We try, but we can’t help those who won’t help themselves. This happened to me in 2010 when I first started working as a volunteer in the ER. I met a patient who checked in for substance abuse. We talked for a long time. They told me they wanted to get better so I started suggesting steps to help them eat healthier, places and websites they could go to look for a job and how easy it would be to just stop drinking alcohol. They told me they would start right away and I thought “wow, I really made a difference in this person’s life today.” It broke my heart to see them back the next day for the same problem. I was actually angry at them for letting me down but that was me being naive. It was a lesson I needed to learn in the ER. We can keep you alive long enough to walk out the those doors. The rest is up to you.