 |
|
|
|
 Marion Hagerman, 54, is a chronic alcoholic who lives at a "wet house," a state-funded residence where he's allowed to drink.
May 6th, 2011
07:38 AM ET
Where alcoholics can drink themselves to deathLearn more about the controversial "wet house" concept for dealing with chronic alcoholics this Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on "Sanjay Gupta, MD." St. Paul, Minnesota (CNN) - It's been over seven years since Marion Hagerman has spoken to anyone in his family. As he huddles behind a parked trailer on a cold early spring day, Hagerman reflects on his life, and recalls what led him to this moment. "This is my lifestyle," says Hagerman, 54, while sneaking a swig of what he calls "wash," or mouthwash - a cheap way of getting intoxicated. "It ain't much, but this is what I have. It sucks. " He says he held a steady job for 20 years, before his addiction to alcohol took over his life. Today, Hagerman lives at St. Anthony Residence in St. Paul, Minnesota, along with about 60 other late-stage alcoholics. St. Anthony, which receives funds from the state and is operated by Catholic Charities, is known as a "wet house" because Hagerman and the others are allowed to drink on site, with some caveats - including no mouthwash. The theory is that it's better to allow these guys to drink in a safe place than to end up on the streets and in the city's emergency rooms, jails, and detox centers. At St. Anthony, they have access to nurses - and doctors if the situation warrants - plus on-site case managers to aid in their addiction. Ideally, St. Anthony's counselors want the residents to sober up - but they realize that there isn't a strong chance of that happening. St. Paul isn't the only city that has a "wet house"-style residence - Seattle was one of the first cities to put this concept into practice in 2005, and Memphis is considering building one, too. Another argument in favor of the concept is that it saves money. Each St. Anthony's resident costs about $18,000 a year to house and feed, about $1,500 a month. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that if these men were out on the street, it could cost over $4,000 a month in incarceration, shelter and sobering center use, hospital-based medical services, publicly funded alcohol and drug detoxification and treatment, and emergency medical services. But the idea of allowing alcoholics to drink is antithetic to the basic tenets of addiction counseling. "We feel that that it's never too late, and that even if the alcoholic doesn't want help, doesn't mean that their drinking should be condoned or in any other way enabled or facilitated," says William Cope Moyers, public advocacy executive director for Hazelden addiction treatment centers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. "I see the wet house model as a model that enables the addict in the alcoholic to continue those destructive patterns." Moyers, who is the son of well-known journalist Bill Moyers, has chronicled his own struggle in his book, "Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption." His opposition to the wet house concept is commonplace among addiction counselors. St. Anthony Residence program manager Bill Hockenberger calls the wet house a "harm reduction model," instead of a treatment center. He says by giving these men a home - men who have all gone through nearly every treatment numerous times - it gets them off the streets. The added comfort of having a place to call home at night and the dignity that restores in the men in return, he says, leads men to drink less. "They didn't want to be an alcoholic," he said. "A lot of them just didn't have a choice in the matter ... this provides safe secure housing for those most in need. We are in business to do the humane thing." Hagerman, like a lot of the other St. Anthony residents, says he'd like to eventually leave and find a job. But he feels like he's stuck. "No I don’t want to stay there, I'd like to get a goddamn job and get the hell outta there," he says. "Jesus Christ, I turn 55 in September, I'm getting old. Who wants to hire a 55-year-old man?" Like a lot of the residents, Hagerman's addiction to alcohol not only keeps him out of a job - it keeps him away from his family, too. Just weeks after he learned his brother Jerry died from a heart attack, he learned that another brother, Mike, is in the hospital, dying from colon cancer. I give him a ride to the hospital, where he visits Mike and sits down with his other brother, Ray, for the first time in seven years. It's an awkward conversation, as Ray talks about Marion, seated next to him, as if he's not even there. "It's like we did kind of wash our hands [of] him when our parents died," Ray says. "We weren't going to take care of him. I'm glad to see that he's still alive because none of us were sure if he was. Always looked on the streets to see if I would see him somewhere." Ray says isn't sure what a "wet house" is, but seems to be OK with the idea. "I don’t think he's ever gonna stop drinking," Ray says. "No, no, I'm not going to," Marion responds, as if to remind Ray he's sitting right there. "My lifestyle keeps me alive." "Yeah it also keeps you separated from everybody in the last years of their lives," his brother says. The day after the visit, Mike succumbs to colon cancer. "It's my life. That's as far as it goes," Marion says a few days later, as he seeks to numb himself from the pain of his loss. "I live here. Look at this? Do you think I’m happy with this situation? No, I can't stand it. But I have nothing else to do." Watch Sanjay Gupta MD Saturday at 4:30pm and Sunday at 7:30am ET. For the latest from Sanjay Gupta MD click here. soundoff (2,434 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Next »Post a comment
Next entry »FDA sets kids' dosing for liquid meds
« Previous entryIs carbonated water safe to drink?
