Alcohol in the workplace: Interview with affected employee
Markus* is 45 years old. He is in a stable relationship and has a good job in the production engineering department of a large car manufacturer, which he enjoys. But you wouldn't know it right away: He is an alcoholic.
He was able to keep his addiction a secret for a long time, until the day he was too hungover to go to work. A warning followed, but also an offer to help himself. Markus' employer supports him and other employees in coping with difficult personal situations - with the help of the counseling services offered by pme Familienservice.
An honest and very personal interview about an addiction that can affect any of us.
When did you realize that "normal" alcohol consumption had become an addiction? How did it develop for you?
Markus: I had my first experience with alcohol when I was 14 - like many other young people. You meet up at the weekend, try it now and again and sometimes drink too much. As a young adult, I then drank regularly at the weekend. I realized that I simply felt even better then. When I was in a good mood, the alcohol made sure that the mood lasted.
Later, cocaine was added to the mix. However, I never drank during the week, but always on Fridays. And that just increased over the years. I was in a good mood then. But when I turned 40, I noticed that it took me longer and longer at the beginning of the week to find my normal rhythm. My alcohol consumption simply increased more and more.
Unfortunately, all my relationships have failed because of alcohol. For the sake of my wife at the time, I stopped drinking once and went to rehab. But then my wife accused me of being so serious. So I started drinking again. When my wife left me, I realized that alcohol not only puts me in a good mood, but also helps me to cope better with the separation.
Did you also drink alcohol at work?
I never drank at or during work, it was an ironclad principle. I need my driver's license and I'm also very ambitious. It was always important to me that my employer thought well of me and knew that I was doing a good job.
In the meantime, however, I had started drinking my beer after work and not being so strict about how much I drank. Of course, it wasn't always easy when you come to work hungover. In the end, it became increasingly difficult to come to work completely sober.
What impact did alcohol consumption have on your work?
Looking back, I think I always worked properly, but I was always in a bad mood. And I think the customers noticed that. I was always careful never to arouse suspicion. But I couldn't hide my mood and also the inner pressure of whether I could manage it all and whether my master was happy with me.
Did your employer know about your high alcohol consumption?
Yes, then there was the first Monday when I wasn't really sober and called my foreman to say that I couldn't come to work today. When asked, I had to admit that I'd had too much to drink. Then I received my first warning for unauthorized absence. In my company there is a company agreement as a step-by-step plan. I had to see an addiction counselor at the company and also the HR department.
When my absence was repeated, everyone came to the table. The company's addiction counselor, the HR manager, someone from the health insurance company, the company doctor and my foreman. They all urgently advised me to do something now, otherwise I would jeopardize my job. I should go to rehab and try to get off alcohol. There was a lot of pressure. On top of that, I was really ashamed of my behavior.
Why did you seek help from the pme Familienservice ?
Because my employer had sent me to finally tackle my problems. The counselor from Familienservice then helped me to go through withdrawal and a subsequent detox period of several weeks. He also helped me to bridge the waiting time between withdrawal and rehab. We also looked into whether a self-help group would be good for me. But I haven't made any progress yet.
What does your therapy look like?
I first went to a clinic for detoxification to get the alcohol out of my system and stop drinking. Then I went to rehab to find out why I was drinking and how I could kick the habit permanently.
That was really hard because I saw how many broken people there are and what alcohol does to people in the long term. We had to stand up in front of everyone and talk about our lives and when and how we drink. I wanted to do it properly and then I also gave up smoking and cocaine. There were group discussions and lots of leisure and therapy activities.
How are you doing at the moment?
I've been sober for five months now and I'm still living in the euphoria of having made it. My employer is happy and I'm enjoying my work again. But I have the feeling that there is still a lot to do. I haven't had a relapse, but I've been on it again a few times. I'm only really learning now that I'm back home when I'm at risk: when I feel restless inside or when I feel too much pressure. A
But each time I think that I don't want to jeopardize what I've achieved. I can also come to the counselor at Familienservice after the therapy and talk through the situations where I still feel at risk. But for now, I'm happy that I haven't lost my job and that I feel healthy again and everything is on the right track.
*The interviewee does not wish to be recognized. For this reason, we have changed his name.
Life coaching for employees
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