The Fall and Rise of an Alcoholic work life.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
The Fall and Rise of an Alcoholic work life.
For some reason I have been reflecting on how alcoholism affected one particular area of my life - work - and my capacity to do it.
I got my first job myself at age 15, having been expelled from school for something I did when drinking. I made a good first impression by working hard and got a raise after three months. Then I went to a social event and the phenomenon of craving and put an end to that.
My father got me into an engineering apprenticeship and again I did well initially, but my performance deteriorated over time. I behaved very badly in the night school classes, drinking from my bag, and becam unpopular with the others who wanted to learn. I eventually pee'd off so many people that I thought to leave town and start fresh.
I transferred my apprenticeship to one town, then another, all brief stints with attendant disasters. Then it was a stay in the laughing academy, after which I got a job driving a truck with the local council. That didn't last and I went to the other end of the country as a commission salesman. Lasted about two months at that before the booze cost me that job. Then back to the home town where I failed selling junk jewellry, worked briefly for an abusive auto dismantler crawling round in the mud removing car parts, then I finished up at an electrical manufacturer where I had a job suited to the intellectually handicapped. It was to pick all the metal bits out of a tray of broken plastic components. It matched my IQ pretty well at the time. Got sacked from that one too if I remember.
Then I went to AA, followed the suggestions and a different pattern emerged. My first sober job was at a university where the very kind engineering professor managed to help me complete my apprenticeship. I think it took me about 6 years to do a four year apprenticeship. They were wonderful and helped me into my next job as a trainee with a large national company. That was a fantastic job, I was promoted to salesman and then manager, and found myself in the top 5% of income earners, and I was in A job that I loved.
Several years later, I left that job and went into the restaurant business where I was moderately successful, the headed a small company in the marine engineering business, before joining a national firm at a senior management level.
Then, About 20 years ago I started my own business in the construction industry, built it up, and now live a semi retired lifestyle sailing around SE Asia.
Just interesting to reflect on how low my alcoholism took me in just one area of my life, and to experience an unbelievable turn around in that same area, by trying to practice AA principles in all my affairs. If you had told me this was how it would all work out, I never would have believed you.
I got my first job myself at age 15, having been expelled from school for something I did when drinking. I made a good first impression by working hard and got a raise after three months. Then I went to a social event and the phenomenon of craving and put an end to that.
My father got me into an engineering apprenticeship and again I did well initially, but my performance deteriorated over time. I behaved very badly in the night school classes, drinking from my bag, and becam unpopular with the others who wanted to learn. I eventually pee'd off so many people that I thought to leave town and start fresh.
I transferred my apprenticeship to one town, then another, all brief stints with attendant disasters. Then it was a stay in the laughing academy, after which I got a job driving a truck with the local council. That didn't last and I went to the other end of the country as a commission salesman. Lasted about two months at that before the booze cost me that job. Then back to the home town where I failed selling junk jewellry, worked briefly for an abusive auto dismantler crawling round in the mud removing car parts, then I finished up at an electrical manufacturer where I had a job suited to the intellectually handicapped. It was to pick all the metal bits out of a tray of broken plastic components. It matched my IQ pretty well at the time. Got sacked from that one too if I remember.
Then I went to AA, followed the suggestions and a different pattern emerged. My first sober job was at a university where the very kind engineering professor managed to help me complete my apprenticeship. I think it took me about 6 years to do a four year apprenticeship. They were wonderful and helped me into my next job as a trainee with a large national company. That was a fantastic job, I was promoted to salesman and then manager, and found myself in the top 5% of income earners, and I was in A job that I loved.
Several years later, I left that job and went into the restaurant business where I was moderately successful, the headed a small company in the marine engineering business, before joining a national firm at a senior management level.
Then, About 20 years ago I started my own business in the construction industry, built it up, and now live a semi retired lifestyle sailing around SE Asia.
Just interesting to reflect on how low my alcoholism took me in just one area of my life, and to experience an unbelievable turn around in that same area, by trying to practice AA principles in all my affairs. If you had told me this was how it would all work out, I never would have believed you.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 572
I’ve always envied the always-at-sea lifestyle G. And to think, by your own concession, you were end-stage at 22, with presently 38 years of continuous sobriety. Yours is a remarkable story. And thanks for your contributions. I always like your informed views.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 41
I have been thinking about employment a lot lately. ..
Yours is a great story!
What scares me on near daily basis- is 'functioning' alcoholics - those who drink a box a night, have couple for breakfast and off to work again (never having a sick day).
