As a child of the 60's I did the whole drug, sex, and rock and roll scene. My wife was at Woodstock, I was too tripped out to go.
Still in all, I managed to earn my BA, MBA, and a professional license in a rigourous financial field.
I am a partner in the firm I founded and fly around the country teaching courses I have written to train other professionals in my field and lecturing in my specialty.
Raised 3 wonderful kids. My eldest was just married and is a pursuing a PhD fully underwritten by the NIH.
Next child is a senior in college and hasnt nissed deans list yet.
Youngest (a weekend souvenir ) is in HS.
Wonderful wife.
Notwithstanding all of the above, the cumulative pressures my type A personality placed on me came to a head 3 years ago when I became a caretaker for my slowly dying mother. Her many nursing home stays and all that goes with it as a caretaker took its toll.
The night she died last year (at her home) my wife had to drive me over to give the DNR order because I had 5 scotches and 2 percocets. I was numbing myself from the pain of watching her suffer. Hers was the second DNR in 5 years, my father preceeding her.
I have suffered in silence like many of you and have managed to maintain a facad (sp.?) in my professional and social community. (I am also President of a major not-for-profit in our town.)
It must be karma, but, a few days after I stopped drinking I saw the WSJ article and the rest is history. I am now in week 5 of abstinence.
After my MBA, my early career was spent with a Fortune 500 company doing a fair amount of travel. I dont know how things are now, but, in the seventies drinking on the road and at other corporate events was almost a requirement to blend in with the team. I know some of my habits trace their origin to that period of time.
I would love to hear from younger folks about the current business enviroment with respect to drinking. I hope its changed.