Tough Love

So a drug addict comes to the office and wants to whine.  I ask him when he went to his last meeting.  This interrupts his whining.  He had been clean for nine months, gone out a few days ago onto a drug, and announced that meetings were not working and he was miserable.  I told him to cut the whining, go to a meeting now, raise his hand and say honestly that he did not believe in the meetings.  Then shut up and let people help him.  One day at a time, I said, and get a sponsor.  He got up grumbling and walked out still talking.  I did not back down.  I came back into the office.  Moments later, he returned.  He did not whine or complain, but said he would go to a meeting and knew where it was.  He now only wanted confession.  I heard his confession.  He left. Sometimes we postpone what we know we have to do, so long as we find someone to listen to our whining.  I would be a mess today, if I had found that person in my past.