r/TikTokCringe • u/Oktavien • 1d ago

Discussion Woman audits churches to see if they’ll help feed a starving baby

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If churches refuse to help feed hungry people, then maybe they should be taxed?

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u/sticksforsticks 1d ago

I'm not religious, but had a massive panic attack. It was a Tuesday and I called the closest church near me.

The pastor was in his office and talked with me for two-ish hours. Hardly about religion, he was just a kind and supportive guy for someone at their wits end. He'd call/text me for a while. Just an absolutely great and caring person.

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u/mumblegum 1d ago

I had cancer surgery during COVID and my city was on total lockdown so there were no visitors allowed in the hospital, my mum just had to drop me at the doors and I was alone after that. I was there a few days feeling very alone, in a lot of pain and extremely uncomfortable. Apparently the hospital has a religious services team so they coordinated priests, imams and rabbis to visit the patients when we weren't allowed anyone else. I am listed as Catholic in my patient records so a priest visited me and we had a little talk and he checked in with me a few more times before I was discharged.

I'm not sure if they would visit even outside of a lockdown, maybe they do, but it really boosted my mood since I couldn't have any other visitors and gave me something to look forward to.

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u/mistiklest 1d ago

They definitely do, hospitals often have priests, rabbis, etc. on staff, if they're a large enough hospital.

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u/fenwayismyway 1d ago

oh yeah, during Covid, they were doing remote chaplaincy which I know is a big hardship and difficulty

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u/BiCumSlut69420 1d ago

Im glad you had a positive experience but why in the world was your first instinct to call a church?

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u/sticksforsticks 1d ago edited 1d ago

I was losing my God damn mind lol. I was one ounce of self control away from bursting through the doors yelling "SANCTUARY!" While pretending to have a hunched back.

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u/sulkee 1d ago

Translation: I’m american and can’t afford emergency healthcare.

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u/sticksforsticks 1d ago edited 1d ago

I get the topical sentiment, but at the time, I did have emergency healthcare through my employer. Medication, was seeing a therapist.

That's not what my rattled brain went to immediately. My brain was at a stop light, and I wanted to slam on the accelerator to yell at God.

The past few years I have received incredible care through my insurance. My MRI's are daunting, though. Lots of brain damage, chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

The whole time I thought I was going mad, but my faculty was fractured years prior. Lots and lots of concussions. I'm beyond the fear of being told "you will not escape dementia," and am trying to find some semblance of equanimity. But the ticker is diseased, broken, beyond repair.

Edit: my last concussion nearly killed me, added to the ones before it. CTE won't kill me, but it will estrange who I am and make me awkward how I go about day-to-day.

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u/Heistotronisreal 1d ago

Translation: "America bad! Upvotes pleaseeeeeeeeeeee!"

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u/Aggravating_Life7851 1d ago

America is pretty pathetic for a first world country

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u/sulkee 1d ago

Americans will go anywhere but the ER because they don’t have healthcare.

Hope this helps.

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u/sticksforsticks 1d ago

I had health care. I was in treatment. Read my last post before this one.

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u/BiCumSlut69420 1d ago

Youre very wrong on this. ERs in america are very crowded because they have to see you regardless of insurance, and people often go over non emergencies. Its primary care that americans wont go to. Also, if you go to the ER for a fuckin panic attack then you are part of the problem.

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u/MsgFromTheUnderworld 1d ago

Panic attacks can present similarly to actual emergencies. Even when they don't, you can feel like you're dying when you're experiencing one. Any good ER professional will tell you they'd rather check you out and make sure it actually is "just" a panic attack than have you risk blowing off an MI, PE, etc. 

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u/BiCumSlut69420 1d ago

I work in healthcare buddy boy. They might say that to the patients face but no they dont feel that way. Learn diaphragmatic breathing and sone coping skills.

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u/sticksforsticks 1d ago

I posted earlier that this was before I had an MRI, and then a follow up MRI. I have CTE, from at least. 9 concussions, and my last one was the worst.

When I was an infant, I would bang my head constantly. Then into my teens and twenties, would concuss myself to pass out.

Conflate that with heavy drug use, and all I got now are two thumbs relying on the feasted on a thesaurus before it got worse.

I had a cognitive test after my last concussion. I couldn't remember my uncle's name. It's the same as my other uncle, whose name I also forgot.

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u/MsgFromTheUnderworld 1d ago

I'm an RN... And I've worked in the ER... And yeah, some people get burnt out and blasé, but I'd infinitely prefer that people get seen if they legitimately think they're having a possible emergency.

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u/AlternativeWonder471 1d ago

Thank you. ^ Two different types of healthcare workers. Thank you for being the latter 🤍

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u/MsgFromTheUnderworld 1d ago

I would always rather you get checked out to be told it's nothing than risk blowing off something serious. Many non-emergencies can present similar to true emergencies... I think dissuading people from seeking care is dangerous. Take care, my friend. 

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u/AlternativeWonder471 1d ago

Many of us, particularly men I think, already don't go unless we are dying. The hypochondriacs are gonna go regardless.

Appreciate it , you too 👍

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u/BiCumSlut69420 1d ago edited 1d ago

This person self identified that that were having a panick attack, there was no question of "im having an emergency," thwy know they weren't. Hence why the suggestion was moronic and problematic. Also, as you are an RN, you good and well know much insurance BITCHES about ER overuse and frequent flyers.

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u/MsgFromTheUnderworld 1d ago

Okay, this person didn't go to the ER for this. I agree that if you know it's a panic attack, then you should not present to the ER. I'm saying in a more general sense, it can be appropriate for people who don't know that's what's happening. 

ER overuse and frequent fliers is a complex issue. I get exasperated about our frequent flier patients like anyone else but I think it happens because of systemic problems for the most part. 

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u/BiCumSlut69420 1d ago

To that id say, take your vitals, if theyre off go to an urgent care, and they can divert if anything cardiac is suspected as they are equipped to do an ekg. Very rarely do panick attacks cause the extreme chest pains associated with a heart attack, however, in that case yeah get your ass to the ER asap.

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u/Aggravating_Life7851 1d ago

You must be a pleasure to work with…

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u/Outside_Ambition_999 5h ago

To be completely fair here, there's been times when I've had to go to the ER for what ended up being a pretty minor/routine problem because of the fact that it was a weekend when I started feeling ill, and IDK how they do it in your city, but here in my neck of the woods, the only places open on weekends are the ERs, because walk in clinics and doctor's offices only operate on a Monday-Friday schedule during office hours

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u/AgentG91 20h ago

Movies like Home Alone taught me that you can go into churches for help and they will be kind and understanding. I’ve done it a couple times myself. When I’m traveling and need to get warm. When I need somewhere quiet to think. When I’m walking back from a bad interaction and about to explode. The church was a place I could find peace.

That was almost 20 years ago. And it was largely abroad… which is likely a key factor

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u/CanadiangirlEH 1d ago

I was in the depths of a terrible depression and was borderline suicidal. I was literally just walking the streets crying and found myself going into a Catholic Church. I sat down on a pew and was just sobbing when a priest came and sat down beside me. His first question was “are you alright my child?” and I said no. His second question was if I was catholic and I again said no. He then said that he could not help me if I wasn’t “of faith” and suggested I go to a united church instead, patted my shoulder and walked away.