Am I a High Performing Alcoholic or Addict?

How do you know when your passion for/obsession with/overuse of alcohol/ sex or your preferred drug or process, tips over into addiction?

Are you asking yourself whether you’re an alcoholic, addict or sex addict? “Is my drinking or drugging really a bigger problem than I like to think?”; “Does my wife/husband/boss have it right and do I actually have a problem?”; “Why can’t I seem to stop drinking when I start (but you’re surely not an alcoholic because you’re not a *daily drinker)?”

The traits that the high-performing leaders possess – risk-taking, success-driven, obsession, extreme commitment, adrenaline-seeking – are precisely what make a “good” addict.

Did you know that if you’re a high performer at work you’re at a higher risk of developing an addiction? The most driven, committed, and outside-the-box thinkers – are wired a bit differently from the rest. The traits that the high-performing leaders possess – risk-taking, success-driven, obsession, extreme commitment, adrenaline-seeking – are precisely what make a “good” addict. High Performers are also very talented at hiding their addictions! It’s an art, and one they, or is that, you, can get very very good at. HFA are also skilled at denial.

Denial is a huge factor in HFA, because we misinterpret our daily functioning as meaning we don't have a problem. High functioning professionals are less likely to seek treatment for their addictions until crisis point. Asking for help is a last resort because HFAs are accustomed to success and control in all areas of their life.

Please also know that if you are struggling you’re not alone. According to the United Nations report in Vienna,?35 million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders while only 1 in 7 people receive treatment. And?According to the?National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 19.7 million American adults (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in 2017. Australia, along with the rest of the world, and chasing the pandemic, is suffering from an opioid crisis, a large percentage of this is prescription painkillers.

Nearly 6,000 people die from?alcohol -related diseases every year in Australia.

The truth is, you generally won’t know when you cross the invisible line into physical and mental addiction until it’s too late. However, your body will give you definite physical warning signs. And your intuition/innate intelligence/gut feeling (whatever you’d like to call that feeling). You know the feeling - that deep inner knowing we all have, that keeps us alive as humans and clearly indicates to us out truth, this will inform us.

Let’s talk a little about the signs. Firstly, your body will give you distinct signs when your enthusiastic use of, or indulgence in, a substance, tips over into unhealthy behaviour. In terms of drinking and drugging, below are a few considerations for you.?

• If you’re experiencing a racing heart, shakiness and anxiety the day after drinking (and this has progressed from a simple feeling of malaise, headache and or nausea)?your body has developed a dependency of the substance.?
• If the ends of your fingers are tingling, you’re starting to look at permanent nerve damage and need to seek help.?
• If you’re taking a morning drink to calm your nerves or seeking out another hit of drugs - again, it’s time to address your usage.?
• If sex has turned into hours of porn use each day, constant cheating on your partner and hours spent lining up sex, it’s time to take a look at things.??
• If gambling is entering your mind every day and your savings are running low, there’s a problem.??
• If your day is planned around when to have sugar - binge and purge or binge and restrict (fast)- you have a problem.?

It’s also highly important to note that addiction is most likely a result of complex trauma, often a combination of many little traumas that happened in your early life. You are not weak-willed or morally bankrupt. Addictive behaviour is the pathological soothing of a deep psychological wound. Even if you think you’re mostly “fine” and are doing it for fun, it’s likely there’s more going on under the surface - addictions numb our feelings. With our feelings numbed and our perceptions radically altered, sometimes we destroy ourselves before we’re willing to look at our own behaviour. Whether you’re reading this article for yourself or a friend, the takeaway here is – if you think there’s a problem do seek to understand more and see a professional.

As humans we all have craving minds. If we’re courageous enough to do the inner enquiry then we can change our lives for the better.??All addictive patterns, are exactly that: patterns. There is a chase, a high, a low, a feeling of loss, emptiness, despair or shame. The more we indulge in these patterns the lower the low, or deeper the shame becomes.?

An Addiction Recovery coach can discuss with you the DSM IV and we do a deep dive analysis. However, the truth about the state of your use can be understood by asking yourself the following questions:

• Have you tried to control your usage but not been able to (not succeeded)?
• Have you tried to cut out the drug or activity and not been able to?
• Has it (the drug or substance) negatively affected your work, relationship, family or spiritual life?
• Has your usage had any legal consequences? For example, a DUI charge.?
• When not using or engaging with the substance or behaviour are your spending a significant amount of time obsessing over-using or working to obtain it?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to one of these questions, your usage has crossed into the unhealthy. Now this could be a one-off; we can all abuse a substance or process for a period, experience consequences and then right the ship. However, if you’re answering ‘yes’ to two or more of these questions, we’re looking at abuse and if you’ve answered ‘yes’ to all five we’re likely looking at a severe addiction.??

Addiction is a chronic brain relapsing disorder. If you have a moderate to severe addiction it will not resolve itself, because the neurology of the brain has changed.??This does not mean you’re destined to a lifetime of AA, NA, GA or SLA meeting in dingy church basements, a boring life, jail or death (as is often quoted in 12 Step Meetings). There are many ways to recover, which may, or may not, include 12 step meetings, and an incredible and powerful new lease on life. The future can be incredibly bright, but denial will not land you in a brighter future.?

There is a way to free yourself from substance abuse or addiction. The shame, fear, uncertainty – there is a path from this, to freedom. When it comes to addiction, if you have not crossed that invisible line of no return, you could save yourself years of heartache and many tens of thousands of dollars by seeking help now.?

If you fear you have a problem, the good news is that there is a solution. You can do the quiz now to understand if you really have a problem?here .??You can also book in a complimentary discovery call?here .?There are also free 12 step or SMART Recovery programs, your local onsite meeting can be found online.

*being a daily drinker does not indicate alcoholism; someone who has 1 or 2 drinks every day can be a very healthy drinker, while someone who doesn’t drink for months and binges can be severe alcoholic.

Article written and submitted by Kylie Butler , Executive Recovery Coach, From Here On.

From Here On provides online recovery 1:1 coaching programs for executives ready to find freedom from addiction.??Owners and facilitators Sophie and Kylie have deep personal histories of highly functioning addiction in the corporate world. Now in long term recovery, they use their own experiences - in addition to academic, practical training - to help others. They really ‘get it’, and know what it means to successfully lead a sober life.

From Here On offers corporate rates for organisations looking to support their employees.

www.fromhereon.com.au ?