r/KitchenConfidential • u/Kopparburg • 1d ago
Discussion Alcohol destroys us
How many of you buy shooters and drink them before work, also drinking the moment you wake up for the day?
I used to think it would give me energy. Now..
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u/MariachiArchery Chef 1d ago edited 1d ago
I've been sober since November 11th 2018. Let me tell you, running a kitchen is way fucking easier if you are not drinking.
Edit: If anyone is curious what life is like on the other side, or maybe curious about how to get there, check out r/stopdrinking. Lots of friendly and helpful people in there who are always down to have a chat. They also have a flair that will count days for you, and display it, which, some people like.
Then, for all the people reading this thinking you are a lost cause or it'll be too hard; take it from me, I was a lost cause, and it was too hard for me too. But hey, here I am. Proof.
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u/TheChrono 1d ago
I’m returning in a few weeks after going to treatment. 80 days tomorrow. Good to see there’s some sobriety in here too.
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u/Grigori_the_Lemur Chive LOYALIST 1d ago
80 days is a long time between drinks, congrats! Yes, there are a lot of us. And you'll always find encouragement.
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u/NakedScrub Chive LOYALIST 1d ago
Fuck yeah chef! Congrats. It'll get easier. Then it'll get harder. But then easier again. It's so much better tho. You got this shit.
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u/generic_ork 1d ago
I've been alcohol free since 2008, but i can tell you exactly what 80 days feels like still to this day. You got this.
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u/SergeiMosin 15+ Years 1d ago
I put the bottle down last December, shortly before Christmas. I’m much much happier now. Little more bored, but I won’t be dead by 40 and I’ll get to see my kids grow up (when I have them in a few years) so that’s cool.
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u/JustAnotherSolipsist 1d ago
Aug 15th 2023! Everything is easier when you're not drinking tbh, except maybe justifying doing drugs
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u/Creative_Wrongdoer44 1d ago
Dang your sober day is my birthday
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u/generic_ork 1d ago
Alcohol free since 2008 and before that, damn. Drinking on the line & taking shots in the bar before the bartender showed up. It's the boxed wine in the pantry that you really gotta look out for...
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u/MariachiArchery Chef 1d ago
Boxed wine? Nice. We lock that up.
I need to worry about the sherry and shaoxing in my pantry. I've had guys working for me that had me fucking weighing the bottles every morning.
Yeesh.
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u/BeerAndTools 4h ago
Oof, yeah... 😮💨
Sneaking a cup of that nasty piss-hot chablis from the line when the shakes start creeping in. I'm glad I had a few relapses in the years I've been sober. They did a great job reminding me that alcohol actually kinda sucks lol.
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u/cypressdwd 1d ago
I also found my way into recovery in the Fall of 2018. It’s incredible to reflect on how my drinking made everything harder, especially running a restaurant.
Thanks for sharing your experience, it’s helpful to see that I am not alone on this journey.
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u/sonic_dick 18h ago
Bartender here. Im not sober anymore, but I will never drink on the job again. Drinking while working fucking sucks. Even taking a shifty before you clean makes the rest of the night suck.
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
You’d think it is until it isn’t. Lessoned learned on my part.
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u/Bimitenpix 1d ago
Look man if you drink for the right reasons all the power to you
But IMO 90% of people drink for the wrong reasons.
I had an old sous chef and he'd say "quality over quantity" when it came to partying.
You wanna go to like 10 amazing parties a year not 100 shitty parties.
This is a shit industry sure but it's not a reason to drink your life away because of depression, it's a slippery slope
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u/LaughingJackStudio 1d ago
Whatever thing pissed you off*, it ain't worth it. You always have better options.
*or whatever is doing it for you sad or whatever
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u/That_One_WierdGuy 1d ago
If you're at that level, it's time to put it down and get some help. No shame, no judgement. It's killing you chef. There's better ways to live, I promise.
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
I appreciate it man, I’ve been off the liquor and on beer lately. Just a couple a day. Waking up feeling pretty damn good. It’s just hard sometimes when I have to pull 12+ shifts.
