Tales from the Nuthouse: Lest You Think I have a Really Suck Job

[Tonchi]

Wolf, you bring back memories for me. When I lived in Tucson, my temp agency had me working as receptionist/secretary for Pima County agency which did job counseling for mental patients with substance abuse problems (The emphasis was on getting them away from the substance abuse so that the underlying mental problems would not prevent them from living independently). So all day long I took phone calls from these poor souls or their supervisors, directed them to counseling sessions, and tried to be reassuring and keep them calm in the lobby while waiting for various doctors or social workers to see them. After a month the program director offered me a permanent job, telling me that I seemed to have a way with these people and a good grip on the work at hand while still being empathetic and friendly with everybody. I needed the work desperately, but I declined and told her I would have to be leaving instead. I explained that I would have to work 9-10 hours there and go home to the exact same situation for the rest of the day and night and I just could not handle it. My husband had alcohol abuse problems, his brother had died of an overdose, his mother was under psychiatric care, my father-in-law was adicted to Codeine and in a wheelchair, living on welfare, and my husband couldn't hold a job. (Of course this whole crew liked to get all incensed about how unfairly they were being treated and call our house to take it out on me and the husband, that is when the husband was not also taking it out on me). She said she was disappointed but understood perfectly.

There is only so much any one person can handle, no matter how strong they try to be. You have my admiration, Wolf, you are amazing. Hang in there.