone who had such an obvious dependency on alcohol and the entire flight was really sad.  I thought about her young grandchildren, who probably wonder why grandma acts "funny."  And though I was able to be someone to talk to on the flight, it made me feel incredibly helpless too to know that there were plenty of other passengers who were trying to ignore the crazy lady on the flight or that the airline kick her off the plane because of her disruptive behavior.  I don't know what the solution is to a problem like this, even for just one individual like Cathy, and it's much too complex to be addressed on a blog post.  But I do know that sometimes being kind and patient will make a big difference in someone else's day, as they may be struggling with multiple invisible demons.

Comments

  1. That's an incredibly sad experience. I can only imagine the pain she and her family must go through. I've always wondered how things could get so bad to that point of dependency. I wonder if someone close to her couldn't help. Rehab, AA, friends and family support, is it enough? Is it a choice the person has to make for themselves? But if it is, when they are that dependent, can they really choose? I hope she finds some help.

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  2. How sad. :-(

    It is a powerful addiction, one of my hubby´s relatives has been an alcoholic for at least 15-20 years and have lost his family due to that. You´d think that the threat of losing ones children would be so powerful so you´d stop drinking, but no - in his case the alcohol won. :-(

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  3. This is incredibly intense. My oh my. But you're right - you never know what kind of invisible demons a person may have. I'm learning that more and more working in a neurology clinic.

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  4. That was really nice of you to help her out, Ruth. And yes...I agree with the other comments. Alcoholism is a sad problem. Have seen first hand what it can do to people and their families:(

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  5. This is a sad story. My father was an alcoholic as well and I had seen him in this exact same state before. It is a scary thing. As a loved one of someone with an alcohol problem, it is important to help them anyway you can. It is great that you were even able to help a stranger. If anyone wants to learn more about helping someone with an alcohol dependency, check out http://onlineceucredit.com/edu/social-work-ceus-gb.

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  6. That is a very sad story. It stinks when your brain takes over and you can't control yourself. People should ask for help and hopefully they could steer away from their dependency.

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  7. this is so sad. i'm one of those ppl that strangers feel the need to tell their life story to.
    i once flew with some famous skateboarder who was like that. i don't remember his name! fail.

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  8. i believe you did make a difference. some differences are far-reaching, life-changing, some are just for the moment. but those droplets make an ocean.

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  9. Thank you for sharing this article. Addiction is an incredibly difficult and painful process, that I can only imagine is challenging not only for the addict, but all of the friends, family and caregivers who watch, help, but for the most part, have to watch.

    Your blog is so wonderful to read! I love your stories, and how thoughtful your postings are.

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  10. it's great that she had you there to listen to her rooth, that kind of thing must be so difficult!
    xo

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  11. Oh wow, how sweet of you to still offer to help! Plane rides are always interesting, and it's always good to learn to appreciate what you have!

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  12. Oh what a great post, and how sweet of you to help her out - it reminds me of that quote about being kind, as everyone is fighting their own battles. It is so easy to judge someone based on their behaviour or appearance (I know I've been guilty of it at times), but we should all try to remember to look beyond and see that there's another human being there just trying as best they can to get through their life. Thank you for the reminder. Annie x

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