This is a picture of me as a #CPA. You can’t tell from looking at me I had an #alcoholaddiction for many years.
To all of my LinkedIn connections here is #mystory of #addiction, how I overcame it, and a way forward.
This story is not about #accountants. It is about telling you that #addiction is a very common issue and that the first step is acknowledgement of the problem, and then action needs to be taken to overcome #substanceabuse or other self-abuse issues.
When I first began giving talks to accountants I used not to tell people about my past drinking problem because I thought they would think less well of me, and especially when the organiser had usually purchased a bottle of alcohol as a gift for the presentation.
The underlying cause of my issue: I found I was in the wrong job for my personality style. Because I was an overview person and not a detail person, attention to detail distressed me enormously. How I coped was by having that one relaxing drink at night when I came home. (I also used to smoke.) Now. Because the bottle was opened it had to be consumed.
It started out as one drink and over time it became 2 bottles per night. The only saving grace for my health was that I did not drink spirits.
Addiction can be a substance or a behavioural issue. The habitual repetition of the act leads to dependence. Apart from that what follows is the guilt, shame, possibly the hopelessness and the despair. The #habit of what we do is a choice. The reasons behind the addiction can be many. However, the actual addiction leads to #dependence and what happens gradually is that the person needs more and more of the substance to receive the same effect.
I knew what my problem was: I was in the wrong profession and was not able to express who I was fully as I was more of a creative than a numbers and detail person. Because all of my qualifications were in #accounting, the thought of leaving that profession, which is very respected, induces high self-esteem, financial rewards and kudos, this is what kept me at an impasse. I was reluctant to give up the only thing I knew for a leap of faith into the unknown. I did eventually and went into a spiral of loss of self-esteem, confidence and a place in the world where I felt respect for myself. My overall health became a side effect as well. What I was to do as a career also became an issue.
How I solved this issue was one doing one thing at a time and gaining new habits. First, I stopped smoking. This did not actually stop me drinking it stopped many of the triggers because every time I smoked I most often had a drink. Then I had to move careers and find something that I was passionate about, which incidentally is stress resolution, something I now know a lot about. Then I was able to moderate drinking and finally now am able to choose when I drink and why.
The point of this tale is: there are many people out there who have a similar issue and who may not know where to go to solve these things. One of my LinkedIn connections @Graeme Alford, who is a privilege to know, has a program for #CEO’s #Leaders and others who need help and who want to do it privately. (21Renew Retreat in Bali – August 24th)
If I can help you in any way, become the #high performer you once were again, let me know. Blessings
Celine Healy