"MY NAME IS STEVE AND I AM AN ADDICT"

 I had a boss the last 6 years, a Marine veteran. He struggled with alcohol and no telling what else. His story was typical. Joined the corps out of High School. Spent 20 years at it. Several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Returns home broken. Gets his first civilian job. Soon to follow is a divorce. He told me one time that he had no idea what to do with his kids. Just could not relate. It was hard enough on the job. I was exactly the kind of guy he couldn't stand, Funny, big-hearted, happy. He looked at me sometimes like I was the Taliban. I used to have to tell him "Hey, I'm on your side, remember?"

 Several times I contacted corporate that we had a problem down here. The boss is showing up drunk if he shows up at all. They seemed to be limited in what they could do. I watched the guy disintegrate the last two years. And then one day last September he shot himself in the head while I was on vacation.

Grief counselors came to the workplace and we had a meeting. They spoke to us (an office of six) and opened the meeting up for us to share. Everyone was silent. Maybe 30 seconds, or 45 went by. And thats when I launched into “My name is Steve and I work here.” I shared about my feelings on Tom, and what had happened, and how I was disappointed the company seemed to let Tom down.

That's how you get it started. Identification.

It broke the ice and everybody shared from there. It's what I've learned to do through my narcotics anonymous program.

I guess now its my habit, my nature.