Yours is a great story!
What scares me on near daily basis- is 'functioning' alcoholics - those who drink a box a night, have couple for breakfast and off to work again (never having a sick day).
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: here, now.
Posts: 1,236
Thank you.
I’m hopeful that if your story were an analogy, I’m in the apprenticeship right now. Getting sober has changed a lot about work for me. I was always somewhat high functioning but I can see now with some solid perspective that even though I was “high functioning”, not living my potential and not being true to myself actually cost me. I could have done things differently in the past and likely would have had I not been hitting the bottle all the time. In the end I started to lose function and was definitely about to see consequences. Fortunately I stopped at the last best time to be able to retain my position with the hope of integrity. Slowly I’m coming back at work.
This is a very hopeful post. Thanks for it and sounds like you’re living a dream life now. Good on you.
-b
I’m hopeful that if your story were an analogy, I’m in the apprenticeship right now. Getting sober has changed a lot about work for me. I was always somewhat high functioning but I can see now with some solid perspective that even though I was “high functioning”, not living my potential and not being true to myself actually cost me. I could have done things differently in the past and likely would have had I not been hitting the bottle all the time. In the end I started to lose function and was definitely about to see consequences. Fortunately I stopped at the last best time to be able to retain my position with the hope of integrity. Slowly I’m coming back at work.
This is a very hopeful post. Thanks for it and sounds like you’re living a dream life now. Good on you.
-b
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Thanks Mike. I love hearing your story. I am finally at the best place I have been professionally in a long time, perhaps ever. It looks totally different than what my first years of success were like, in my corp sales life during my twenties. And it is beautiful.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Originally Posted by Gottalife 
For some reason I have been reflecting on how alcoholism affected one particular area of my life - work - and my capacity to do it.
I got my first job myself at age 15, having been expelled from school for something I did when drinking. I made a good first impression by working hard and got a raise after three months. Then I went to a social event and the phenomenon of craving and put an end to that.
My father got me into an engineering apprenticeship and again I did well initially, but my performance deteriorated over time. I behaved very badly in the night school classes, drinking from my bag, and becam unpopular with the others who wanted to learn. I eventually pee'd off so many people that I thought to leave town and start fresh.
I transferred my apprenticeship to one town, then another, all brief stints with attendant disasters. Then it was a stay in the laughing academy, after which I got a job driving a truck with the local council. That didn't last and I went to the other end of the country as a commission salesman. Lasted about two months at that before the booze cost me that job. Then back to the home town where I failed selling junk jewellry, worked briefly for an abusive auto dismantler crawling round in the mud removing car parts, then I finished up at an electrical manufacturer where I had a job suited to the intellectually handicapped. It was to pick all the metal bits out of a tray of broken plastic components. It matched my IQ pretty well at the time. Got sacked from that one too if I remember.
Then I went to AA, followed the suggestions and a different pattern emerged. My first sober job was at a university where the very kind engineering professor managed to help me complete my apprenticeship. I think it took me about 6 years to do a four year apprenticeship. They were wonderful and helped me into my next job as a trainee with a large national company. That was a fantastic job, I was promoted to salesman and then manager, and found myself in the top 5% of income earners, and I was in A job that I loved.
Several years later, I left that job and went into the restaurant business where I was moderately successful, the headed a small company in the marine engineering business, before joining a national firm at a senior management level.
Then, About 20 years ago I started my own business in the construction industry, built it up, and now live a semi retired lifestyle sailing around SE Asia.
Just interesting to reflect on how low my alcoholism took me in just one area of my life, and to experience an unbelievable turn around in that same area, by trying to practice AA principles in all my affairs. If you had told me this was how it would all work out, I never would have believed you.
I got my first job myself at age 15, having been expelled from school for something I did when drinking. I made a good first impression by working hard and got a raise after three months. Then I went to a social event and the phenomenon of craving and put an end to that.
My father got me into an engineering apprenticeship and again I did well initially, but my performance deteriorated over time. I behaved very badly in the night school classes, drinking from my bag, and becam unpopular with the others who wanted to learn. I eventually pee'd off so many people that I thought to leave town and start fresh.
