I have been having a horrible time at work and home and literally have spent hours wandering around my county. I took a sick day because I almost bluntly blurted out that I was having suicidal ideation because I can’t find a way out of it. Took a deep breath and called out sick, instead.
Since home isn’t a safe place for me (relative I live with is having serious mental health issues that make it hard) and I needed to fill a few more hours, I went to AA. I don’t particularly like AA but I’ve learned it’s usually a safe place for me to not be alone when my emotions are running high.
Every single person who shared was having trouble at work. Every last one, probably 7-8 people. They’re getting screamed at. One person caught her boss intentionally underpaying her. Two almost walked out in a flood of emotions. These aren’t newly sober, most of them have a couple of years. The only person who had a bigger problem than work was someone who also was facing a felony charge for a non-violent offense committed while drunk over 5 years ago. And she was also having trouble at work.
Someone joked, “we should’ve called this meeting Workplace Anonymous.” Except I think everyone had this uncomfortable look while we laughed because we should. The incivility, disorder and frankly cruelty of the workplace is the roots of countless problems that come out as “alcoholism” or “depression not responsive to therapy” or “burnout.”