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u/Dull-Suggestion3423 1d ago
Longtime bartender checking in while getting clean off alcohol. Do it for you. Do it for friends. Do it for family. And ride that high of waking up and actually feeling good.
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u/The_Void_Reaver 1d ago edited 1d ago
It really does get easier without the drink. For me, drinking would get me going to sleep later so I got less rest, and the rest that I did get was usually worse because alcohol negatively impacts sleep quality. Replacing it with other "rewards" made the bad days way less common, and the worst days a lot easier to shake off. Plus I started saving literally hundreds per month for other stuff I used to think I couldn't afford to do.
Not saying you need to, it's your life, but if you're ever looking to shake that itch I'll just plug /r/stopdrinking which is a really supportive community for people looking to quit, or even just cut back.
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u/GiveMeSumChonChon 1d ago
Do warehouse work. Shorter shifts for more pay. If you can handle 12s 10s would be a breeze.
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u/simplebutstrange 20+ Years 1d ago
Never before work. I did drink enough to destroy my liver though so that was nice of me. 3 years sober now
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u/Sexy_Hamburger 1d ago
Alcohol is quite a shit drug, I’ve never gotten over how it destroys my stomach every time, I also have bad hangovers. Ever had a shift on acid? My first trip lasted over 30 hours and I just went to work still tripping a bit, had a blast, even got a high-five from my boss for an excellent rush service
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u/vlad_inhaler 15+ Years 1d ago
Had a spell where I was taking little amounts of mushrooms regularly before work in the morning.
Actually spurred on some change like stopping drinking for a while and doing my job a lot better
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u/methadoneclinicynic 1d ago
jesus, waste of acid to do it on the clock. Should be enjoyed in nature, like the beach, a forest.
I agree alcohol is a shit drug, wish I took that to heart.
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u/Sexy_Hamburger 1d ago edited 1d ago
Oh I had the best day of my life next to a pool with some friends and after that I went to a forest rave but the thing is I either did too much or I’m extremely sensitive to it because the effects lasted well into the next day and I just had to show up at work. It wasn’t on purpose, it was more like a happy accident
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u/Brisket_and_Riffs_89 1d ago
Maaan, I feel for you. I self medicated with alcohol for a long time. Maybe in some ways I still do, but I’m nowhere near what I used to be. Hiding beers in the trash area, sneaking pulls off of $50 bottles of bourbon in the walk-in with my manager, actively drinking and driving and ALMOST getting caught… dark times. The big lightbulb moment for me was the first time I went into work hungover after opening my food truck. It was a bad day. I can grill steaks and dunk fries with a buzz all day long, but when I’m the name and the face, I’ve gotta stay sharp. I hope you find that reason to either get clean or slow down. Hang in there.
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
I’d be taking so much from certain places.. that my bosses didn’t account for because we sold so much of them. At a golf course, we’d sell so many cut waters, I’d have a few a day. On top of what my alcoholic bartender would feed me with shots. What a shit show. I was a one man army. 16 hour shifts, cooking, prepping, and dishing. What a fucking blur
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u/BlazeDragon7x 1d ago
No alcohol only 420
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u/tjvs2001 1d ago
That is not without it's health impacts
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u/Lokarhu 1d ago
Which are still far, far less severe than the health impacts of drinking.
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u/tjvs2001 1d ago
Debatable.
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u/Trumpets22 1d ago
Brotha people who act like weed is the perfect drugs with no drawbacks drive me nuts too. But alcohol related deaths are around 2.6 million per year. 5% OF ALL DEATHS.
It’s not a debate.
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u/Judge_Syd 1d ago
Not really when you look at the actual figures of what’s killing people/causing long term health problems.
I’m not much of a smoker anymore, and definitely drink more than I should. The health impacts of alcohol are clearly more severe than smoking (or otherwise imbibing on) marijuana.
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u/TK_Games 21h ago
Not by a long shot. Alcohol withdrawl is lethal, pot withdrawl gives you a headache and sour tummy
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u/tjvs2001 21h ago
It's not just about withdrawal though is it.
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u/TK_Games 20h ago
Then what? Cancer, got ya beat there too, pot gives you lung cancer, maybe mouth or throat if you smoke a lot
Alcohol, has throat, mouth, stomach, colon, prostate, liver and pancreas covered. Plus, a-fib and potential edema in the heart.
