phenomenal

Day two went fine except some anxiety about drunk dialing my boss on Friday night. Guess we'll find out tomorrow if I'm fired. Updated my resume today just in case.

Nuudawn

Drunk dialed your boss? Eeek...been there done that. Fingers are crossed for you. Here's a chuckle I'm reminded of. Early in my alcoholism..uh ..tenure...I worked for the management company of Bryan Adams (so basically BA employed us all) and I was backstage at a press party at his concert. I got embarrassingly, ridiculously drunk and told top executives that he was the "McDonald's of rock and roll" and was no real "artist"..uh ya.
I was hauled into the boss's office on Monday...I was told I should be fired but wasn't going to be...instead I was told I should seriously give up drinking...
So I quit....my job...not drinking.

phenomenal

Hahaha. My saving grace might be that he desperately wants to be one of us cool hip young kids, and will laugh it off. Also he was drinking so might not remember the gory details? Fingers crossed. Honestly the stress and drama of this commotion based job is a little triggering to be sure.

Nuudawn

He was drinking? Ya, you're probably alright. If you think the job is a big trigger..something to consider.

phenomenal

If you like to find me another job in one of the most economically depressed areas of the country I will gladly accept it. I just need 45 k a year and great insurance for therapy and PhD bills...:rotfxko

ScottFromWI

While it may seem extreme or funny, true sobriety many times requires major life changes. Glad you made it through day 2 and hope everything works out tomorrow.

hhjameson

Your job isn't worth your life, happiness or whatever else comes from being sober.

My previous job had severe triggers for me and as strong as I'd like to believe I've been over the last 6+ days, I know I couldn't have done it at my previous employer.

The pay drop? 30K per year.

It's a huge blow to me and my family, but I'm alive, sober and ready to take on the world. North American society is bred on entitlement these days, and if you separate yourself from what you think you should be doing to what you think you should do to better your life and those around you then you will be successful in whatever endeavor you choose to take on.

Nuudawn

Okay..I hear ya. Plan B..well, stress and chaos is whole lot easier to handle..sober. Thinking alcohol helps stress is a big, fat lie. It numbs us...suspends us..but when the buzz is gone the stress is still there..and we are no further along learning how to "deal" with it in a healthy manner. That's one of the biggest things I have realized sober...I never really developed "coping" mechanisms. To be honest..I never gave it much thought. I never realized that we need tools and resources to handle what life throws at us. Booze is not a resource..

phenomenal

In the last six weeks I've started meds, lost 12 pounds, broke up with someone, lost friends in the break up,got promoted, transferred locations, bought a house, bought a car, quit smoking, got two kittens and stopped drinking after only two small binges (drank less then a six pack worry about it escalating which is why I came here) so I wonder what major changes are left? that's people places and things, right?

phenomenal

I'm certain that if I quit my job boredom my number one trigger would be a much bigger problem.

ScottFromWI

You never know what you might face...but being sober makes it easier to deal with. And you have to make sobriety the number one priority. Not suggesting you run out and get a different job, just reminding you of the important of your commitment to sobriety.

phenomenal

I'm sorry, I don't understand this. Might face in regards to what?

hhjameson

Not that I'm recommending it, but I changed professions for this reason. Do I love what I do now? No, absoltely not, because it's not what I used to do.

I'm not saying quit your job and be unemployed, I'm just saying maybe it's time to look at a different avenue if this one is causing you more harm than good. When it comes to alcoholism, what I've learned, is that you have to think about yourself first.

It seems selfish, but it will benefit you and those around you as well. Recovery is a team sport, but you have to be the captain.

ScottFromWI

I just mean you never know what challenges you will face in life. You listed several you had just gone through and asked what else might change.

Bottom line, we need to do whatever is necessary to stay sober. If that means changing jobs or moving, sometimes people move or get different jobs. Not saying you will need to immediately, but nothing is out of the question or at least consideration for our LNG term sobriety.

phenomenal

I dunno I think I really just have to learn to better manage triggers. In my situation I was at least two thirds joking...in my I industry it is very stressful and working with all new people and having to lay down the law is hard to adjust to. I'm just not sure that any undertaking (no pun intended) will be without triggers.

ScottFromWI

That's a good thought. There are triggers everywhere, so dealing with them is necessary for everyone.

hhjameson

You're here, you are obviously concerned about yourself. Stick with that, it's the healthy option.

I can guarantee that my previous job had more triggers, or at least equal to, your current profession, without even knowing it.

Stay the course. Do not give in. I made the mistake of thinking I could "manage triggers", but all that got me was more nights I couldn't remember and ones I wish I forgot.

phenomenal

Right. all I'm pointing out that leaving this job isn't an option right now so I'll have to make do with developing major life skills and coping remedies like healthy people have. I know my humor gets me through most anything so I'll start with that.

CLR24

I am a little lost in this current conversation. A job doesn't make a person drink a person not dealing with stress (triggers) properly is the cause of the drinking. Unless your job is unsatisfying,unsafe,or illegal why does this have anything to do with quitting? Being able to handle life and life's pressures without drinking is the key. Learning how to cope. I think it would create way more triggers to be unemployed and broke. Learning to live alcohol free is the ticket. Once you do that the situations at your job that seemed so overwhelming may have seemed much worse by the state of mind you were in while drinking.

phenomenal

Thank you. That's what I've been saying. I don't really think I'll get fired or even in trouble. This whole month and a half have been hugely triggering and I just said about three times I needed to deal with managing those triggers rather than quit my job. Other people had to I guess? I dunno the conversation got of track.