Do I Have to Quit Drinking to Save My Career?

I get asked this question a lot. The answer is absolutely, positively, definitely…maybe.

When thinking about rescuing a career impacted by alcohol or drugs, the question to ponder is: if I don’t decide to quit using substances, what is my plan to manage my use so that it doesn’t affect my work?

For me, the answer to this question is easy. I’m a no doubt, no debate, complete alcoholic and addict. it is simply not possible for me to sustain any reasonable quality of life if drugs and alcohol are part of that life.

But recovery looks different for everyone. For me, complete abstinence is the only solution.

For you, maybe recovery involves drinking less so that you can make it to work and perform better while there more consistently. Maybe it means you figure out some method of moderation or harm reduction so that substances don’t have the overall negative impacts on other areas of your life.

Only you can determine what is best for you. If you don’t know, seek answers from professionals or others in your life willing to speak to you about the possibilities.

Again, recovery looks different for everyone, and there are many different ways to recover.