Vomiting those guts out...
 

In the Austin airport just now I went to the bathroom.

From one of the stalls came the sounds of violent, whole-body vomiting. The kind that only comes from a terrible hangover, the body's rebellion to just-above-death alcohol poisoning.

The kind of start to a day that I've lived countless times.

I lingered a while, hoping to offer the guy a couple of words... Hoping to reach out.

But the heaving and retching continued. The nose-blowing and the groaning. I could taste the vileness in my memory.

I had to move on to board my flight. I felt heaviness in my heart for him.... Picturing him headed home to his family from the Dell conference.... Suffering his shameful way back to gut it out and act normal. How many times is this for him? Will he find an opening to get help?

Thankful that is all behind me.

Nice reminder why we never want to go back there.

I too remember those mornings. Here's to hoping this guy's finds sobriety and to us for never having to feel that way again.

Ugh that poor guy. Gives me anxiety just thinking about feeling that way.

It was pretty disturbing to hear, to feel, to be shocked back into that terrifyingly-familiar place.

For a moment I could experience it all again....

Poor guy; I feel for him.

Hope he finds his way out of that torment.

My father's career took him to Las Vegas where he lived for several years and he traveled a lot. He would tell me stories about how many guys were always in the bathroom at 6AM puking their guts out prior to getting on their flight. Or when he was flying back to Vegas how many people on the plane were getting wound up at 7AM. yuk.

You never know he could have just been sick, nervous, doesnt like flying etc... or he might be hung over.

But I dont miss yacking from drinking. YUCK. What a horrible feeling that is, I just shivered remembering those mornings. BLECH.

I never miss that crap.

~Bunnez

if ya ever have to go through chemo you may change your mind of that type of vomiting only coming from a hangover.

imo, hangover vomiting was quite a lot better than when i was going through chemo.

True enough... Maybe he was just sick or gong through chemo or had food poisoning or anxiety....

On the other hand, considering he was hurling his guts out prior to the first flights out after the last night of a big tech conference in a party town, amongst a throng of bleary-eyes booze-stinky IT travelers headed home and the roller bag laptop case of the IT guy official uniform was poking out under the stall as he knelt on the floor gripping the throne..... Maybe not.

I have found if it looks like duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck it is usually a duck maybe not always a duck but usually

No offense, as I know your intentions are good, but if he was vomiting from a hangover, then I can't think of anything that you could say to reach out that doesn't make you come off as a total douche, and multiply that by 10 if his reasons for vomiting were from the flu, food poisoning, or a host of other medical reasons for wretched vomiting, and you assumed it must be from drinking because he has a bag that 90% of business travelers own and it's the morning after a huge conference.

The best time to reach someone struggling with addiction is in the midst of their misery. All I was going to offer was an 'I understand what you're going through' and hand him my card.

I won't ever judge or assert any shoulds on someone - but I feel it's a sacred duty now, to reach out to those who still suffer.

Worst case, I mildly offend someone who retorts 'you can't POSSIBLY know what I'm going through!!'

Small risk, as I see it - when compared with the risk of turning my back to a chance to be there when a fellow alcoholic could have been offered a glimpse of another way.

Seriously, a random is vomiting (from alcohol or not) in the stall of an airport bathroom and he's an alcoholic?

Throwing up is never good!! Hope he's alright!! :(

I get it. You disagree with my conclusion and perspective. I don't clam to be right.

I got a little shiver up and down my back just reading about the retching. Maybe this guy's an alcoholic, maybe not. In any case, it definitely brings up in ME anxious memories and a wish to never go back that kind of misery. Of course, there's no escaping some misery from minor or major illness, but if I never retch due to drinking again, it'll be a great life.

Delfin

There is a local fellow who performs recovery music as part of his Nar-Anon 12th step. His style is folksy, he plays lead guitar and sings and is backed up by an associate on bass guitar.

One of the songs he performs is "One day more" written by Michael Purington c. 2009, Michael Purington & The Messengers: Alcoholism, quit drinking, recovery music, alcoholics, drinking problem, recovery - QuitDrinkin.com

I don't have a hangover like I did for years and years,
didn't start my morning just throwing up last night's beer.
I know where my car is, it's parked right out side my door,
and I think I'll try not drinkin' one day more.

One day more, just 24 hours,
the past 24 ain't been that bad,
one day more,
why not try stayin' sober for one day more.

There's money in my pocket,
and my dog ain't afraid of me.
I can look in the mirror without hating what I see,
I remember everything I did the night before
and I think I'll try not drinkin' one day more.

One day more, just 24 hours,
the past 24 ain't been that bad,
one day more,
why not try stayin' sober for one day more.

I wasted half a lifetime goin' out of my mind,
stumblin' round fallin' further and further down
deaf, dumb and blind
It's a real good feelin' like I'm finally bein' born
so I think I'll try not drinkin' one day more.

One day more, just 24 hours,
the past 24 ain't been that bad,
one day more,
why not try stayin' sober for one day more.

I had my first episode this summer of throwing up due to drinking.........I threw up 3 times in a row within 3 or less minutes. I definitely had alcohol poisoning and I was sick for days and the withdrawal included night sweats for 2 weeks. There's nothing wrong w showing your concern for someone who is that sick.

I would avoid ANYONE who tried to talk to me in an airport bathroom. All kinds of alarm bells would be ringing in my head. But that's just me though

Its nice to think about the poor chap but I don't think I'd interfere as juppe posts . He probably wants to be invisible .

I get what your saying though ,you have good intentions .

It took me back to when I would be spewing in a public toilet trying to force a can of cider down me .

You are probraly right in assuming it's from alcohol. You were there and know the context, so you would know best. How many times does anyone have to go through that? I guess you never know. If an alcoholic it could be countless . A normie usually just one or two.
The lucky ones get sobriety at some point.
And I do admire your willingness to help.

To me... The really odd thing is how the majority of people wouldn't help or offer so much as a kind word.

I think it's because we're cut from a different cloth, Free Owl, the "been there" one. I suspect there's only limited sympathy out there among those who've not walked a mile in our shoes.

There's a huge difference between asking, "Hey, buddy, you ok?" while he's between vomiting and asking that (when he's out of the stall) while offering your business card, asserting that you think he's an an alcoholic who needs help.



What cloth would that be, the cloth of presumption? This is really the wrong forum to suggest people who wouldn't do this haven't "been there" nor haven't walked a mile in your shoes (in 29 years of abusing alcohol, I've walked in pretty much everyone's shoes at one time or another...)

If the guy puking his guts out before getting on a plane is due to alcohol, then that's reminder enough that he needs to start making better choices. He doesn't need a guy, who he certainly will perceive as self-righteous, telling him that he's been there and that there's a better way in life. If he's a drunk, then he already knows that. Sobriety isn't a secret.

That said, I don't necessarily think a douchey prod from a stranger is a bad thing, but I don't see the scenario in the OP as having certain conditions met for it to be appropriate, imo, but whatever....

Still get it. Still feel differently.

:)

If the person is NOT a person with an addiction issue, maybe they walk away thinking 'what a douche'.

I'm willing to accept being thought of as a douche, if there is a reasonable chance that it's a person who IS dealing with an addiction issue and in that moment, there is a chance that someone taking a chance and reaching out might help change their life for the better. I guess it's just how I'm wired.

#callmedouchey

Don't forget #arrogant. Anyway, I think your good intentions will have a higher hit ratio (addict to non-addict) at a bar.