Hopeworks

My work involves defendants in the criminal justice system in our county and yesterday one of my clients put a gun to his head and took his life while the police were outside his door to take him to jail.

I had to call and tell his sister and her grief and the horror of the entire situation devastated both of us. My father died of alcoholism and my brother is an alcoholic as well and the entire situation triggered me in a way I haven't felt since my childhood.

I was saddened that this man had no friends here in our city and his family was faraway in another state and he is gone and few will notice. Just another faceless alcoholic lost to the disease that kills and destroys.

He rejected any suggestions of recovery by any methods by his family.

I know that none of you know him and I barely knew him but I just thought maybe each of us could say a prayer for him.

His name was Bill.

bryangt

That is very sad and almost makes me ill. I feel your pain in this. Many alcoholics are alone and die alone. I often have ill thoughts myself. I had 3 DUI's, went to jail and had feelings of strong fear for my future without a drivers license, alone--it's like being in a bad movie and you really don't want to see the sad ending. But, I convince myself to ask God to help me abandon these selfish thoughts and try to move forward. I go to AA meetings, pray a lot and try to do the next right thing on a daily basis. Each day I wake up with feelings of struggle, anxiety & loneliness. I pray that faith will get me through this and help me face the struggles that my past has created. Sober 21 months now and try to keep moving forward as hard as it as sometimes. Stories like this wake me up to the fact that I must try even harder to overcome this disease and work on self every day. God grant me the Serenity....

Justfor1

Thank you for sharing that. It goes to show that the 5 DUI's wasn't even his biggest problem. It was some sort of dark and deep depression that very few people ever really feel. Hopefully, this man is finally at peace.

hamabi

Very sad...there is such a thing as choosing to ignore all the available solutions for too long.

stepping

prayers heading up for Bill and his family.

NevarCiots

Like bryangt I have multiple dwis and I somewhat understand the situation. Bill's personal nightmare is over. We think are lives are awful sometimes but stories like these help me start my day seeking peace.

Poor Bill.

Hopeworks

His sister called me this morning and she is better today.

I am glad I called her as I was able to be a comfort and someone who understood how she felt to some degree even if it triggered and made for a very teary night for me.

My dad died alone too and just like this man by his own choice to isolate and drink himself to ruination and eventually death.

If any of you reading this were helped by hearing this mans sad story then he didn't die in vain.

Remember his name. Same as Bill W. except his was Bill C. Same disease but far different outcome because of far different choices.

Cwbugycody

Praying for Bill and his family. Will also pray for all those who are still suffering. Very, very sad.

lilyrosemary

I prayed for Bill and i will pray for his family. just wanted to tell everyone that when i say my morning prayers, i always pray for all the people on SR, all the people that struggle with drugs and alcohol addiction. i pray for a miracle, because that what i feel happened for me, a miracle. When i was about 13, 14 years old someone told me they prayed for me and i will never forget how that made me feel. God Bless you all.

paul99

I remember this in another post you made, and it made me sad then too. It brought me back to when I felt like that too. I can almost guarantee that if I were the owner of a gun back in the day, I wouldn't be here. That is where my alcoholism took me - even into my very early sobriety I had thought like these.

Pray I will and hope that those who are suffering will see that if does affect others - even total strangers on a website forum.

Dee74

prayers for everyone suffering today.

D

choublak

Well...

It's a shame he felt that there was absolutely no other option or way out.

Zube

Hope-

Prayers.

And thanks for the reminder of how hopeless things can get if I ever thought I could return to drinking. I need those every now and again.

Zube

TheEnd

I remember when I got my second DUI, I thought my life was over. It was like being in this surreal place that you couldn't escape. I can't hardly imagine what he must have felt like looking at a 5th one. Such a tragedy.

Gravel

That's sad.

Texas has some harsh laws. They put a man behind bars for the rest of his life on his 5th dui. He did have a little bit of a record other than dui.

But I can't see locking an alcoholic up for life. Maybe send him to rehab for a few years or something.

Toss

I think what especially touches me reading SR daily is the pain and dispair most of us have with battling alcohol (or pills, etc...). After reading about all the problems, broken families, broken souls that are affected, it unconsciously flashes in my mind the wish of peace, a relief from the grief and pain. Maybe that's naive.

I'm sorry Bill did not find that peace, it's so terribly sad.

Toss

Paulos

Although a little ominous to post, so was the one I just posted earlier- so, sure I'll pray for Bill- sorry for what happened.

Fernaceman

Very sad story. Very sorry to read or hear this. Will keep Bill and his family in my thoughts and prayers.

TooMuchAlcohol

Justfor1 seems to have missed the point when he/she wrote: "It goes to show that the 5 DUI's wasn't even his biggest problem." Of course, the fifth dui was obviously the triggering point for the sucide.
Gravel obviously had a bit more of a clue in noting: "Texas has some harsh laws. They put a man behind bars for the rest of his life on his 5th dui."

FBL

Thanks for the sobering reminder...left untreated, alcoholism can kill in many horrible ways.