alcoholic???
Encourager In Training
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: KS
Posts: 717
Thanks for the refocus, Dee.
The term "alcoholic" doesn't exactly roll off this...ahem...alcoholic's tongue for a number of reasons, including:
Pride:
For me, admitting addiction was tough, tough stuff. Also, I'm reflexively repulsed by being lumped into a group or category due to this damned false sense of uniqueness.
Self-Preservation:
Outside of the recovery community and a few close friends and family members, my alcoholism has no utility. Actually, it's worse than that. Outside of those limited areas, my alcoholism is a scarlet 'A'. While it would be illegal for me to be punished professionally for my alcoholic status, I cannot be convinced there would be no repercussions.
The professional aspect of my alcoholism pains me the most. I would LOVE to openly incorporate aspects of my alcoholic experience and tenets of recovery into my professional life. But, it's simply not wise when my professional engineer's stamp (i.e. livelihood) is on the line.
Fearing this critical aspect of my recovery might be lost in the above, I want to again stress the power shift I've experience by embracing/confessing my alcoholism within the context of recovery. For me, speaking the words to another human being was the psychological equivalent to taking a baseball bat to my alcoholism's knees. As I stumble forward through recovery I learn time and time again that I truly am as sick as my secrets.
Originally Posted by OP
I've noticed that most people are offended or take offence to the word alcoholic like it's this evil black mark on their name.
Why?
Why?
Pride:
For me, admitting addiction was tough, tough stuff. Also, I'm reflexively repulsed by being lumped into a group or category due to this damned false sense of uniqueness.
Self-Preservation:
Outside of the recovery community and a few close friends and family members, my alcoholism has no utility. Actually, it's worse than that. Outside of those limited areas, my alcoholism is a scarlet 'A'. While it would be illegal for me to be punished professionally for my alcoholic status, I cannot be convinced there would be no repercussions.
The professional aspect of my alcoholism pains me the most. I would LOVE to openly incorporate aspects of my alcoholic experience and tenets of recovery into my professional life. But, it's simply not wise when my professional engineer's stamp (i.e. livelihood) is on the line.
Fearing this critical aspect of my recovery might be lost in the above, I want to again stress the power shift I've experience by embracing/confessing my alcoholism within the context of recovery. For me, speaking the words to another human being was the psychological equivalent to taking a baseball bat to my alcoholism's knees. As I stumble forward through recovery I learn time and time again that I truly am as sick as my secrets.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