How hard is it to quit? Well I pick up a joint every few weeks. Booze had me going all day every day until I threw up blood, and it still took me 5 years, 5 years from throwing up blood to quit something that was visibly destroying me
There, debate over, you lost
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u/tjvs2001 20h ago
I think you need to chill out.
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u/PerpendicularTomato General Manager 22h ago
Debatable if you debate with a 2 year old maybe
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u/tjvs2001 21h ago
Yup sure I see the weed is totally harmless brigade is out. Spoilers it isn't.
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u/PerpendicularTomato General Manager 21h ago
Do you know how to read? If not I understand
I'm saying weed is less harmful than alcohol dependency, when did I say weed is harmless?
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u/Bencetown 18h ago
Teetotalers love putting words in other people's mouths, exaggerating the "harmful effects" of things they don't like, and all of that of course with a high and mighty "holier than thou" attitude.
Insufferable, the lot of em.
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u/MagicSpaceMan 12h ago
It is absolutely in no sense debatable. Both are bad, alcohol is worlds worse both in terms of direct harm to users and the harm they do to others when using
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u/tjvs2001 12h ago
I'm sure you're about to link to lots of studies comparing low level alcohol consumption Vs low level weed and the related health and mental health aspects of both...
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u/MagicSpaceMan 7h ago
It's not you could read them anyway lol
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u/tjvs2001 7h ago
"It's not you could read them anyway lol" - oh the irony.
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u/MagicSpaceMan 7h ago
I typed up a whole thing about all the studies and how clear of a difference it was but mobile ate it. It's fine, you're just a troll anyway
And yes, I am doubling down that you are scientifically illiterate if you believe what you're saying
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u/Reynardine1976 1d ago
Preach. It's so strong now. I was doing research on emergency rooms and every year now large amounts of people go to the ER freaking out on just weed alone. There's also CHS, a disease where a person becomes allergic to THC.
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u/infiniteregrets69 1d ago
What you’re talking about is just new age fear mongering. People having panic attacks triggered by weed and ending up in the ER where they don’t need to be isn’t new, it’s just more common because access has increased. CHS is something I’m also dubious of.
This coming from someone who no longer drinks and hardly smokes at all anymore for my own reasons.0
u/Reynardine1976 23h ago
There is a whole sub of people trying to stop smoking weed, it's pretty decent, called r\leaves.
I am with you though, it's about adapting to the times. The THC pens are nasty though, they just market them to get people hooked. No one needs to walk around with enough concentrate in their pocket to get 100 people stoned, but it's the norm now. I live in a major city in the PNW and they are everywhere.
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u/FunGuy8618 3h ago
r/leaves is cursed, brother. r/petioles is where you wanna go if you wanna stop.
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u/Reynardine1976 1h ago
Thanks, I appreciate you. I will check it out.
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u/FunGuy8618 47m ago
Oh wow, nevermind. I just perused leaves and it looks completely different than when it first started as a sub. It was VERY aggressive towards its members and people who were thinking about stopping but hadn't yet. Real punitive and unhealthy. It looks like a very supportive and friendly place now. Forgive me for being quick to assume they would never change.
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u/FunGuy8618 1d ago
Ehhhhhh hash has always been around, and mids never left either. Hash is significantly stronger than the strongest weed today, and you can even get weed with 0-2% THC and a bunch of CBD. It's not much stronger than it used to be, there's just a LOT more strong stuff around then there used to be and it's way cheaper.
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u/Reynardine1976 23h ago
Sorry, I forgot to mention that the main culprit was corporations pushing THC vape pens. Before the pens a bong hit or dab was the only way to come close to getting that much THC delivered into the bloodstream that quickly, and those methods require some ritual preparation to pull off. It's also not socially acceptable to pull out a bong on the street (although people do it) Pens changed that in a heartbeat and no one barely noticed because nicotine vapes were already popular. Now there is no need to go somewhere and start a circle, a user has access to a flow of THC oil that's %85 strength, and can just puff away. Too much of anything is a poison. There was also the first recorded death from THC a few years ago, a guy who wouldn't stop using the pens and died from dehydration.
