Weird Workplace Drinking Atmosphere

[WhiskeyReb]

So I'm sitting here contemplating whether to treat my bronchitis with Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond or Courvoisier Cognac (on top of benadryl and cough syrup....hey, why let a good cough go to waste?). And in my relaxed mind I'm running through an odd workplace situation concerning booze.

I am the director of an organization that, among other things, works with alot of quasi-homeless people who drink and dope too much. We've got ex-drunks on staff who say they can never take one drink. Our workplace culture is such that admitting that you drink is a big no-no. Yet....I drink. And I enjoy it. I'm not an alcoholic. I work with people who were on death's doorstep with cirrhosis of the liver when they came to us. I get that for some people, drinking is a problem.

But it isn't a problem for me. I enjoy booze. But it's really annoying, that I can't have a discussion at work concerning why I can't find Wild Turkey 101 Rye in a liquor store in my town, or how bourbon compares to Scotch....or that I have a touch of a headache from one drink too many the night before. (tsssk, tsssk, that's alcohol abuse).

And heaven forbid that I speak my mind and say that I don't think getting drunk is a disease and that the medical model of addiction is horse shit. Guess I'm just enough of a libertarian to believe that if you need to quit drinking, then quit. But if you want to get drunk, get drunk. I'm a grown man. I pay my house note and my taxes. And I'm old enough to buy my own liquor.

My apologies for the rant......

[Patchez]

well said. It's unfortunate that so much money can be made off of the "need" for recovery. I fear that if we don't stop that cycle then booze will forever be a no no.

[Mr. Viking]

a few people I work with will make fun because I'm hungover or late. They will say "never happens to me, i don't drink". They are all liars and have all come in, (or failed to appear) at later dates a bit fuzzy. It seems that in liverpool, if you aren't in the pub every day it is normal to claim that you don't drink, or more popularly, are not a drinker. These people are subconsciously scared of who they are