Perspective on Understanding Addiction
Sheriff Dorty was heading home from another long night at the station. He was getting a lot of backlash from the press, because of his stance on Narcan, but he wasn’t going to budge. He believes that the station’s cut budget could not afford to help addicts who didn’t even want it, and after the witnessed experiences of Narcaning opiate addicts back to life and then observing them physically assault his men because of the effects, well, he was done. Most people don’t realize that immediately after giving Narcan to someone who is over dosing they directly go into withdrawal and it is like the euphoric high has been sucked out of them. Saving a life that doesn’t want to be saved and they respond with anger and rage wasn’t worth his tax dollars, he thought.
Sheriff Dorty lost his wife in a tragic situation when a crack head tried to steal her purse, which resulted in her getting pushed over and hitting her head on the corner of a bench. His daughter was only eight and watched the whole thing. The Sheriff was so angry all he had left was his daughter, but he was worried about her. She did not handle losing her mom well, and he didn’t know how to show up for her. He worked long hours and dedicated his time to drug busts. He pulled into his driveway and took a long sigh; he almost worked hard and long enough that he wouldn’t notice the boiling rage inside of him.
He walked inside, but his little girl wasn’t home, even though now she was almost eighteen she would always be his little girl. She was all that mattered to him, but he couldn’t manage his pain enough to show up for her. He turned on the television and fell asleep in his recliner chair. He woke up to a phone call from the station. “Frank,” there was a long pause, “we need you to get in here immediately.” Frank jumped in the car he notices Emily still wasn’t home, but figure she had stayed at her boyfriend’s. He got to the station. One of his deputies rushes over, “Sheriff Dorty we got an overdose call earlier today, but followed protocol and didn’t respond with Narcan. The women’s boyfriend put her in his car and rushed her to the emergency room, he is in custody and told officers it was her first time trying heroine she’s stable but in a coma, and we’re not sure she’s going to make it.” Frank looked at him puzzled, he never got calls for this, and everyone knows his zero-tolerance policy. Frank responded, “why would you rush me here for this?” “ Well sir, the girl’s boyfriend is saying her name is Emily Dorty.”
