I left my last job because I didn't appreciate the culture (B4). However, it was probably because I was a terrible employee. However, I do find that my clients love me 10x more than my consulting colleagues. I joined a smaller firm to cover up the problem.

I drink during the day. I know it's the main reason for my ability to be a productive employee. Anyone else deal with this? I'm trying to control it through moderation management, Dharma meetings, therapy, and white knuckling.

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I used to think that drinking made me more productive, and I've since learned that's simply was never the case, I was telling myself that alcohol was enhabcing me justify the drinking. As it turns out, sober me can run circles around drinking me, and I can even be just as personable, and a ton more dependable. I just had to get far enough away from that last drink to see it.

I'll also share that I was absolutely blind to all of this while the alcohol was still "working," it wasn't until performance started declining because of alcohol that I was willing to take a look at quitting altogether. Once I became willing it still took 2 years plus if trying to control it, which got me down to a 2 week cycle where I would go on a bender, and the hangover was bad enough that I didn't drink for the next 2 weeks, all the while swearing I'd never drink that much again.

Through an interesting turn of events somebody that I worked with at the time (different company, it was a business relationship) turned me on to alcoholics anonymous, and something about hearing it from someone that I highly respected professionally made me think that maybe it's not just for "losers" that drink to oblivion every day.

That last drink was taken 10 years ago this coming Thursday, and in that time I have lived a life that I couldn't have dreamed up. I am filled with so much joy typing this last paragraph out, you honestly have no idea of what's to come of you give sobriety a shot.

likeuplifting

The progression of my old mentality:

- I’m a rebel for sneaking some booze with a buddy after school

- Drinking is awesome

- Having only a couple, or being forced to stop sucks. If I start, I just want to keep drinking.

- Ok, if I drink too much, or the wrong stuff, or at the wrong time, or with the wrong people, I might have some consequences.

- Ouch, my hangovers hurt more than they did in college.

- Work hard / play hard. I always had good grades, I have a high paying job, I have a girlfriend. Everything is ok; I just like to party on the weekends.

- I really want to slow down my drinking, or maybe I shouldn’t drink this weekend. Crap, it’s Friday and it’s time to drink.

- People are telling me I drink too much and might have a problem. F those people. I’ll find new people.

- Totaling my car was bad, but no DUI! I can just buy a new car…

- My friends are married, with houses, and kids, and living a “normal” life. I’m still repeating the same behaviors without actually achieving anything (except maybe a bigger paycheck).

- Ok fine, I’ll try a therapist. I’ll read a book. I’ll ask the doctor for some medication to help with the drinking.

- Nothing helps. Consequences are increasing.

- I go to one AA meeting. It says “God” in the steps, so it’s not for me.

- I drink for four more years, and it gets worse and worse. The blackouts might happen after 4 beers or 14; I can’t control it.

- Tragedy strikes my family and I’m shattered, though if I’m honest, I don’t even know what feelings are or how to feel them.

- I walk into an AA meeting and surrender.

- Nothing makes sense, but holy sh*t, I haven’t had a drink in a month. I’ve literally never done that since starting drinking.

- Today, I have 4.5 years of sobriety thanks to AA, and am grateful that it saved my life, is giving me a life, and the knowledge that my authentic life is just beginning.


That’s my story. You get to write your own, but my experience is that the disease of alcoholism will find a way to ruin every good thing in a person’s life if they don’t find an adequate solution. Mine was AA, and I hope you find yours, and I’m always willing to share mine with you. :)

likeuplifting

Man - you literally just spelled about 90 percent of my life. Throw in a stint of trying comedy to tell myself I have purpose on stage is the only difference - only to find I can barely do it sober and that world is full of degenerates…thanks for this post. Reading it to myself really put things into perspective.

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First let me say thanks for the post. Don't give up you will find a solution. AA and abstinence was my answer. It has worked for me for over 30 years. I did a combination of AA and NA. I can say a geographical cure (i.e. switching jobs) won't work because you take your drinking with you. I hope you find an answer, my vote would be AA. Good luck and if you want to try AA just say it and we will get uou connected.

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Thank you so much for sharing. This is me to a T.

Before I got sober, I went to a guy who worked his whole life in drug rehabilitation. I said “I’m thinking about stopping drinking, it might be a problem for me” (literally my entire life was shit because of alcohol but that’s another story).

He said “normal drinkers don’t have to think about quitting because it’s not a problem for them, if you’re contemplating the idea of quitting it has become a problem for you.”

I went to AA and learned about this body and mind effect of alcoholism. My mind is constantly obsessed with it and when I drink, it produces a allergy/craving in me and there’s no telling when I’ll stop. The 12 steps removed the obsession and as long as never take a drink, I don’t have to worry about the craving.

Life is better when I’m not spending so much time thinking about drinking or putting energy into trying to control it.

Give it a try. Worst thing that happens is you go to some meetings, work the steps, find out you don’t want to stop, and can go back to white knuckling it again.

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Drinking during the day will never be a solution. And will most likely hurt your chances with this new role. Hit meetings if you Can and try to stretch to at least 90 days. It’s habit forming. Helped for me.

Thanks! Would love to do a "90 in 90" program.. I'm trying to create my own through existing non-AA meetings but it's challenging.

likeuplifting

I was in the same boat. I didn’t love my job and drinking basically allowed me to be productive without feeling stressed or miserable (or..anything) about it. I realized it was a huge problem when I’d go to start working the next day and would have no recollection of what I did the day before. I didn’t make mistakes (not even typos), but it became impossible to keep up with ongoing issues I was working on (I’d have to go back and read long chains of emails to remember what happened).
I did a 7 day inpatient detox and it made a huge difference. Being there with no phone or stress let me cleanse myself of the stress and misery I was carrying into every day and it helped a lot.
Good luck!

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