OK! I finally have a minute to sit down and write about this week.
So that girl I reconnected with; i'll make this short, but on Tuesday I found out that not only is she an alcoholic and has been drinking constantly for months, but she went into delerium tremens (yes, delerium tremens, the most severe form of withdrawal), WHILE I WAS TALKING TO HER. I had to force her to put her dad on the phone to make sure that he was not a hallucination and was in fact there to take her to the hospital.
She got out of ICU at the end of the day wednesday, and has been slowly improving in a general care unit. I've been spending most of my time with her, as well as sharing my experiences with both her and her parents.
I cannot begin to tell you how grateful this experience has made me to not only be a) SOBER, but b) able to be a lifeline for someone who is suffering as I did. This gift of being able to communicate and empathize with someone who is at their most vulnerable is absolutely priceless, and worth every ounce of discomfort it took me to achieve sobriety.
I obviously cannot hold myself responsible for her continued sobriety, but I am here to gently guide her into a long term treatment that she finds appropriate for her, and offer my experience and hope.
I don't really believe in fate or anything, but this experience has almost been surreal. She very well may have died if I was not there to threaten to call 911 if she didn't reach out for medical assistance on her own.
I probably don't have to mention that getting high has been the absolute last thing on my mind.
I hope everyone is doing well.
