Special to Toronto Star
As the holiday season approaches, many look forward to celebration, toasting with colleagues, reconnecting with friends, and winding down the year. For others, however, this season brings anxiety and difficult memories. I count myself among them.
The festive period once meant navigating a complicated relationship with alcohol, one that eventually forced me to confront my personal limits.
Nearly a decade ago, I had to face the reality that my drinking had moved beyond “social.” What began as harmless enthusiasm at work events, staying out late and leading the charge to after-parties, evolved into something destructive.
I fancied myself earning the respect of my peers with my exemplary performance by day and booze-soaked triumphant evenings. But the next day shame and anxiety became familiar companions. What I once though built camaraderie among colleagues often left me questioning my judgment.
As the years went on, the same bravado and self-assurance that once made me the life of the party began to unravel me. A drink in hand felt like confidence in a glass, liquid courage that seemed to loosen the edges of long workdays.
But beneath the surface, the hangovers grew heavier, the anxiety deeper, and the regret sharper.
What once felt like control was quietly slipping away. I was fortunate to get help before it cost me everything. I now understand that alcohol and I are fundamentally incompatible.
I have what I can only describe as an “allergy” to it, one that causes me to break out not in hives, but in bad decisions and poor judgment. Best avoided entirely.
The legal reality: when drinking becomes a disability
‘Alcohol use disorder’ is one of the most misunderstood conditions in the workplace.
Under Canadian human rights legislation, it is recognized as a disability, one that employers are required to accommodate “to the point of undue hardship.” That means an employee who struggles with alcohol dependence cannot lawfully be dismissed or disciplined for that reason.
David Olive: While an erratic Trump ignores Canada, Carney quietly cements international investments. Elbows up, indeed Employers are required to assist in exploring treatment options and give sufficient latitude for the person to seek necessary help — including recognizing and making allowances for relapse.
Yet, despite these protections, many individuals lose the benefit of the law because of shame and denial.
In my practice, I regularly encounter employees who minimize or conceal their drinking problem, fearful of the stigma that still surrounds addiction.
Ironically, that silence often strips them of the very legal safeguards designed to help them.
The stigma that silences and the education that can heal
Unfortunately, shame and denial remain some of the most stubborn companions of problem drinking.
I often meet clients who find themselves facing disciplinary action or termination yet struggle to acknowledge that alcohol played any role in their behaviour.
That hesitation, the fear of raising one’s hand and admitting I need help, is deeply rooted in the long-standing stigma that still surrounds alcoholism. The tragedy is that this very silence often prevents individuals from accessing the legal protection designed to help them.
The law has long recognized alcohol use disorder as a disability deserving of accommodation.
But for those protections to come into play, honesty is required, both with one’s employer and with oneself. When denial takes the wheel, the law can’t step in.
Sadly, many employees never reach for the support available to them, often because of how society continues to perceive addiction.
The truth is that alcohol dependence cuts across every profession, income level, and title.
It is not a matter of weak character or poor discipline; it is a medical condition that can be treated and managed. Employers and employees alike need more education and compassion on this topic. Without it, the protections built into our legal system lose their meaning, buried under fear, judgment, and misunderstanding.
Breaking the stigma and moving forward
For the law to truly serve its purpose, the stigma must be broken.
