Did you ever drink before/during work?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: California
Posts: 7
Did you ever drink before/during work?
I've been lurking so much on here over the past twenty four hours and I am completely shocked that there are so many others out there who seem to be JUST LIKE ME. I'm not sure why, but I really thought I was alone in this illness. I've never attended a 12-step meeting, so I haven't been around people who are actively in recovering or who are trying to get in recovery. I've found a lot of comfort here.
My question to you all is, when you were in the throes of your disease, did you ever drink before work? At work? My distorted brain tells me that I'm the only one who ever did this....
My question to you all is, when you were in the throes of your disease, did you ever drink before work? At work? My distorted brain tells me that I'm the only one who ever did this....
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
Yes, I did. 
I used to have a small cleaning business and ruined it from drinking. I'd go to my jobs drunk and do a poor job of it. Or I'd get too drunk to go and call them to call off.
Glad those days are over.
I used to have a small cleaning business and ruined it from drinking. I'd go to my jobs drunk and do a poor job of it. Or I'd get too drunk to go and call them to call off. Glad those days are over.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,229
i'd drink one to take the edge off or for fun at lunch sometmes. But in the end there where times where I just couldnt take it anymore so I'd have to crack one open on the clock. I never got drunk but i'd catch a buzz. other times I'd start work still way drunk from the night before that happened multiple times a week. I'd log on to work at 8am still sobering up from the prior evening.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 5,229
and yeah alcoholics tend to think there unique somehow there situation is different no one understands etc.. then you sign up at a place like this or go to AA or something and realize theres a lot of folkds just like you. its nice.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,183
Right, I used that as a rationalization, "Hey, I'm not an alcoholic, I don't drink before or at work!" But in fact I did, the night before, heavily, and I'd routinely go to work still buzzed and then start getting shakey by mid-afternoon. If I felt too buzzed, I'd call in sick or with some other excuse - like, just about every single Monday. 
That was kinda what pushed me into recovery, getting in trouble at work for never being there and being "off" when I was there.
That was kinda what pushed me into recovery, getting in trouble at work for never being there and being "off" when I was there.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 801
I haven't, I am a classic closet drinker, sure I have got up in the morning far too many times and the first thing I did was have a drink but I would not go to work, maybe its because of what I do I could never trust myself and honestly in my case I get black outs and the risk to others and myself simply too high.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,775
Originally Posted by recoverynewbie 
I've been lurking so much on here over the past twenty four hours and I am completely shocked that there are so many others out there who seem to be JUST LIKE ME. I'm not sure why, but I really thought I was alone in this illness. I've never attended a 12-step meeting, so I haven't been around people who are actively in recovering or who are trying to get in recovery. I've found a lot of comfort here.
My question to you all is, when you were in the throes of your disease, did you ever drink before work? At work? My distorted brain tells me that I'm the only one who ever did this....
My question to you all is, when you were in the throes of your disease, did you ever drink before work? At work? My distorted brain tells me that I'm the only one who ever did this....
Yes, I often did.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: NSW - Australia
Posts: 14,592
Yes, bottles stacking up in my desk draw. Aarrarrgghh, how to dispose of them, what if someone innocently goes to my desk? Not a happy place to be always full of fear. It feels good to not hold secrets like that - the duel existence is no longer for me and you are not alone.
12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
Location: West Bloomfield, MI
Posts: 5,797
I figured early on that drinking on the job or in the AM was something only an alkie did........so I never did it.
But.....I would take a shot here and there in the morning but that was only because it would lessen the pain of a hangover. Sometimes, at work, I'd sneak out to my car and have a quick nip but that was only because a slight buzz made me more talkative and less inhibited and as a salesman, that was good for business..... It's ok though because I really only did this 2 or 3x in a week......
And yanno.... I was so damn delusional I was able to believe that drinking in the morning or while at work was something only loser alcoholics did, believe I wasn't one of them, yet drank in the morning AND while at work. Impressive huh? lmao.
But.....I would take a shot here and there in the morning but that was only because it would lessen the pain of a hangover. Sometimes, at work, I'd sneak out to my car and have a quick nip but that was only because a slight buzz made me more talkative and less inhibited and as a salesman, that was good for business..... It's ok though because I really only did this 2 or 3x in a week......
And yanno.... I was so damn delusional I was able to believe that drinking in the morning or while at work was something only loser alcoholics did, believe I wasn't one of them, yet drank in the morning AND while at work. Impressive huh? lmao.
Choosing Life
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,435
Never drank before work, but did drink at work a couple of times when I was there alone and nursing a hangover. Talk about hitting a low point in my life. Still can't believe I did that. I have a great job and great employers and put it all at risk. I'm grateful I still have that job. I will never do that again.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
I somehow managed to not drink on the job, but I did start ending my work day earlier and earlier to get to "happy hour" and sneak in as many beers as possible without others noticing. Pretty much from the minute I left work and hit the bar though I drank until I fell asleep or passed out. Any day I was off work I started drinking around 10:30 or so.
Recoverer of Self
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 297
Ummm.....Ya...that was sorta the problem! AND not stopping once I started.
I know what you mean about relating to the other members here...it's amazing how many posts I've read that coulda come straight outta my mouth! Stories so so so so much like mine!
You've found a good spot here....If you really want to get sober....listen to the advice you get here and work really hard to follow it....seek support, read what you can and BE AWARE of the addict in your head telling you to drink.....shut that voice down as soon as it makes a peep!
AND not stopping once I started.I know what you mean about relating to the other members here...it's amazing how many posts I've read that coulda come straight outta my mouth! Stories so so so so much like mine!
You've found a good spot here....If you really want to get sober....listen to the advice you get here and work really hard to follow it....seek support, read what you can and BE AWARE of the addict in your head telling you to drink.....shut that voice down as soon as it makes a peep!
p***enger
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Posts: 19,042
Ummm... I had a couple of shots every morning just to get out of the house. Then when I couldn't keep liquor in the house anymore, the first thing I did was have a shot at the office. I drank before I took off my coat. Slowly but steadily all day every day, holiday or hurricane day. I was a maintainence drinker and rarely got very drunk -- I binged when alone & some days went unpredictably into blackouts but otherwise I just drank enough all day to keep off the shakes and stay numb.
Thanks for the memories. You're not alone.
Thanks for the memories. You're not alone.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 204
Indeed I did. Before, sometimes during and always straight after on my commute home. Drinking on my way to work at 10 am in public on the subway, no shame. Crazy to think about. I thought I hid being tipsy well but I wonder now how many people knew.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,569
At the end of my drinking career, I had it in my system 24/7. If I didn't, I'd shake & be sick. Drank practically 'round the clock - so yes, at work. I can't believe I lived that way.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 748
I never drank in my car or at my office desk but any corporate lunches with the bosses I would be getting the wine down my neck as fast as possible. If it was a sit down do it was tricky because where I live only gentlemen pour the wine and the etiquette at lunch is to pour only a small part of the glass. But the stand up and mingle buffets were ideal. I simply had 4 or 5 glasses on the go all over the room and topped them up at will. Then I would go back to my office, lock the door and sleep until I felt well enough to go home. I got sacked from that one 2 years ago.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 3
Earlier in my time I would drink and I'm a hairdresser not the ideal work environment for someone like me. But now I have graduated to bingers that keep me out of work for days. I go back to work tomorrow hope I feel a lot better
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
