Going back to work
 

Back to work after 30 days of sobriety, AA, and getting my head on straight


Now a lot of anxiety about working. My boss doesn't know, and I'm finding the day to day struggles of work to be overwhelming and anxiety producing. I rush out of that office at the end of the day for a cigarette and an AA meeting.

Anyone else struggling with feeling overwhelmed going back to work?

I had some issues the first three months, my brain needed to rewire. I have one client that is very specialised work, my margin of error is less than 2% and that is over the entire year. A the time I was getting sober, I was doing a lot of analysing for futures contracts. I did make a couple mistakes in calculation, that were caught and found before they were an issue - by me, but yeah, the first few months were a trip. Go slow and steady.

My job is a trigger for me, I deal with secondary trauma all day and I leave work mentally and emotionally exhausted. I'd be craving that first drink shortly after lunch and couldn't wait to get home.

It took a long time to re-wire my brain. I've had to learn how to cope in different ways and to not let my work dictate my personal life.

Now I go home and eat dinner right away, not only is it sober, but it's healthier for my metabolism, and I sleep better because I'm tired and get to bed at a decent hour with a content belly.