melissa6381

Hi. Just wondering if anyone else works in a bar/restaurant or any other job that heavily involves alcohol? I need tips on how to deal with my job.

I work as a server in a high end busy steakhouse. My biggest trigger is a busy night at work. I want to drink away all my stress of my back breaking job and pouring wine and serving drinks for my customers all night makes it an even bigger struggle.

I am 8 months sober but nights like tonight can make it just as hard as it was on month number one.

FeelingGreat

Hi Melissa, congratulations on 8 months, especially with your job not making things any easier.
I think lots of people equate alcohol with the end of the working day; you could call that their trigger. First and most obvious point is can you find a job that doesn't include serving alcohol? If you truly think it's endangering your sobriety then make it a priority.
Can you set yourself up a ritual when you go home? Mine included a bottle of brewed ginger beer, or a cup of tea (see avatar), feet up, telly or internet on, and relax. After a while I stopped relating alcohol with relaxation.
It's in your mind; work hard on your mind to break the association.
You've done so well for 8 months; you can keep it up.

Progroupie

Honestly working in a bar/restaurant gives me the social interaction I crave minus needing to drink. But it's different for everyone.

MythOfSisyphus

I've been a chef for the last couple decades. It's tough! The trick is to reprogram your mind, away from "man, tonite sucked- I need a drink" to something else. The drink just makes you feel worse the next day, which leads to the day sucking, which leads to needing to drink...the cycle goes on.

Clemence

Hi Melissa. I totally understand; I am a caterer and every weekend have dinners/weddings/cocktail parties to cater for. Inevitably these involve lots of champagne, wine etc and quite often the client wants to give me a bottle at the end to say thankyou. I used to LOVE that. I'd go home and drink the lot. I totally felt I had earned it and needed to destress. Now I have a herbal tea. It's really hard but I knew I had to do it and like FeelingGreat said; it's an association thing. I bet you feel proud of yourself the next morning when you haven't been drinking. Hold on to that thought and all the other positive effects sobriety is having on your life
And congratulations on 8 months! X

Pondlady

Just wanted to congratulate you on your eight months I too, have worked on learning non alcohol ways to chill out. It's getting easier with time

happyhour

hi melissa, congratulations on 8 months! i can imagine it is a difficult situation to be in, but seems you are successful for the last 8 months in that environment, anything that has come up, that is now making you concerned? "tonight"?

for me, working in restaurants, which i did for 10 years as a waiter/bartender as a younger person was the foundation for my problem, but, that's not your question

melissa6381

Thanks for all the responses you guys. I'm feeling better today. I have taken up yoga and put myself on a thirty day challenge which helped but since it ended I haven't been utilizing it as a stress tool like I should.

And yes. The restaurant jobs definitely magnified my problem 1000x's. Not sure if my alcoholism would have been the same or not though. I've been working in the industry for 14 years now but luckily my days of working in college sports bars have passed and I'm in a less alcohol soaked environment now.

Thanks again, M.