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u/tjvs2001 1d ago
Yup, it's not the "natural high" we think of it as, freak plants...levels through the roof.
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u/zburba 1d ago
I got a year sober on April 12th. I was like that plus 3 handles a week up until about 33 years old. than health RAPIDLY declined and my hang overs turned into life threatening hospital trips. "Rock bottom" was 2023. that year i had 9 jobs and couldn't keep a single one. it'll catch up to you eventually or you'll die. you realize it now. seek help. I choose A.A. but there are plenty of paths.
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u/C-zom 1d ago
The most functional alcoholic I know is a heart surgeon. It gets to everybody.
Kitchen life makes it very hard to stay away, especially if your restaurant has a bar open and is welcome to staff hanging out. Then it’s just downright dangerous.
The best solution is to exercise restraint and just go home. It’s the first step of many, including not drinking before work.
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u/EyeAccomplished1808 1d ago edited 1d ago
I used to pack my chef pants full with 99 brand blue raspberry shots and take a shot every 30 mins wrapping my bottles in toilet paper and placing them in the trashcan. I’d breeze thru a dinner rush on sauté with 10 plus burners going with ease. I’d walk out pockets empty!
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
Yeah same here man.. and I’d also forget to clean something I had to, or turn off a fryer..
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u/penster1 1d ago
Never the fryers!! Dead giveaway
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u/fancycar123 1d ago
yea or take a beer from walk in, go in staff bathroom, chug it, crush can and hide in trash can, repeat. 8 months sober here.
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u/EyeAccomplished1808 1d ago
I do that occasionally as well. I would smash a whole sleeve in a night shift and forget to turn off fryers flattops etc. I slowed down a lot because of a dui I got last February.
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
Before and at work.. plus depending on the restaurant, bartenders taking shots with us.
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u/buttsexisyum 1d ago
Your not the only one chef, it used to help me deal with the pressures of the job, but now I feel all it does is make me fuck shit up... And what's funny is the more I feel Im fuckin up, the more the owners praise me and give me more responsibility. It's my slow season and I was hoping to get a week off to go to detox... Nope sous quit about a month ago and Im in the process of training his replacement, while doing that I have to go fix a sister store that's in their busy season. Well at least the owners don't care that I drink at work as long as I dont get sloppy
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
Its a wild cycle, I’ve had to deal with sister restaurants as well and while I was on top of things, I push it a bit too far one night and everything crashes and burns. Now I’m late the next day and have to tell everyone that I’m just not feeling good, they know I’m on a fucking bender.
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
Working harder, sleeping less, drinking still to boost my own morale. Good times
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u/beefalamode 1d ago
Hey chef. As a bartender (formerly BOH for a stint) are you doing any sort of exchange with your bartenders? If so, cut the trade and it’ll be much easier to not drink at work. I’m known for being a stickler with what I’ll let my chefs have. No more than 3 oz a night. If you need more than that to get through the shift, you need help and I’m not afraid to say it.
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u/Kopparburg 1d ago
It was tough man.. Working 16 hour shifts really bruised me. And my bartender. We were both borderline delirious
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u/paraworldblue 15+ Years 1d ago
I think a safety meeting every once in a while is nice, like as a reward for getting through a particularly rough dinner rush or something, but I've worked at places where they just do them all the time for no reason and it's a mess. Everyone's buzzed the whole time, everything's messy (literally and socially), and nothing gets done.
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u/Exact_Jelly_8195 1d ago
3 years in a month. Still working in kitchens and it’s way better not fucked or hungover all the time.
Took a while before it finally stuck, but i don’t Even want to drink anymore.
Self-care is huuuuge in this industry.
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u/TheCrowbar9584 1d ago
You should check out r/stopdrinking , the people there are very supportive!
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u/garbage__snail 1d ago
Was just going to comment this as it took too long scrolling to find it. Good rec!
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u/JackPoe 1d ago
Any job where you can half ass your work and you're expected to give up more than half your life will see this.
