TDInstall

Yes, for me I gradually improved my employment status, increased my income, started purchasing larger and more expensive items, learned a wide range of IT skills by myself, built websites, developed new systems at work, etc., whilst getting increasingly deeper into alcoholism.

The idea of alcoholism and career destruction going hand in hand really doesnt wash with me. In fact, being drunk and cocky helped me a lot of the time.

The damage it did to my body, mind and to all those innocent people I hurt however, is an entirely different matter.

Boleo

I was a "functional alcoholic" for the better part of 2 decades. Seemed like the thought of having that 6 pack/bottle of wine/fifth of Stoli at home got me through a lot of tough days at work. I was something of a workaholic due to the fact that I had to prove to everyone that I could perform in spite of my hangovers.

Turns out what was really happening was I was burning the candle at both ends. At some point, it all came crashing down like a house of cards.

rowd44

Thanks everyone. Amazing thoughts and advice. Work is very important in most people's lives. Hard to pay bills and eat without money so I find it very interesting to get several thoughts on this subject!

MrDavid

Seems a bit strange, doesn’t it? One day you’re on top of the World and the next your tearing down walls. I guess active alcoholism can do just that: Bring everything to a screeching halt. Well, at least I’m glad about one thing: I’m still in recovery. Now that’s what I call ‘being successful’.

Tides

After almost a decade of working for someone else, I started my small business 8 years ago. Now, I always had issues with alcohol, but as my business grew (which it did every year), and as the stakes got higher and what I was working on got more complicated, I drank more and more. The reasons? Well, beyond the fact that I just love drinking, I used alcohol every day, in larger quantities, to self-medicate, and to back away from the tension that I felt, from a fear of failing at what I do.

Now, no one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. But I would never allow that professionally (personally? another story). I recently went through a situation where I questioned whether I made an error. Not one which threatened lives or anything, just one which might lead people to question how good I am at what I do. I was working 12 hours a day, then drinking to forget it at night. Drinking was taking a huge toll on my body. My blood pressure had gone from 120/80 to 160/120 and higher. I slept, but I woke up in a state of borderline panic. Alcohol had to be part of the equation. I decided I could not control what had past, or whether I was wrong at work. But I could eliminate an exacerbating factor - alcohol.

I'm on day 14 since then. Things aren't perfect, but my mind-set is much better able to deal with whatever happens because of my sobriety.