Me: Look. I’m not an expert. But you should see a shrink. Maybe you have ADHD, maybe something else. But you’re f**ked if you don’t do something about it now. At least if you get a diagnosis, you’ll get some medication.
Him: Yeah. I know. You’re right.
Me: I’m not trying to be a prick. I’m telling you something’s wrong. But now that you know, you can’t pretend you don’t know. Look. The past is done. You can change what tomorrow is like.
Two weeks later.
Me: How’re you doing. Get to see a shrink?
Him: No. But I’ve been thinking about it.
Me: What else is going on.
Him: The usual. My wife was pissed when I got back. I slept on the couch.
Me: What about a journal. Trying to get the thoughts out of your head. Did you try it?
Him: Not really.
Me: Just do it. Even if all you write is like ‘I woke up. I brushed my teeth. I ate breakfast. Blah blah blah.’ You need to get the voices out of your head.
Him: I know……(long pause)…..I know.
Me: You sound pretty tired.
Him: I went out with my buddies the other night. Too much scotch. I have a shot and then I’m on my fourth.
Me: You’re like an addict, like me. I wish I could smoke four cigarettes a day like my great aunt did. But I can’t. It’s three packs a day or nothing. I don’t know moderation. You’re the same. Get used to it.
Him: And….(long pause)….did a few lines of coke.
Me: I told you for two hours. You look for a dopamine rush. Instead of coke, get out of the house. Run for twenty minutes. You’ll get a rush. If you get addicted to running, big deal. You’ll lose weight.
Him: Yeah, I know. (pause) But I don’t want to see a shrink. He’ll give me pills. I don’t want to depend on them the rest of my life.
