Originally Posted by
freedomfries 
Maybe it's my imagination. Maybe most people who recognize me just think "there's your man who can't handle his drink". Not that I'm evil or anything.
You can place me firmly in the "can't handle the drink/drug" category, too, dear FF! I'm not evil. Nor are you. We're just messy in an easily definable way. Most "normal" people are messy, too, just in a "less clear" way. I'm actually quite grateful from time to time that I am an addict, as it gives me a great reason to maintain my psychologic health and self-care routine. Ha!
I worry from time to time about how I'm perceived by others. It is very human to do this.
But, I remind myself that "What others think about me is none of my business." And I have plenty of business to attend to.