Putting on the "Dix"

This is about an experimental trip to a mental hospital to quit drinking. True story

                     Putting on the “Dix” 

                  Written by: T. L. O’Neal

 

     Back in 1995, it wasn’t the best time of my life; my back was really messed up and I had a drinking problem because of it. I know it wasn’t the best way to kill the pain but that’s all I had at the time. I hurt it in a construction accident and was partially paralyzed on my right side. So I started to drink heavily to kill the pain and the misery that I felt, but it wasn’t long before I realized that now instead of one problem, I had two. It was probably one of the lowest points in my whole life.

 

    One morning as I was looking through the paper with blurry eyes, I saw where they were taking applications for a study to help alcoholics, and it was free too. I was willing to try anything at this point but the only thing was… it was at Dix Hill. Everyone around here knows what Dix Hill is; it’s a big scary mental hospital and it’s where you go if you’re committed. Just the mere mention of the place can send shivers down a grown man’s spine, and I’m not exaggerating about it one bit either. I used to make deliveries to that place years ago for a job I had, and it was a damn scary place even then. They put the wrong building name on the invoice one time, so I went into the wrong building to make my delivery and the door locked behind me. When I discovered this, I was scared to death and wasn’t sure as what to do next. I always was a bit claustrophobic and this just made it worse.

 

   I was locked in that place and there wasn’t anyone around but a lot of crazed patients. I wasn’t sure what type of people that building was for, but it wasn’t a good one. Next thing I knew, I was being attacked by a horde of crazies that were trying to steal my delivery. I was scared to death, they had a hold of my arms so tight that my knuckles turned as white as my scared shitless face. Luckily someone that worked there came and got them off of me in time and directed me to the proper building. After that I told them at work, from now on put Dix on someone else’s route. I wasn’t about to go there anymore. But now I was so desperate that I signed up for it anyways and then the time came for me to go.

 

    When I got there I was scared to death and justifiably so, and then learned that half the people in there were schizophrenics for a study too. Why would you put schizophrenics and alcoholics together for a study is beyond me. The alcoholic’s nerves are going to be bad enough as it is without scaring the begeebers out of them too. It wasn’t so bad at first because they fill you up with tranquilizers to start with to help with the shakes and withdraws. Not that there weren’t some bizarre things going on with the others, it just made it a little easier to deal with while taking the pills. Like some of those people would sit around masturbating right out in the open and everything, like they didn’t have a care in the world. I’ve heard of sexual freedom and all, but this was just a bit too much. There was this one guy who defecated right in the middle of the floor and put the 8-ball in it from the pool table. Needless to say, us alcoholics didn’t play pool too much while we were there. I never did figure out what the significance of an eight ball in a steaming pile of s**t meant, but it must’ve had some for him.

 

    Since I was on tranquilizers and my hands were steady again for a while, I decided to try to draw a little. I got some paper from one of the nurses and sat on the floor and started to draw, not in the same spot as the eight ball mind you. But I did six drawings and I must say that they turned out pretty good; I even have them to this day. They are a bit bizarre but under the circumstances I can understand why.

 

   There was this little, short, pudgy, fellow with thick glasses, as thick as coke bottle bottoms and short greasy hair, now he was a strange one. For some reason he thought he was God, he wasn’t a drunk either if you get my drift. I was pretty sure that he wasn’t God because I had always envisioned God as being a lot taller with a white beard, long white hair and built a little better. Plus I was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be in a mental institution having visits from his mother everyday. But anyways, he was quoting a verse from the Bible and of course he said it wrong, so I corrected him on it. This seemed to bother him quit a bit and at that time I had very long brown hair and a full beard, which probably didn’t help in this particular situation. Anyhow, he pointed that fat little finger of his at me crying out,

 

“Antichrist! Antichrist!”

 

   Now to this I did take a little offense, being that I didn’t want to take over the world and not being from hell or even affiliated with it in any shape or form. He was starting to get visibly upset over this turn of events and returned to his room in a hurry. He went to the end of the hall, went in his room, shut the door and immediately opened it and came back towards me. I could already tell it was going to be a long day. He then came back and asked me another question, I answered it of course and he pondered it in deep thought, then went back into his room and immediately came back out again. This went on for about a dozen times and was starting to get old fast.  The tech sitting beside me found the whole situation amusing but I was starting to get a little pissed.

 

On his last time I asked him, “If you are God, why do you wear glasses?”

 

   Because I was pretty sure if he was God, he would have perfect vision and damn sure his glasses wouldn’t be as thick as Coke bottle bottoms. Anyhow, this had a most profound effect on him that I didn’t even see coming, I swear I thought his brain was frying. He had no answer to this question at all and was getting extremely agitated from me posing it to him. He finally left with no answer to say and went back to his room. Then just like the last dozen times he came back.

