Help

People always proclaim how they like to help people, but they forget that wounded people, much like wounded animals, often strike out against anyone nearby, no matter whether friend or foe. The helpers then usually raise their noses in a huff and leave the wounded person alone, confirming their belief that they are not worthy of any help and attention, thus cementing their stagnant position in the cesspool of self-pity.

It takes a special kind of person to try and help somebody who expresses their displease and anger with them openly, especially since it is hard to decide whether such help is warranted and if helping against the wishes of somebody is being a saint or being a pushy idiot who wants to force their own way of life upon others.

Especially since ordinary people are not equipped to deal with problems that are deep enough to make people lash out and hurt others, as mental scars can run as deep as the esophagus, sometimes even the liver.

It is often best to leave such people to paid professionals who are equipped with proper tools and knowledge of how to help them, but what to do if such a person does not want to see a shrink? Where is the line between forcing people to do things your way and leaving your loved ones to die in the arms of drink/drugs/etc.

I saved a wasp from drowning in our kiddie pool today even though it stung me in the finger when I foolishly tried to coax it onto my arm, thinking 'it surely won't as it's got bigger fish to fry' but I managed to not drop it or kill it and it is now probably busy not drowning in our pool.

So the best thing you can do for people who need help is to convince them to see a professional, most often the lashes are only a form of a cry for attention and help anyway, so they should be more or less easily coaxed into seeing a shrink.

p.s.: anyone got any bandaids?