|
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
 |
|
|
|
tadalafil sublingual cheap cialis buy tadalafil powder
tadalafil from india reviews how long does tadalafil last tadalafil vs vardenafil
https://b.grabo.bg/special/dealbox-492×73/?rnd=2019121711&affid=19825&deal=199235&cityid=1&city=Sofia&click_url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=YWko9kf_e0Q
May I simply just say what a comfort to discover someone who actually knows what they are talking about online. You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people have to check this out and understand this side of the story. I was surprised that you are not more popular because you definitely possess the gift.
https://www.google.tk/url?q=http://youtube.com/watch?v=nSgnboprHik/
I couldnít resist commenting. Perfectly written!
https://www.dauntless-soft.com/products/android/beforeyougo.asp?U=https://youtube.com/watch?v=aH5u3sDIeM4
https://www.t10.org/cgi-bin/s_t10r.cgi?First=1&PrevURL=https://youtube.com/watch?v=Yh-n5uD9i9k
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular article! It's the little changes which will make the most significant changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
https://ams.ceu.edu/optimal/optimal.php?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9hEYnThpE0/&refresh=1
tadalafil tablets tadalafil research powder prescription tadalafil online
http://feed.thepund.it/?url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=ijTSFPl2-2w
An impressive share! I've just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been doing a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me lunch simply because I stumbled upon it for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this topic here on your internet site.
https://aesham.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=youtube.com/watch?v=pXsd-CEZcRE/
Wonderful post! We will be linking to this great post on our website. Keep up the good writing.
https://www.google.co.ls/url?q=https://youtube.com/watch?v=MDXWYwi7jVc
http://brivium.com/proxy.php?link=http://youtube.com/watch?v=pXsd-CEZcRE/
https://www.telecom.uu.ru/?a%5B%5D=<a+href=http://youtube.com/watch?v=ijZVx5rebRQ/
Bong Coasters & Bong Padsbubbler water pipe14mm 45 Degree Showerhead Ash Catcher By DiamondThe bag is held closed by strong velcro as well as a rubber lined zipper that keeps smells locked inside. The inside has two roomy mesh pockets with enough space for your stash as well as a lighter, a hand pipe, and even a snack. The inside of the pouch also has 100 carbon lining, making the smell-proof security even stronger.
https://pilotdiarystore.com/collections/wax-pen
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It's always helpful to read content from other writers and use something from other websites.
http://www.viagginrete-it.it/urlesterno.asp?url=http://bestlocalnearme.com/
Bong Coasters & Bong Padsgrinder for saleDiamond Glass 18mm 45 Degree Showerhead Perc Ash CatcherThe Medicali Ash Catcher with Showerhead Perc has a colored showerhead percolator and is available to order in a selection of colors. Please select your favorite color from the available option in the drop-down menu when you place your order. Please note that you can select the color of the showerhead percolator, it is not possible to select the color or style of the logo. The logos come in a wide variety of colors and styles, you will receive one at random, depending on availability.
https://pilotdiarystore.com/collections/bongs
Hmm is anyone else experiencing problems with the pictures on this blog loading? I'm trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it's the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.
http://sangokumuso.lib.net/redirect.cgi?https://cli.re/B3jvkB
tadalafil contraindications generic cialis tadalafil cost
Dab Pads & Silicone Matsthe dart one hitter14mm 45 Degree Showerhead Ash Catcher By DiamondThe Medicali Ash Catcher with Showerhead Perc has a colored showerhead percolator and is available to order in a selection of colors. Please select your favorite color from the available option in the drop-down menu when you place your order. Please note that you can select the color of the showerhead percolator, it is not possible to select the color or style of the logo. The logos come in a wide variety of colors and styles, you will receive one at random, depending on availability.
https://pilotdiarystore.com/collections/nectar-collector
https://www.recklinghausen.de/inhalte/startseite/ruhrfestspiele_kultur/musik_und_theater/musik__choere_und_vereine/index.asp?db=17&form=RedirectAction&redirecturl=https://youtube.com/watch?v=gOXcUAiBO4U/
Hey there! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this write-up to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
http://go.takbook.com/index.php?url=https://cli.re/B3jvkB
Dab Padmini herb grinder14mm 45 Degree Showerhead Ash Catcher By DiamondThe bag is held closed by strong velcro as well as a rubber lined zipper that keeps smells locked inside. The inside has two roomy mesh pockets with enough space for your stash as well as a lighter, a hand pipe, and even a snack. The inside of the pouch also has 100 carbon lining, making the smell-proof security even stronger.
