If You Are Unemployed Your Chances of Sobriety Are Slim to None

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:03]What's up, guys? How's it going? Welcome back to another video. This is a video that I see fitting to make as I am at work at the job that some of you saw me decide to transition into out of the office environment that I'd been in and I have been in off and on throughout my life since I was 17 years old. In fact, my first job when I left high school was for an insurance company.

[00:00:36]And I wore a suit and tie and I worked on the eighth floor of a 15-story building in the central city of Christchurch and um and I thought I was I thought I was made.

[00:00:49]I didn't get paid much, but as far as how I felt freshly out of high school in the corporate environment, I thought that is where I belonged and that's where I'll stay.

[00:01:02]Now, obviously I moved to Australia at the age of 19 and I've been here ever since.

[00:01:08]And I've done all sorts of stuff.

[00:01:11]All sorts of jobs, but outside of the 7 years that I spent working in disability disability services I've basically spent the majority of my career of my working life working in in an office different office environments.

[00:01:32]Now, this this last office environment that I was in was one of the worst.

[00:01:40]It was it was the job was was easy as a whole, but the intricacies of it were very confusing.

[00:01:49]The way that certain things were done were confusing and boring.

[00:01:54]So, not only were they boring it was also confusing at the same time.

[00:01:59]Not only that I was the only male. Didn't really matter, but it was a factor.

[00:02:05]There were very minimal windows and I most certainly didn't have a window seat.

[00:02:11]And overall, man, I I used I used that job to enable the transition for me to move to Townsville. And this was very early April last year, 2025 and the date today is April the 21st, 2026.

[00:02:31]And I think from memory my very first day at that job was April 15th.

[00:02:37]So, we're talking a year ago.

[00:02:40]A year ago I took that job and and it worked. It got me it helped me stay sober and and and introduced me to some local people and I I was grateful to have it. You know, when when I when I sort of calmed down and I'm not on a rant and you know, I'm not just hating being sedentary at a boring and confusing job.

[00:03:08]I would sort of collect myself and and admit that that I was truly grateful to have the job.

[00:03:16]I think we should all be grateful to have any job.

[00:03:19]Um but at that point I was sober and I was committed to being sober and uh and I wasn't tempted to drink or anything like that due to the job, but I did see this role being advertised, something I considered before.

[00:03:35]Um a delivery driver for Coles, which is a local which is a an Australian national supermarket chain.

[00:03:44]And it was just one of those days, you know, I I I'd Jeez, I I turned up at work and I'd gotten through a couple of hours and you know, it was 10:00 and I thought, [ __ ] I just can't do this, man. I'm going to have to I'm going to have to take myself out of this place, go down to the cafeteria and sit there and search for some jobs just to clear my head and just to reset for the rest of the day. And then I did and I saw this job advertised and and I applied and it actually really put me on a a bit of a buzz for the rest of the day, you know, cuz I thought, [ __ ] all right.

[00:04:22]I want to make change. I know I want to make change. This is the start. Step number one, this is the start, right?

[00:04:29]And eventually I went for an interview and I decided, no, I'm going to do this. And it was a hard decision because I knew that the money I was going to be earning was going to be a was going to be was going to be less.

[00:04:40]And obviously I've got responsibilities, I've got bills to pay and it was basically making that decision whether better money was worth my mental health and it wasn't.

[00:04:52]And it's still not. And here I am like I think I've had this job for for near on 10 months, maybe 10 and a half months.

[00:05:03]Um and I'm still here.

[00:05:07]And not a single day goes by that I walk into work with any level of stress. Nothing.

[00:05:14]Not a single ounce of stress.

[00:05:20]And that is [ __ ] priceless.

[00:05:24]Now, the title of this video is going to be something along the lines of without employment your chances of sobriety are slim, next to none.

[00:05:34]I'm not going to say impossible cuz nothing's impossible.

[00:05:40]Um if you believe you can, you can and if you believe you can't, you can't regardless of whether you've got employment or not. But what I will say is that meaningful employment, a reason to get up every day not even every day. [ __ ] you could be doing part-time work, you could be doing casual work, you could be working two or three days a week.

[00:06:00]Some sort of reason to get up uh some form of activity some some form of employment that uh you may not enjoy, of course. There may be stresses involved. But when you get paid, it gives you that sense of achievement and and you know, money makes the world go around. We all need money, right? We just want to possibly earn it in a way that is slightly enjoyable and certainly low on stress or at least that's where I'm at at this point in my life. Do I believe I'll be doing this this job for the rest of my life? No.