 

So I asked the tech, ”Damn man, can’t you do something about him?”

 

He yelled at him to go back to his room and stay. With that he scurried back to his room like a little fat rat and stayed. After this I was pretty sure that he wasn’t who he said he was.

 

   The tech and me got along pretty good; he was a nice guy and all. We would sit around and bullshit a lot, because frankly there weren’t too many people there that I really wanted to talk to, or even associate with for that matter. They wouldn’t let you smoke there but a few times outside during the day, so at night after everyone went to bed, he would let me catch one with him in the bathroom at night when we were up talking. He was a pretty nice guy, and then there was this other guy that I talked to some. He was a patient there too, another alcoholic. He was an older gentleman and it was obvious that he was somebody or at least used to be. He told me that he used to be a big businessman with a fine house and sailboat and all the other things that one has when successful. But he lost it all, family, business, home, just about everything. This was his last hope, so he said to me. He had tried about everything, even antabuse, but he would even drink right through it. Those that aren’t familiar with “antabuse,” it’s a drug that if you drink anything it makes you so sick that you feel and want to pure die. How he drank through that is beyond me, he must of had it really bad. I don’t know whatever happened to him but I hope he beat his demon.

 

    The next day they were planning a field trip to of all places, Wal-Mart. None of the alcoholics wanted to go, I don’t blame them either. Who wants to go to Wal-Mart with masturbators, poopers, and a guy who thinks he’s God? I wasn’t eligible to go because I hadn’t been there long enough but I understood their reasoning behind it though. Anyway, this set the director off and she revoked our smoking privileges for us refusing to go. That was enough for me, so I signed whatever I had to sign and got myself out of that place. It was all getting to be a bit too much anyways.

 

   I don’t know whatever happened to the guy who thought he was God or any of the others for that matter, but I wasn’t finished with my own miseries and troubles… not by a long shot. Things are great now, hopefully I paid my penance to the world and things will stay good from here on out. But I do hope the best for all the others and that the real God will have mercy on us all.

 

Reviews

[David P. Eckert]

I like your sardonic sense of humor, which comes through nicely. It's also an interesting read for me because I can wear both my writer hat and my shrink who works in a psych hospital hat, but I'll stick to the former. Anyway, it would be interesting if you could expand this some, maybe build up another character or two, perhaps another alcoholic. Also, it might be good in the ending, for your protagonist to make some sense of that time in his life, and how you got from there to "things are great now." Keep on writing.

David

[Donna Jones]

that is absolutely an chilling story and I am sure completely true..I would hate to know that I was confined in the "DIX HILL" ward because there are so many horror stories about that place... So glad that you got out of there and weren't harmed !!

[Lyric Laceile, People A..]

Who wants to go to Wal-Mart with masturbators, poopers, and a guy who thinks he�s God?
Great thing about Wal-Mart, they do have great vibrators on aisle ten, toilet tissue on aisle four and the deli serves kosher meat....but I'll think twice about my next trip there. So the alkies didn't want to go!
On his last time I asked him, �If you are God, why do you wear glasses?� This had a most profound effect on him that I didn�t see coming; I swear I thought his brain was frying. He had no answer to this and was getting extremely agitated....This has "Dream Team" with Michael Keaton written all over it, you cast as Mr. Keaton's character, natch.

[Toni Odell]

Some uncomfortable humor, which only makes it so much better. Definitely a crazy experience, one hardly any of us will encounter. You put the reader right in the setting with your storytelling abilities...a great read, thank you for entering it into the contest!

[Krystal Waters]

I am so glad I got the time to read this story. You always have a down to the point view which puts you right into the scene or as if I were sitting next to you listening to your words. I am glad things are better but I don't think you should sign up for anything free anymore! If it's free something is wrong with it! LOL *HUGS*

Krystal

[Francis Meyrick]

I like the gentle humour. It's funny without being unkind. It's an easy read. Flows well.
I imagine there's lots more stories you could write from your life experiences.

I'd like to see you browse around writers cafe and check out all the different styles of writing.
I hope you keep writing, and if you do, you can play around with different writers tools and effects.

I wonder if you could try your hand at dialogue between different characters in a new story.
Good luck, keep writing.

[Jesse Lynn]

doesn't that just figure. you find God and he's crazy.

[Mishel Rosario Reyes]

Love God, LOL, -----MIshel

[Christy Hauck]

Sad, but hilarious. Very hilarious, but that's what mental patients are like, though at times they can be the cooliest and most poetic people on this planet.

[Moonlight]

I'm sorry...

I guess you have to have been in a place like that to understand why this story had me laughing as hard as I did.

I will never understand why they mix people in like that...if you weren't screwed up when you went in, then you damn hell would be when you came out!

Glad you made it.

Moonlight.