A big problem
Hi everyone. I'm just 10 days sober and here's something that's been happening that maybe someone can help me with as I feel I'm probably the worst person in the world to give out advice right now.
I have a job running a language school in Spain. Recently one of the guys left and I needed to get a replacement really fast. A guy from New York was doing a bit of part time stuff for us so I asked him if he would like to step up. I know he really needed work so I wasn't surprised when he accepted. I spent a lot of extra time with him getting him up to speed and he was doing great. So great that on Monday 20th I set the date to give up booze as everything was quiet at work and my music job was also coming along very well.
Anyway, on that very day, he failed to show up to work. I was worried about him (maybe he was really sick or worse!!) and his phone was off so I looked up his address on our records and drove over after work. Turns out that it was no ordinary house but a half-way place for people getting off the skids. As you can imagine, I'm totally not judgmental about anything like that but I was really surprised. I asked the director if he knew what had happened but he said this guy had just taken off. I tried to contact him by phone many times and email but nothing. Then one of my colleagues saw him 2 days later really off his face in the street. I finally caught up with him yesterday. He's really disorientated and living rough. I phoned the half-way house but they say he's lost his place there now. I'm meeting him for coffee on Tuesday and I want to help him but there aren't too many agencies here in Spain that will pick someone up like that and he just burned his bridges at the only one I can think of. He just got paid for two weeks work so I told him to use the money to get off the street and try to get clean. I feel, the way he is now, his life could be at stake. I really want to help but then I end up getting over-involved and I've got no idea what to advise. I have to think about myself right now but I also don't feel that I can just turn my back on this guy. I've been in some rough spots myself and I know what it means... Please, any advice would be welcome...