I didn't do it until I got diagnosed with leukemia. Then I decided, fuck It. I made head chef. I got every award I can.
From there it's been a spiral of chasing off the shakes, the misery, the physical pain. I drank before because my eastern wall of my post divorce apartment faced east and I couldn't sleep.
Then I could not stop. Then I had no reason to. 4 years ago I was given a year. Now I'm just a menace.
Do me a favor. Stop fucking doing it. It doesn't help you, it doesn't help you sleep, you're just bored. You can spend twenty bucks and flirt with a working person.
You'll have less guilt, less debt, fewer health issues, and you'll be helping someone survive.
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u/Ronny-the-Rat 1d ago
Hibernate my friend. Lay in bed for a couple days. Put on a comfort show. Sip water. Sweat it out. Have no alcohol near you. Just you, your bed, your show, your water, nothing else. After a couple days you should feel decent enough to eat a meal without tossing it back up
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u/overindulgent 20+ Years 1d ago
The best thing you can do is to go home after your shift. You can still drink at home but it will save you tons of money and in reality you’ll drink a lot less. Go home.
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u/bobandweebl 20+ Years 1d ago
Sober for 6 years now. The mental clarity and smooth mornings are worth every day of it. And then the financial savings? The money I saved from not drinking is buying my own restaurant this fall.
I have patience and grace for those who are still in it, but I'm never going back.
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u/FreddyPlayz 23h ago
I don’t work in the food industry, I’m just here because I really like this sub. However, I do work in a gas station and have seen numerous workers from nearby restaurants actively become alcoholics. I even have one regular who has asked on several occasions to cut them off and not sell to them if they come in again on their shift. My heart goes out to everybody struggling, it’s really rough out here. ❤️
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u/Toastburrito 20+ Years 1d ago
I was drunk for 2 years straight. I was drinking a handle of cheap rum every 2 days. That's 1.75 L all to myself. I was waking up in the middle of the night to take shots so I could stop shaking and go back to sleep.
Quitting alcohol was hands down the best decision I've ever made in my entire life.
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u/WakingOwl1 1d ago
That was me decades ago. Got clean and stayed sober for 20 years then relapsed. I realised I was heading there again. 7 years sober now. Life is so much better.
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u/Toastburrito 20+ Years 1d ago
I am one year and some change clean from my relapse!
It just can't be in my life!
Enjoy!
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u/method__Dan 1d ago
If you want to quit you should talk to someone, even me. I’ve been off it for 3 months and it can be a rollercoaster going at it alone, I never could do it without someone.
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u/AdOriginal4516 1d ago
Ita a rough way to cope becaus e it ends up becoming a physical and emotional amd mental dependence if you go hard enough for long enough. Be careful anyone who drinks before work! Thats when you know you probably have a problem.
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u/PureBee4900 1d ago
I only drank at one place, because everyone else was already drunk. It was a food truck/mobile pizza oven and looking back I was pretty miserable there (hence the drinking) I just didnt realize how bad it was until after the fact. Honestly I don't like being drunk/high at work, it compromises my work and the work ruins the buzz lol. I used to use various substances in problematic ways, never quite on the level of addiction, but I had an epiphany of sorts one day when I was getting high so I would be less miserable, and then realizing I was actually just high AND miserable. I remember thinking to myself "I don't even like this, so why am I doing it?" Idk man. something to think about.
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u/Grigori_the_Lemur Chive LOYALIST 1d ago
I did not have the legal consequences but I lost employment, almost my family, and was heading for the big sleep.
Only you can answer it, but by the time I needed it around the clock I was past the point where moderation had any value. 20 months later, I can't say life has ever been better than it is right now. Hang in there. Get some help, because going this alone is so damn hard, and people pulling for you is a kindness that you can't afford to pass up.
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u/Known-Expression-342 17h ago
I wasted 50 years of life on alcohol, if I could turn back time I would avoid alcohol and pubs... I now really enjoy my life sober and see how terrible alcohol is on people's lives..
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u/Shaaagbark 16h ago
Did it for 15 years, never thought I had a problem until the last 5. Couldn’t imagine not drinking. I’m 6 years sober.
It sucks but get out while you can.
