Everybody's drinking!

[Savannah]

To my MYO friends that are pros to this AL thing. I have tried and tried to stop. I work with the public and I see everyone is buying beer and wine. The job market is tough, so I can't depend on another job. I have a friend who is younger than 25 and tell her how much I have become dependant on AL. I don't want her to become like me. When you work in an AL enviornment, how in the world do you stop drinking??

[Zeppie2]

Everybody's drinking!

Hiya Savannah - it must be difficult for you if you are surrounded by AL in your job. I don't think any of us are pros, we just have to be ever vilgilant so we don't give into AL again.

I work in a bar but I am determined not to drink again, it took me a while and a very sore liver to get to that point however and I hope people would stop before they get there.

Luckily my employers know now that I will not even try a drink new to the market and they are thankfully fine with that. I have come to realise that I am the one with the problem with alcohol, not the patrons of our bar.

Good luck to you - stay strong and if it becomes too much you may have to change jobs.

[stirly-girly]

Everybody's drinking!

Hi Savannah.
Just wanted to add my two bits to Zeppie's post. I have a friend who owns a bar - it's his only source of income and he is neither educated nor trained to do anything else, besides he makes pretty good money at it. He was a very heavy drinker - Johnny Red the drink of preference and started his day by taking a swig out of the bottle as soon as he got out of bed - before he even went to the bathroom. His stomach always did a double-take when the first drink hit but that never stopped him. He'd go home in the afternoon for a short rest although he never really slept - AL will do that - and then back to the bar til closing time, around 3-4am. Total for the day, about 1-1/2 bottles. End of November, 2008 he decided he'd had enough and stopped drinking. Hasn't had a drink since and still goes to work all day, every day at the bar, surrounded by his friends who all drink (some are alcoholics) and he never touches a drop. If there is a will, there is a way. Don't mean to sound uppity - just giving you another example. BTW Zeppers...:goodjob:. Not many people with an AL problem can work in such an environment and still be AF...
Savannah - when the moment is right, you'll know it and neither friends nor foe nor co-workers will change your mind if you're determined to be AF and stay that way...
Stirly

[hippie37]

Everybody's drinking!

What lengths are you willing to go to for your sobriety Sav? That is the question I think you need to be asking yourself here. You cannot afford to play the victim and blame circumstances or other people when the problem lies within you. You have to make changes that may seem hard right now, even impossible to the alcoholic. But, changes you make now will have far greater effects on your life and your sobriety for the long term future.

As stirly stated not many people can work in that kind of environment in early sobriety. I have friends in AA who run bars and nightclubs because they run them as a business and nothing more. The obsession to use alcohol is no longer an issue for them because they have long term sobriety that is maintained through the principles of AA.

Have you thought of attending an AA meeting where you will find support?

Love and Light
Phil
xx

[Doggygirl]

Everybody's drinking!

Savannah, I can't even imagine how challenging your situation must be. I DO know that quitting AL has it's challenges no matter what our circumstances, and for me I have absolutely had to make sobriety my #1 priority in order to get it done.

I'm so glad that Zeppie was able to respond with some first hand experience in a similar situation so you know that it's possible! Congratulations Zeppie!

I can share that a woman I go to AA with will hit 40 days AF this week and she is a bartender. It's been very challenging for her. She has to use the resources at her disposal (which for her is AA meetings, phoning people, reading the literature) DAILY in order to stay AF one day at a time. I would say the MWO equivalents would be to read, post generally, participate in one or more of the daily check in type threads (AF Army, AF daily, etc.), Arrange to go to chat with people when you need it, read the toolbox, etc.

From this one woman describing her challenges and experiences in early sobriety, two other people in this meeting spoke up to say they were also bartenders when the first got sober. One tended bar for the first 5 years of her sobriety before moving on to a different job. The other guy is over 10 years sober and still bartends part time for special occassions. (weddings and stuff like that)

I just wanted to share those "second hand" experiences so you know that other people are finding a way to do it. And if they can, then maybe you can too. That's the beauty of us alkies getting together - we can give each other hope.

The girl with almost 40 days said she is going to start looking for another job. Given the economy and her limited background, she knows it might take awhile. But she's going to get started on that right away as she sees she will definitely want to make a career change. The nice thing about getting sober is that she sees that she could have many options if she really works at it.

All the best to you Savannah. YOU CAN DO THIS!

DG