[00:06:42]If it was paying $50 an hour would I commit to doing it for the rest of my life?

[00:06:48]Well, I wouldn't be looking elsewhere.

[00:06:51]I'll tell you that much. So, it's got to the point now where I would I wouldn't mind another job um a a Monday to Friday type role in the right environment that pays just a little bit more. But for for now, I am actually you know, almost a year on, I I can genuinely say I'm happy with this job.

[00:07:10]And that that's a surprise, man. I never thought that would happen. I've never really felt this comfortable in a role before.

[00:07:15]And it's because like I said, man, there's simply no stress.

[00:07:22]I get paid each week.

[00:07:25]I get out and about.

[00:07:27]It's a it's a it's an active role.

[00:07:30]Um it's an autonomous role. I don't have anyone looking over my shoulder. And I have earned the respect and the reputation of being an honest, reliable employee. And so that means that I get absolutely no hassle, no worries because I've earned it.

[00:07:47]And look this job has been more than just a job for me because whilst in addiction, whilst in the grips of alcohol-ism for 6 months from September through to March I was still working this job.

[00:08:16]And it was my lifeline.

[00:08:22]It was my lifeline through bringing money in, through at least having a reason to get up and get out of the house. It was my lifeline keeping me active.

[00:08:35]Um because if I didn't have this job whilst addicted to alcohol, I'd be broker, I'd be fatter, I'd be more depressed than I already was and I may not be where I am right now, which is almost 3 weeks sober from alcohol. So I never have any plans, I never have any notes before I'm making these before making these videos, but this the I just wanted to give you a bit of my experience.

[00:09:13]Number one, never be afraid to change career if you genuinely believe it's it's it's for the it's you know it's going to benefit your mental health even if you are going to receive some sort of a pay cut. And that's that's not new.

[00:09:28]That that uh that that is not a new concept. I'm sure many people out there have been in exactly the same situation as me and made the call pulled the pin and and and realized that realized that it was worth it. You know, you've got to put step If you want to make change, if you believe change is is necessary it's going to take steps.

[00:09:53]It's going to take putting steps in place. It's going to take preparing a CV, planning, interviewing, waiting, waiting, and all the rest of it, but it will work out. And look, I guess we're talking about alcoholism, we're talking about being sober from alcohol, and we're talking about tools that you can utilize to help with that.

[00:10:13]And to have some form of a job, whether you're drinking or not, is is it's it's so important. And you know, you'll be in a job and you'll think, "I wish I was retired. I wish I I wish I didn't have to work."

[00:10:31]But it doesn't take long, man. It doesn't take long to realize that as humans, I think we are made to not slave away, but to have a purpose, to work, um to feel that sense of achievement after a day's work, and most certainly feel that sense of achievement after we get paid.

[00:10:51]And then use that money to keep your um keep your world spinning.

[00:11:00]So this job this job has been more than just a job for me. Um even whilst addicted to alcohol, I would still turn up and uh and I I would be hung over, but I got through it.

[00:11:18]And I'd have to catch myself, you know, the only time I'd ever have any stress or any anxiety would be when I turned up to work hungover. And I'd have to remind myself of the fact that that's that's your own doing, man. That's not the job. Don't go and quit it.

[00:11:36]You know, because there were days where I was just super hungover. I didn't want to come in.

[00:11:40]Um but I didn't want to call in sick.

[00:11:42]And those were the days where I was like, "No, you know what? I'm going to I'm going to quit. I'm going to quit.

[00:11:46]I'll get a different job." And I'm just so glad that I never did, because here I am 3 weeks into my next stint of sobriety, and the the the the color's coming back.

[00:11:58]You know, and I sit here um 4 hours into my shift feeling like I haven't even worked yet.

[00:12:06]You know, and and it's it's those moments comparing to how I felt in my last role, where I'd get an hour into work and I'd feel like I'd been there 4 hours. I'd feel like I'd been there the whole day.

[00:12:18]And I was an hour into it.

[00:12:20]And it was just getting way too much and and and too depressing. Like, I could do it, but I wasn't happy.

[00:12:26]And it was affecting me.

[00:12:28]And I made change.

