Tommy was a rising star in the plumbing company. He had so much energy. He always had a big smile on his face and loved to laugh.
And Tommy was skilled. He had only been in the field a few months but he was showing great potential with his technical and sales skills.
Then, one night, he drove the company truck to a bar. He got drunk and attempted to drive home. He ran into three cars before he totaled the truck on a street lamppost. Four people ended up in the hospital that night. Fortunately, no one was killed.
Tommy, naturally, was fired. At 26 years old, this kid went from “bright future” to “road to nowhere.”
Does Tommy have a drinking problem? Certainly, drinking has had a big, nasty impact on his life. Should we have known this about him? Did we suspect and do nothing? And now what? Is there an ongoing responsibility to help him out?
While Tommy’s nightmare is uniquely his, the challenges of addiction are increasing in our home, businesses and in society.
The medical definition of addiction is a “compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.” A more broad definition is a “persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be physically, psychologically or socially harmful.”
Focusing just on alcohol addiction, the statistics are, well, sobering. An estimated 17 million Americans have an alcohol use disorder, a medical term that includes both alcoholism and harmful drinking that doesn’t reach the level of dependency. Only 15 percent of people with an AUD ever seek treatment. Ten percent of children in the United States live with a parent who has alcohol problems. And each year in the U.S., nearly 80,000 people die from alcohol related causes, according to National Institutes of Health reports.
Businesses bear the costs, too. According to Occupational Medicine magazine, 40 percent of all industrial fatalities and 47 percent of industrial injuries are linked to alcohol consumption. Smaller companies – with less than 25 employees – had the highest percentage of workers abusing alcohol, according to a national survey by State University of New York. Not surprisingly, companies without alcohol- and drug-free workplace policies and substance abuse programs tend to attract people with substance abuse problems who use and drink before and/or on the job.
It’s a big problem in general.
Has it become a problem for you or someone you care about?
On the Alcoholics Anonymous website, AA.org, there is a questionnaire that many people have used to determine if they might have a problem. My intention by writing this column is to spark the conversation about the hazards of addiction. And to encourage you to address potential problems, as you can and as you see fit.
Here’s why I quit: I found myself wondering if I was drinking too much.
While it was at one point really fun to drink, it had become less so. After a beer or a glass of wine, no sale happened, and there was no real production – no relationship was enhanced.
I decided to quit. Since then, I feel better. I sleep better. I get more done and have more fun. I’m liberated from wondering, “Did I overdo it last night?” I don’t wake up with a headache. I’m not saying eliminating alcohol removes my character flaws. I still have plenty of those. I have found that sobriety helps me to do the spiritual and psychological work that is required as I choose to deal with those issues.
Without judgment, I encourage you to consider the questions: Is it a problem for you or someone you love? Is it time to do something about it?
Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who helps entrepreneurs start, fix and grow their businesses. She conducts a monthly webinar, and her books include “Where Did the Money Go?” and “The Bare Bones Weekend Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@barebonesbiz.com.[[In-content Ad]]
