I know several high functioning alcoholics in the tech industry. I honestly don't have a clue how anybody does it. None of them are on upward trajectories or

I know several high functioning alcoholics in the tech industry. I honestly don't have a clue how anybody does it. None of them are on upward trajectories or even seem to care about work in a real sense. They care enough to get the work done, but not ... well, the simply care enough to do the work. I grew up in a household with a drug addict, and I've helped several people through their problems with both drug and alcoholism. It's a very personal journey and it's harder to quit than you think. It isn't just the physical addiction, which is very real. It's the mental addiction and coming to grips with the fact that you are worth the effort and cost (both financial and personal) to stop. Go to a meeting. (an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for those who are not aware) It's surprising how easy it is to relate. It's surprising to see what the future potentially holds if you don't stop. Frankly, I probably would be an alcoholic if I hadn't attended meetings as a teenager. It's not so much that they scared me, it's that I had my eyes opened to the fact that I have a personality that lends itself easily to addiction, and that I enjoy alcohol a little too much. I've never known an alcoholic who actually stopped for any length of time who did not go through AA. Some were forced by judges, some voluntarily, but all went through it. Like I said, I went through it as a kid - not because of my own addiction, but because of someone else in my home. The recommendation was either alanon or naranon, but those weren't around me. Your behavior affects people around you. Maybe you think it doesn't, but it does. Anyhow... go to a meeting. Listen, don't judge. Listen some more. Then speak and tell them how you are different and you'll all have a good laugh. Because you are the same and you all will know it. Don't be ashamed. Don't think it's a small problem. That's like being a little bit pregnant. It's a problem. Take a step to fix it. Find a meeting. It's a disease. You don't need advice, you need help. http://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/find-local-aa http://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/find-local-aa