How would/did you cope in jail?

What sort of country sends people to prison for speeding tickets, thats just messed up.[/quote]

I'm in Texas, USA and no they dont haul you off to jail when you receive the citations, its when you default on the payment plans they set up for you to pay them in X amount of time. My schizoid/avoidant traits have made it all but impossible for me to hold a job for more than a month or two. I've paid off several of them but recently became unemployed again so I cant make the next two which are due in ten days.
I actually got most of them when I lived in my car and had not accepted my odd personality so I used alcohol for EVERYTHING. Driving drunk became a common thing, really. I've stopped drinking since being slapped with all those citations..

I really don't like the way they do things in Texas. The other day they executed a guy who had an IQ of 61. That's supposed to be against the 8th amendment according to a supreme court ruling. But the high court didn't stop them.

Right? The news anchor just said simply "...but the court didn't oppose. Another developing story out of Fort Worth..." and they just moved on.

I'd stay away from the other guys as much as I could, keep to myself, and when possible read books. If I'm in for a really long time, I'd also try to get a degree.

Being completely withdrawn is going to make some difficulties if you have to share the cell.
Lots of people become suspicious. For example if something is missing (and being mixed with that kind of population it is going to be inevitable) there's a good change that the loner gets the blame.

It was terrible. The beds I honestly think was more comfy sleeping on my basement floor. The food barely could eat anything. Being sent back to jail for about a year. Nothing really to do in outagamie county jail. Just sleep, look out a small window, food can barely eat feel so sick from eating it. The lights are always on even at night. The pale yellow walls, the grey floor, the florescent orange suits all is disgusting and prone to despair. Even if was to try and get used to it, it's still very hard knowing that you cannot have physical contact with your spouse. It's terrible. Sure you can have 45 minutes on the weekends for activity and still have 30 minute visits twice per week. But, the time is magnified by ten fold. All could do was try to sleep and try to read books if they had them. Standing count made it just as hard. Was feeling so malnourished. Because the beds are so hard developed ulnar nerve syndrome in both arms. All can say is if can avoid going to jail, do so at all costs.

I only went to jail once for five days or so. I just hated it because of the lack of freedom. There wasn't any awkwardness in socializing. Everyone is forced to be there and has to endure the same humiliations, like taking a $#%^ in front of others, and strip searches. You'd probably be surprised how quickly you can adapt to that environment. It's all about survival, you know.

My cellmates were super cool. We all just talked and laughed, and "hung out" like old friends. I think most people just try to make the best of the situation.

TheMachinist wrote:If youve been to jail, in hindsight, how would you sum up your experience?

Utter misery. I was so sick and hungover I couldn't even drink water, but I asked two guards to direct me to someone who went to AA meetings. They thought it was really weird I would want to talk to another alcoholic and weren't convinced it was a good idea. The third managed to find me someone. I'll always be grateful for that.

Never had a DUI before, had been sober voluntarily for 18 years and relapsed for 3. That was 2007... I have now accrued another another 6 years "sobriety." I use " "s because AA was not helpful with my mental illness. I stopped identifying as an alcoholic this year. Looking back on the problems I've faced, still mystified as to why I was so miserable, It makes perfect sense why and how I drank and why I don't suffer from any "obsession" with alcohol. Also never was able to "come to believe" a higher power was all I would ever need to face life on life's terms.

I would be very surprised if avoidants as a group did not have some kind of addiction/dependence issues. Avoidance is very stressful, anxiety producing and isolating. I always wondered why there is no talk about it here - maybe this forum is supportive and therapeutic enough that people would rather not throw in another category of life that is unmanageable? I'm ok with that, I don't think it's totally relevant to talking about avoidance unless you are in a crisis.

But I am curious if the majority of AvDPs have or don't have issues with dependence...

Any thoughts? Should I start a new thread?

scoutshouse wrote:Should I start a new thread?

...yes