Addiction

A City of Milwaukee police officer stood outside a room in an intensive care unit. He seemed bored, so I offered him a cup of coffee, which he gladly accepted. Of course I tried to make a little small talk, just to attempt expressing my appreciation and respect for what he does. Cleverly I commented that his "babysitting" duty could not have been very rewarding. He gave a little laugh, but he was enjoying the coffee more than the joke.

"I've seen this so many times," he started to explain. "They get hooked on drugs, then they get lost in the haze and they do stupid things. This guy got mad at somebody and set a building on fire. He was high on something and he burned himself. I don't know why they do it. I'm sure he had some kind of a reason."

So often offenders are brought into the Emergency Department for the initial round of care, and then they're transferred to the intensive care unit for more treatment. Often the "police hold" is for an attempted suicide, or a drug overdose, but this was the first person I've seen in a while on hold after being caught, or in this case rescued, from a criminal act. We tend to forget sometimes how really out of control some things are.

Seeing the "police hold" is not all that uncommon in a large, urban area, but if one were to multiply that by the number of hospitals around and try to count up the loss of law enforcement man hours, I think the figure would be staggering. Sure, it all comes with the territory, but having a police officer watching a hospital room seems such a waste of talent. Naturally, if you remove the officer the patient will bolt. But when he's hooked to an IV, in a hospital gown, and it's five below outside, where's he going?

Society pays an enormous price for people abusing drugs and committing crimes. If this guy in the ICU is any kind of indicator, you can see the financial resources it takes to guard the criminal, while the taxpayers also foot the bill for the ICU costs. It isn't cheap. The cop wasn't complaining. It's warm, there's plenty of coffee and always somebody to talk to, but for the community it's a huge financial burden.

What was most concerning, however, was the completely clueless, carefree attitude of the patient himself. He knew he suffered a medical emergency by his own hand, he knew that after he was released he was going to jail, so the whole experience in the ICU was like having a couple of days in a hotel room. He had no remorse for his actions, other than his physical suffering. However, in his addicted condition, I don't truly think he was capable of much more than that. As I spoke to him and heard his story, I began to wonder once again about forcing him into treatment rather than forcing him into a long jail term.

Even if somebody dries out, gets clean, however you want to put it, without treatment and a good recovery program, he's just going to go back to what he knows. He's going to cost the taxpayers even more money. His life will not change. There will be no transformation from drug addict to responsible citizen. It's all a waste. It's an endless cycle.

Call me a bleeding heart liberal, but I'm tired of tax dollars going to perpetuating his addiction. People have to rebuild their lives through a change of heart and a change of routine. Recovery programs are designed to help in that process, but so few ever find their way to the right path. People have the right to refuse treatment in this country, but once they have run afoul of the law, be it a minor offense or a felony; the people have the right to demand treatment. By breaking the law, we forfeit our rights. Therefore, families who suffer through the addiction just like the addict should have the right to commit the addict to treatment. The first sentence should be treatment, not jail. Put some teeth into it. If a person refuses, or doesn't successfully complete a rigid treatment program, then the jail sentence that follows it should hurt.

Police offers guarding junkies in hospital ICUs are not a good use of taxpayer dollars. But we see them all the time.

You could not have gotten another person in Melody's hospital room if you tried, and between the people around the bed and the coats and jackets strewn around the room, there was no place to stand or walk. It was a couple of days before New Years and Melody, along with a handful of friends, decided to party a little early this year. She was no stranger to drinking enormous qualities of vodka, but she had not binged for a while. In fact, she had been on her best behavior since going through treatment.

Going on a binge might be a part of the college culture, but when the habit continues into one's 30's and 40's, it's just ugly. Not that there is anything cute about binging at any age, but it takes it's toll on your health and leaves a destructive wake of broken relationships, loss of income and a host of other unpleasant consequences.

Melody is a very nice person and people love her. She has supportive family, loving friends and an understanding boss at work. She doesn't drink all of the time, but when she does drink, she doesn't put the bottle down until there is nothing left. She is only 42, but looks 60.

Alcoholics of any type can consume massive amounts of alcohol, but in Melody's case, it was the "on again, off again" aspect of her disease that caused the problem. After being off the alcohol and clearing out her system, she dove back into the deep end of the drinking pool and came crashing head-on into the toxic consequences of alcohol.

People were whispering that it was not a surprise. They were wondering when something like this would happen. Of course the visits did not come until several days after her admittance to the hospital, mainly because Melody had to go through detoxification, which for alcohol is an ugly process. This time it didn't kill her, but there would be no guarantees moving forward that any subsequent episode would not end her life.

Friends and family were gathered, all thankful that she was alive. The visits were a bit one sided, as Melody was still recovering from the detox ordeal. The first thing she wanted when she woke up and started to get her bearings was a cigarette and a drink. Her behavior earlier in the day was a little out of character, as she swore at her nurse for trying to kill her. Having all the people in the room on her first "visiting day" was not altogether appreciated.

What is amazing about Melody is that she still has not connected all of the dots. Her alcoholism controls her life. The love, the support are not put into motion in her life, because there is only her craving. Even after going through treatment once, she is in denial of any problem, but will say that she doesn't want to wind up in the hospital again. She does not want a repeat of this episode in her life, but will continue doing what caused the episode in the first place. It's a strange incongruence that drives her thinking.

Her family understands that holding on to Melody is going to be hard., only now, more than ever before, they are embracing the education and support of the treatment center. They are going to try, once again, to help their loved one. Otherwise, the next large gathering will be at the funeral home instead of a hospital room.