Once I Start Drinking, I Can’t Stop

If one drink turns into six almost every time, that’s not a willpower problem. It’s called loss of control, and it’s one of the clearest clinical signs of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The pull to keep drinking once you’ve started isn’t about weak character. It’s a change in how your brain responds to alcohol, and […]

Can You Get Fired for Going to Rehab?

In most cases, no. Two federal laws, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), protect eligible employees who seek treatment for a substance use disorder.  Your employer generally cannot fire you simply for going to rehab. These protections have real limits, though, and they don’t cover everything, so […]

High-Functioning Alcoholic Signs

A high-functioning alcoholic keeps the job, pays the bills, and shows up to family dinners. That is exactly why the drinking underneath goes unnoticed for years, sometimes decades.  The high-functioning alcoholic signs that matter most are rarely the dramatic ones, and job performance is never the test. It is often the reason the problem gets […]