Identify These Indicators Of A Problem With Alcohol When You Travel For Business

When people try to evaluate whether alcohol is a problem for themselves, they often think about their everyday life at home. Perhaps you have just a drink or two every night, and a few more on the weekends, but consider your drinking to be under control. It's worthwhile to expand how you assess yourself to think about how you act when you travel for business. If you keep your drinking mostly under control at home, it could be because your spouse doesn't agree with excessive drinking. When you're away, you may behave differently — and this could suggest that you need help. Here are some indicators of a problem with alcohol that might be apparent on business trips.

Intoxication On The Airplane

If your company flies you in business class, you may have complimentary access to alcoholic beverages — and this could be a problem. Whether you're having a few drinks in the lounge before your flight or having several drinks once you board the plane, you might frequently find yourself intoxicated by the time you arrive wherever you're going. Being unable to decline drinking alcohol is often a sign that you have a problem with it, regardless of how to justify your consumption. For example, you might tell yourself that because your company is paying more for your business-class ticket, you should get your money's worth by drinking heavily.

Missed Business Events

Honestly assess your attendance record at work functions when you're traveling for business. For example, you should have a stellar attendance record and no absences related to alcohol. However, if alcohol is a problem for you, this might not be the case. Perhaps you've missed some meetings because of heavy drinking, or maybe you haven't always shown up to work-related events because you're afraid of appearing hungover and getting in trouble. Missed work-related events while you travel can definitely be a sign of a drinking problem.

Mini Bar Issues

If you get to stay in high-end hotels that your company pays for, your rooms may frequently have mini bars. This can be a problem for someone who struggles with drinking, and you may have emptied the mini bar more than once — resulting in a significant charge on the bill for the hotel stay. Your employer may have even asked you about the extra charges. Or, perhaps you consumed much of the alcohol in the mini bar and then scrambled to buy bottles to replace what you'd drank so that you wouldn't get billed. In any of these issues are present in your life, speaking to an alcohol addiction counselor, such as at Oasis Behavioral Health & Addiction Services LP, is a good idea.

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