The voice mail was so garbled I listened to it twice to understand the message. Finally I figured out the caller was saying he didn’t know how my number had been memorized in his phone.

“I’m not sure who you are,” his message went on, “but I’m really drunk. I need help.”

While I didn’t recognize the name or number I called him. And he was right: He was very drunk, just this side of incoherent. As we talked I learned he’d left TLC about a week ago and had been drunk since. He might've gotten my number while he was in our program, though I don't recall him - or having given him my cell number. However that's not unusual, considering we have over 650 clients.

When I offered to take him to a detox - then let him come back to TLC - he declined.

“I’ve go too much pride for that,” he replied. “I’d be embarrassed to come back.”

“But you don’t have too much pride to call people you don’t know when you’re drunk out of your mind.”

“You’re kind of mean,” he said. When I apologized, he said it was okay. He liked it when people were direct with him.

While I don't normally have discussions with drunks, I pointed out that false pride and ego often show when we relapse or are drinking. Through his drunken haze he seemed puzzled when I told him nobody really cares about his ego and pride. I told him the only reason I called back was to do a 12 step call - to carry the message. And I went on to say that I was okay if he kept drinking, although I didn't think it would work for him.

As the conversation ended he decided he wanted to go to a meeting and was supposed to call me back. However, he never did.

He helped me stay sober today.