Will I Get Fired From My Job if I Admit I am an Alcoholic

My doctor knows about my drinking an referred me to the alcohol team. I was told I was not an alcoholic and just was a habitual drinker. I wake up in a morning and the first thing I do is drink wine. I want to get help but I am frightened I will be fired.

Alcoholism-and-Drug-Addiction-Help.com Answer

Employers are often supportive about someone admitting to a drinking problem and wanting to get help. But there are no guarantees - usually your employment contract provides guidelines how a company would handle such a situation. Many companies today also have employee wellness programs, where you can confidentially speak to someone, and find out how they would suggest you handle the situation, so look into that.

Otherwise if it's simply not feasible admitting your alcoholism to your company - if you got booked into an alcoholism addiction treatment program, I'm sure they could provide some kind of medical certificate that gets you legitimately booked off work, without necessarily disclosing the exact reasons why. So phone a few treatment centers and ask how they would handle it, with you being in the position you are.

But I think the main thing to realise is that without your health you have nothing. So dealing with your alcoholism and getting your life back on track needs to be your absolute priority. You could always find another job, but you don't get 2nd chances when it comes to your health and well-being.

So well done for by acknowledging your problem and wanting to get help. That's usually the hardest part. Now you simply have to make sure you follow through, get professional help and do whatever it takes to turn your life around. Your life is a gift and you need to do everything you can to honour that.

Best of Luck

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