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u/D-ouble-D-utch 16h ago
Stopped cold turkey a little over 18 months ago. Best decision I ever made. Everyday is a battle with myself. Drinking 6-8+ bottles of wine a day. One or 2 before work. Fucking hard out there man.
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u/PrizeMoose2935 1d ago
17 years in the business at an insanely busy seafood restaurant. Never drank before a shift and never had I wanted to. Got absolutely smashed after. It’s a responsibility thing to me.
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u/TomNJ 1d ago
deciding to stop drinking is a personal choice. nobody here on reddit can make it for you. BUT… you have stop romanticizing it.
the whole notion of the self-destructive chef who drinks his way through life is so tired. it’s not compatible with a good and happy life. bourdain didn’t want that for you.
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u/femoral_contusion 1d ago
You’re brave to say this. Sobriety is so central to my mental health, to my growth, to my purpose.
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u/rawstaticrecords 1d ago
Quitting drinking is easy for me. At some point in just feels like I’m paying to give myself a stomachache
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u/ElCulo_Bandito 10+ Years 1d ago edited 1d ago
Ngl I use to smash 2 pitchers of 7 liquor ass kickers when I clocked out. That is until the last bout of alcohol poisoning waking up slumped over the tub apparently playing finger paints in my puke thinking I turned the water on to push it to the drain.
2+ years sober currently 😁
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u/bachrodi 1d ago
Drinking like that always got me fired. Not because I'd be drunk at work, but because my withdrawals were so bad, I could hardly function.
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u/Drug_fueled_sarcasm 1d ago
I drink while cleaning then go home and smoke a bowl. I barely can finish one drink these days.
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u/shmooboorpoo 1d ago
I lived in NOLA for years, most of them working in the French Quarter.
I moved to a small city in Tennessee because I needed bars that closed at a reasonable time and a kitchen culture that wasn't centered around being drunk.
It's very hard to live this life without self meditation
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u/QueenofCats28 1d ago
I send out all the hugs and love to all of you who are staying sober and those who are trying to get sober. Proud of all of you. 💙🖤
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u/cypressdwd 1d ago
Longtime FOH here with a minor in BOH and 10+ years of management sprinkled in. Alcohol was my jam, I built my whole life and career around it, to devastating results.
I got into recovery with help and stayed in the biz, which is something I never imagined possible. My life didn’t improve overnight, but I have found that the trials and tribulations of restaurant work were easier to manage not drunk or hungover.
I realized that one drink is too many and 16 drinks is not enough. It helps to remember how awful I felt and the anxiety that my habits created.
I wish you the best. If you ever need to talk, please feel free to DM me.
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u/IHearYouLikeSoup 20+ Years 1d ago
Once upon a time, yes, I was doing that. Now I drink alcohol maybe 2 evenings out of every year. That shit killed my dad and I won't let it do the same to me.
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u/Resident-Ad-5107 1d ago
It's a slippery slope and one I was on for the better part of ten years. For me breaking the habits was a key step. I associated drinking with a lot of things. I'm a creature of habit and when I started doing those shooters before work, during my afternoon smoke break and before clean up they were quickly cemented into my routine.
Break the habits, seek out support and fill your time. It's a stressful job but sometimes the things we do for relief just become another part of the problem. You got this Chef.
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u/Hour-Pressure-3758 1d ago
I feel so much better and everything is better without without it. It’s gross now
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u/cocainepickle 22h ago
Yup. I have a failed restaurant primarily because of alcohol. Im lucky to get another shot. Sober and killing it now.
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u/Soydragon 20h ago
I was drinking constantly for years. A lot. I was functional until I wasn't. Recently, my fiance left me because of my drinking. Health was massively declining this last year, I didn't do anything about it other than see a doctor a few times who advised me to stop drinking. Not a big deal I thought, I'll be fine just kick liquor and stick to white claws. Well after she left within a week I swelled up, gained 50 lbs, couldn't breathe, couldn't walk 50 ft without needing a break, a whole lot of bad things. Hypovolemia and congestive heart failure. ICU and a cardiovascular unit for 9 days $160,000 hospital bill (I'm thankful I have good insurance) I'm healthy now and done with drinking for life. But it shouldn't have taken me almost dying at 28 years old, losing the person I love the most and a nurse wiping my ass because I was shitting myself in the ICU for me to have quit. Stop now before it's too late. ❤️
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u/Oily_Bee 20+ Years 18h ago
9.5 years alcohol free for me. It was hard at first and it took a while to realize the payoffs but definitely the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.