https://pilotdiarystore.com/collections/nectar-collector
Dabpadznectar collector45 Degree Joint Vs 90 Degree Joint Ash CatcherThe bag is held closed by strong velcro as well as a rubber lined zipper that keeps smells locked inside. The inside has two roomy mesh pockets with enough space for your stash as well as a lighter, a hand pipe, and even a snack. The inside of the pouch also has 100 carbon lining, making the smell-proof security even stronger.
https://pilotdiarystore.com/products/90-degree-14mm-showerhead-recycler-ash-catcher
This website definitely has all of the information and facts I needed about this subject and didnít know who to ask.
http://aburhani.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=theocrv.com
There's definately a great deal to know about this topic. I like all of the points you have made.
http://digital.fijitimes.com/api/gateway.aspx?f=https://spokanevalleymarketing.com
You're so awesome! I don't believe I've truly read a single thing like that before. So good to find somebody with some genuine thoughts on this topic. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is something that is needed on the web, someone with a bit of originality!
http://wlfanduel.adsrv.eacdn.com/wl/clk?btag=a_478b_1014&clurl=http://ocrv.info/rv-repair-shop-rialto-california
Everything is very open with a clear explanation of the issues. It was really informative. Your site is very helpful. Many thanks for sharing!
https://sc.hkexnews.hk/TuniS/fleetservicesocrv.com/
Hi, I do believe your website could possibly be having browser compatibility problems. When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Aside from that, excellent website!
http://www.dr-drum.de/quit.php?url=https://www.quotenearme.com
hey there and thanks for your info – I have certainly picked up anything new from proper here. I did on the other hand experience several technical points using this website, as I experienced to reload the website lots of times prior to I may get it to load correctly. I have been puzzling over if your web hosting is OK? Now not that I am complaining, however slow loading instances instances will sometimes affect your placement in google and could damage your high-quality ranking if ads and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Well I’m including this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for much more of your respective intriguing content. Ensure that you replace this once more soon..
http://webredirect.garenanow.com/?p=gp&lang=en&url=https://website.com/
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously believe that this website needs much more attention. Iíll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the advice!
http://posts.google.com/url?q=http://sprintervanrepair.com/
This site truly has all of the info I wanted about this subject and didnít know who to ask.
http://hzql.ziwoyou.net/m2c/2/s_date0.jsp?tree_id=0&sdate=2019-11-01&url=http://www.ocrvmotorsports.us34zxVq8
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who has been conducting a little research on this. And he in fact bought me lunch due to the fact that I discovered it for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending the time to talk about this matter here on your web page.
http://salesnews.qantas.com/public/m/closed?msLRR=http://ocrv.vip/rv-repair-shop-santee-california
After looking over a number of the blog articles on your web site, I really appreciate your way of writing a blog. I saved it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my web site too and tell me how you feel.
https://www.fortrucker-env.com/leaving.aspx?ext=http://masternearme.com
https://www.wangzhifu.com/t/?https://www.fleetservicesocrv.com/
http://localbusiness.tuscaloosanews.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=sprintervanrepair.com/
http://www.coreshops.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.biz
sulfur effects on body coronavirus treatment news chloroquin side effects
http://touchupsoft.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrv.xyz/
https://d.agkn.com/pixel/2389/?che=2979434297&col=22204979,1565515,238211572,435508400,111277757&l1=https://ocrv.mobi/rv-repair-shop-barstow-california
I was very pleased to uncover this website. I need to to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely liked every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to look at new things in your blog.
http://www.behindthescenes.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bestservicenearme.com/
https://www.treasury.gov/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi/?https://fleetautorepairshop.com
is chloroquine a sulfa drug hydroxychloroquine tablets drug chloroquine
https://www.responsivedesignchecker.com/checker.php?url=ocrv.rocks/rv-repair-shop-jurupa-valley-california
Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful post. Thank you for supplying this info.
https://fcviktoria.cz/media_show.asp?id=2924&id_clanek=2467&media=0&type=1&url=http://nearmyspot.com/
http://www.boosterforum.com/vote-374818-217976.html?adresse=fleetservicesorangecounty.comcities/fayetteville-ar/&
http://www.vpdacha.ru/_snippet/redirector.php?url=http://www.ocrvmotorsports.biz/
http://infinitysouthcarolina.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=sprintervanrepair.com/
https://www.easytravel.com.tw/ehotel/hotel_sale.aspx?posvn=maple&url=https://ocrvmotorsports.us/
choloriquine hidroxicloroquina is chloroquine an antibiotic
excellent post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don't notice this. You must continue your writing. I'm sure, you have a huge readers' base already!
https://www.kultur-bad-vilbel.de/goto/?u=https://cli.re/pZXJEe