I transferred my apprenticeship to one town, then another, all brief stints with attendant disasters. Then it was a stay in the laughing academy, after which I got a job driving a truck with the local council. That didn't last and I went to the other end of the country as a commission salesman. Lasted about two months at that before the booze cost me that job. Then back to the home town where I failed selling junk jewellry, worked briefly for an abusive auto dismantler crawling round in the mud removing car parts, then I finished up at an electrical manufacturer where I had a job suited to the intellectually handicapped. It was to pick all the metal bits out of a tray of broken plastic components. It matched my IQ pretty well at the time. Got sacked from that one too if I remember.
Then I went to AA, followed the suggestions and a different pattern emerged. My first sober job was at a university where the very kind engineering professor managed to help me complete my apprenticeship. I think it took me about 6 years to do a four year apprenticeship. They were wonderful and helped me into my next job as a trainee with a large national company. That was a fantastic job, I was promoted to salesman and then manager, and found myself in the top 5% of income earners, and I was in A job that I loved.
Several years later, I left that job and went into the restaurant business where I was moderately successful, the headed a small company in the marine engineering business, before joining a national firm at a senior management level.
Then, About 20 years ago I started my own business in the construction industry, built it up, and now live a semi retired lifestyle sailing around SE Asia.
Just interesting to reflect on how low my alcoholism took me in just one area of my life, and to experience an unbelievable turn around in that same area, by trying to practice AA principles in all my affairs. If you had told me this was how it would all work out, I never would have believed you.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Originally Posted by bexxed
Thank you.
I’m hopeful that if your story were an analogy, I’m in the apprenticeship right now. Getting sober has changed a lot about work for me. I was always somewhat high functioning but I can see now with some solid perspective that even though I was “high functioning”, not living my potential and not being true to myself actually cost me. I could have done things differently in the past and likely would have had I not been hitting the bottle all the time. In the end I started to lose function and was definitely about to see consequences. Fortunately I stopped at the last best time to be able to retain my position with the hope of integrity. Slowly I’m coming back at work.
This is a very hopeful post. Thanks for it and sounds like you’re living a dream life now. Good on you.
-b
I’m hopeful that if your story were an analogy, I’m in the apprenticeship right now. Getting sober has changed a lot about work for me. I was always somewhat high functioning but I can see now with some solid perspective that even though I was “high functioning”, not living my potential and not being true to myself actually cost me. I could have done things differently in the past and likely would have had I not been hitting the bottle all the time. In the end I started to lose function and was definitely about to see consequences. Fortunately I stopped at the last best time to be able to retain my position with the hope of integrity. Slowly I’m coming back at work.
This is a very hopeful post. Thanks for it and sounds like you’re living a dream life now. Good on you.
-b
Because of youth it started at a low point, then went lower as my alcoholism progressed. I arrived in AA at the bottom of the J, and the bottom of everything else too! My imagination had deserted me, I had no idea what a sober worklife wood look like, no feeling of potential, and no idea about things such as purpose. I wasn't in the best place to make a plan, but I had one idea. I thought taxi driving would be good, but the police had other ideas.
I often wonder where I would have ended up if I had got my own way. Instead, through the AA steps, I began to develop a more principled way of living and my higher power opened other doors for me. The first was the opportunity to finish my trade. Perhaps that had to do with the principles of integrity, commitment and honesty as I was able to meetpast obligations there. That was a healing period for me and over that 18 months I became more clear headed and more open to inspiration.
One day visiting my father I spotted an interesting job in the paper. I had a read and got a bit excited, then thought NA, it would be too good to be true. The nex weekend I was at my father's again and saw the same advertisement. So I decided to call them and find out how much it paid. I was put on to this really nice man who persuaded me to come in for an interview. He turned out to be my bosses boss. So I fronted up in my alcoholic beige suit ( a symptom of alcoholism should be a compolete lack of dress sense IMO). I didn't much like my boss on first impression, but I went through the process and the follow up work. My engineering knowledge was helpful too thanks to the kind professor.
Much to my surprise I got the job. I found out later I was chosen out of forty applicants can you believe.
My first three months were a bit of a fog. It was quite a transition from the sedate pace of the acedemic world to a full on commercial eneterprise, and it took a while for my brain to adapt.
But I absolutely loved it. It was a job I would have done for half the money. It was so exciting and interesting, and in a way I think it fitted well with my newly developed sense of purpose. Though it was a boozy industry, my non drinking status turned out to be a great assett and was a big factor in my being able to maintain a position always in the top three salesmen nation wide. It was an amazing and life changing experience so vastly different from anything I could have planned on my own.
I believe what may have happened was due to the main purpose of the AA book, to help me better fit my self to be of maximum service to God and my fellows. It is incredible how doors open while I am working along these lines.
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