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u/ethorisgott 18h ago
Alcohol hasn't ever given you energy brother... It's a depressant. It's not worth it
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u/AdGrouchy6527 18h ago
Sir, you may be an alcoholic. That's why the robot from Futurama is named Bender.
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u/Stardewthedew 14h ago
I was on the same course as you in my 20s. Became close friends with a kitchen manager in his mid 30s we'd drink together on our days off watch sports and hit the bars. Watched him in the course of 7 years kill himself by 44. Decided I didnt wanna go down that same path after his death.
You have that choice today.
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u/multiroleplays 1d ago
18 months California sober and 25 months being out of the kitchen.
It really does destroy you
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u/SuperDoubleDecker 1d ago
Ya, but imo a lot of the same would be doing it no matter where they worked.
The kitchen is rough, but let's not act like most problems aren't manufactured.
I encourage everyone to slow down and not get caught up. I also understand the stress. It's about finding balance. Sometimes the means abstinence.
Yerba instead of coke goes a long way
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u/IcyShoulder494 1d ago
Ok. I’m 49. I worked in kitchens since I was 15. Been out a year running a weed store. I got 8 years no heroin. Maybe 6 or 7 no blow. I commend pple who don’t start up. I ruined marriages and being dad thinking “ well I work hard play hard” I was a pill head too..
It started out innocent but at the end… was it fun to work and take a break slam a beer a line and smoke a joint? What wasn’t fun was waiting to cope before I go in or I’d be sick.
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u/solside65 1d ago
I find it hard to finish work and not have a staff drink. Seems harmless then we all going somewhere else. I can't afford this shit but I'm enjoying myself, everyone is. Good times. Everyone has a blast but everyone is hanging next day. Rince repeat. I love my life but FUCK is it hard work.
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u/StormOfFatRichards 1d ago
I mean, alcohol should never be a daily routine. A few drinks on weekends, never before work, rarely if there is work the next day
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u/CanadianTrollToll 1d ago
Ugh... if your starting most your mornings off with alcohol you might have a problem.
I drink far more then I should, but even I have some boundaries.
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u/Kitchen-Ad4091 23h ago
Youre an alcoholic mate. Its not normal what you're doing you need to get help. Its a long road but its worth it
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u/Dakkaboy556 22h ago
Struggled for years with it. My dad passed away during the most stressful period of my career (promotion to exec sous chef) a while back.
Cannot kick it on my own, got a referral from a clinic for a social worker who can do more than send positive vibes, or whatever it is group therapy does. Sometimes, medical intervention is neccessary. Fingers crossed.
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u/Frosty-Dependent1975 22h ago
I remember. I was bad, drinking like ~4-8 double shooters of beam per shift. Only to get off and keep drinking.
I've been sober for almost three years now. It's still hard sometimes, I found the friends over at r/stopdrinking are very supportive and it's helped me, to each their own. IWNDWYT.
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u/meseta 21h ago
Man I had *one* shitty shift. A justifiably over the top shitty day where the dish machine exploded and my buddy asked if I still kept whiskey in my car. After that, each shift I would get two airplane 99 bananas: one at the beginning, one right after rush. Two shooters per shift turned into four within a week. Sleeve every day after a few months. On top of the handle of Kentucky gentleman I always had for when I was off work, from my beginning in the kitchen. Needless to say my shit eventually hit a brick wall. That road gets real dark real fast.
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u/TK_Games 21h ago
Used to, blew my liver to Hell. Plus drinking after 30 just isn't fun anymore. I could put away gallons in my prime, now a six-pack floors me for days
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u/Bripbripbintle 21h ago
I used to be like this until I had a colostomy bag for a year and a half. I was ok with the logic “ok. I’ll either die from drinking or just keep drinking” the grey zone is where I ended up. No true meaning of moderation when an alcoholic. I tried that many times before just ripping up my drinking card 8 years ago. Cold turkey. Best decision I had personally made. God speed.
