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A few weeks back I encountered a young man who arrived by EMS. He was clearly intoxicated, and there was some question of suicidal intent. He paced the room restlessly and requested medication for pain and anxiety. He made clear to me his desire to leave after I addressed his symptoms. This was the equivalent of a teenager telling his parents to get out of his life in one breath and asking to borrow the car in the next. This lost soul was not making good decisions for himself. That, combined with the question of suicidal intent, made me want to send him to Rescue Crisis after medical clearance.

In Toledo, Rescue is like a psychiatric clearinghouse. We complete a pink slip, which is not pink, and someone comes to get the patient a variable time later. It is sort of like an emotional FedEx distribution center where people are evaluated, sorted, and sent to the proper place for help. FedEx operates much faster, but everything works out in the end.

I evaluated this same patient recently for an unrelated problem. As I entered the room, he smiled and offered his hand to me. I recognized his face but couldn’t quite remember the interaction until he reminded me. Weeks earlier I had stripped him of a few civil rights and forced him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, yet now he views me favorably. This is because he successfully completed his initial treatment for alcoholism and had been dry for several weeks. He thanked me three times and said that sending him to Rescue was one of the best things anyone had ever done for him. Still, I am struck by this poignant interaction.

I recognize this is a rare event and that many of our patients are hopelessly recalcitrant. This one encounter, however, renewed my faith that occasionally an unexpected person will see the light and find a new path. Time will tell if he stays the course. I as well.

Be happy.

Dr. Baehren lives in Ottawa Hills, Ohio. He practices emergency medicine and is an assistant professor at the University of Toledo (Ohio) Medical Center. Your feedback is welcome at David.Baehren@utoledo.edu.