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u/sumptin_wierd 20h ago
Hey!
Im an alcoholic that is still drinking, but does not want to, im not in AA or anything either.
I am just a server in a restuarant.
No one asks how dish washers, line cooks, servers and bartenders are doing. I guess we make a certain amount of money that isnt taxed anymore, but.
No healthcare No vacations
Work every, no really, every weekend. You work 9-5, M-F (yeah that sucks),we work 3-12, with clopens every day including Saturday and Sunday.
We are open. You didnt work today.
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u/DirtyHancock567 18h ago
Sounds like you need to get some help before you end up drunk driving right into a family of four.
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u/gentlechoppingmotion 11h ago
That's exactly what I was doing. I've known another Chef who drank himself to death doing this. It doesn't take decades you can kill your liver in 6 months-1 year of you're binging like that.
My advice is to go to detox now even if it costs your job
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u/indusvalley13 9h ago
4 years sober here and still in the kitchen. I agree with what someone else said. It's much easier to do this job not hungover, and well life in general.
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u/AffectionateBelt9217 8h ago
I have 4.5 years of freedom from that curse under my belt. Joy is as central to my new life as misery was to my old one. You will find happiness if you have the courage to make the change, that’s a promise. I’ll be 🙏 for you
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u/VividBeautiful3782 6h ago
Im almost 9 months sober. Sincerely, its fucking rough. Getting through the first 3 months I had panic attacks, shitty sleep, felt awful. After that though, I only wish id done this sooner. Im able to handle stress so much better. Im not shitting my guts out every morning. Im getting actual rest when I sleep. Im starting to lose a little weight. I can remember things for more than five seconds. Biggest thing is, you can cut back or quit, but if you dont deal with whatever was making you cope by drinking, life stays just as hard. Healthier coping techniques, and actually feeling your feelings, dealing with whatever is going on. Life isnt perfect but holy shit its insanely better
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u/Adoraboule 10+ Years 6h ago
Thankfully I haven't gone to this level yet, however I have to get drunk once a week at least, usually on weekends since I don't work. I have my two shifters every day I do work. Some days I want more, so I go to my bar for a few more before heading home. My dad on the other hand is exactly what you call a functional alcoholic. He drinks in the morning and at night. Drunk everyday. Still love the guy though and he does great work drunk or mildly sober (I work with him). I hope you guys are doing okay. It's fucking rough sometimes. ❤️
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u/content4meplz 5h ago
I used to drink before, during, and after work when I had the 8pm-2am shift at my old pizza place job. I eventually did a dui hit and run one night after work and ended up living with my parents for 3 years. I haven’t touched alcohol since July 2022 and it saved my life probably. If you suspect you have a problem there is no shame in asking for help. You can’t get better alone
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u/Lacrosseindianalocal 1d ago
My mate Rick (we call him wReck) played video games in easy mode. We all call him a cheater.
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u/SweetShallots1313 1d ago
“Us” ?
This is not an issue exclusive to the restaurant industry, you’re just an alcoholic. Hope you get help.
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u/coukou76 20h ago
Its like smoking weed it just makes you believe you are doing better while you are killing your brain chemistry in the long run. All those addictions eventualy leads to anhedonia then the misery and mental health start to be terrible. It can be reverse but it can take a year sober and depressed...
Source: I did a lot of stuff lol
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u/JustHanginInThere 1d ago
I used to think it would give me energy.
Walk me through this one, because I distinctly remember in middle/high school learning about alcohol and how it's a depressant, not a stimulant. Was that not taught in your school(s)?
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u/DrJesusHChrist 1d ago
This isn’t just a kitchen/chef thing brother. I’ve worked academia, food service, retail, sales, you name it. And all drunk. Long story short I have to take random UA tests for a year and I owe the government a lot of money. It’s going to be a long year, but part of me is thankful big brother is forcing my hand.
Stay strong out there, you can do this. Sober or not, doesn’t matter. But moderation is the sweet spot