[00:12:31]And I'm so glad I did.

[00:12:34]So I'm grateful.

[00:12:37]I'm grateful to have this job.

[00:12:39]I was I was I was so grateful at my lowest points over the last six six seven months to have a job, to have a reason to get up, and to have a job that was very very minimal stress. It was the only job I could have Basically, this role was was probably the only type of job I could have ever had whilst in active alcohol addiction.

[00:13:08]because any any other job that required face-to-face uh too much face-to-face interaction with with colleagues or co-workers or you know, coming into work and and reading a whole bunch of emails that have come through from the from from the day before, uh micro-management from from from people above me, um just dealing with all these different personalities and and basically just being in a [ __ ] box um staring at a computer screen for days on end. It just wouldn't have worked, and I probably would have quit, and I may not be sober right now. You know, so I know I've gone round in circles, but basically the title of this video rings true, and it is without employment, without being employed, you without a reason like without having a reason to get up each morning, >> [snorts] >> without having a sense of purpose, without having something that is filling in time, but not only that, you're getting paid for it as well.

[00:14:24]Without that, you've got next to no chance.

[00:14:28]Your chances of sobriety without having a job are very slim.

[00:14:34]And I know that now.

[00:14:36]And so moving forward in life, if I do get into any situations or positions in life where I'm thinking I'd rather be unemployed, um this job is not for me, uh I'll know now. I've I've built that knowledge through experience that no, no, you're just telling yourself that.

[00:14:55]And if you were to quit without having something else to go to, it might be a week, it might be 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, but you're going to get bored, um you're going to spend your savings, you're going to be broke, bored, and quite possibly back on an alcohol binge.

[00:15:12]So for me and for anyone out else out there that's that's battling um addiction and and wants to commit to sobriety and and wants everything in their power to support that and help with that, I think employment is um is is definitely the first step. And I'll leave you with this, and this is something I've done before. This is something I did prior to coming to Townsville. I was drinking most days, if not every day, and I didn't have a job, and I knew that I wanted to move to Townsville. My kids were here. I needed to move to Townsville, but I didn't want to move here without a job. So I had a drink.

[00:15:52]And I did my CV whilst drinking. And a few days later, I I sent some applications and wrote some cover letters whilst drinking, because it put me in that mindset. It put me in that positive, at the time, carefree mindset, and I could do things like that, and I actually quite enjoyed it. And then I got an interview. And once again, had a few drinks before I had my interview.

[00:16:17]It was over um Skype. And uh got myself in that decent mood, you know, out of a hangover.

[00:16:25]And I got through the interview, and lo and behold, I got the job. And I committed to starting the job, moving to Townsville, and saying, "Right, you've got to quit alcohol before you start." But in the lead up to to to applying for the job, getting accepted, um and doing my interview and all that, I was still drinking. And so if you are in active addiction, and you don't have a job, and you feel like it's just too much of a mission, you're right, it is a [ __ ] mission, but even if you have to continue drinking whilst doing it, get yourself in a position where you've got a job to go to, to start, and then commit to sobriety. Do whatever you have to do to get that job. Get something.

[00:17:13]Get some sort of role.

[00:17:16]Even if it seems like too much of a mission, do whatever you have to do to send those applications out.

[00:17:24]Ring those companies. Get that interview. Get through the interview with a smile on your face, feeling optimistic, feeling proud about yourself.

[00:17:33]And if you have to drink to do that, do it.

[00:17:35]Get that [ __ ] job.

[00:17:37]Turn up to work hungover for the first week, and realize, "Wow, this is actually [ __ ] Um I've got a job. I've done a week. I've gotten used to it.

[00:17:46]I've gotten used to the people.

[00:17:48]I've done the hard part.

[00:17:50]Now remove the alcohol."

[00:17:53]You need a reason to get up, man.

[00:17:55]And without employment, it's going to be super [ __ ] hard. So those are my thoughts and my thoughts alone. Um I've had my 15-minute break.

[00:18:05]It is 9:30 in the morning. I started at 5:00.

[00:18:09]And um I've got another 3 and 1/2 hours to go, and I'm sure it'll go like that, cuz I enjoy this job. I can genuinely say I enjoy it. I just wish it was paid slightly more.

[00:18:23]But you can't have everything in this world.

[00:18:25]So thanks, guys, and I will um make another video tomorrow when we have reached three three weeks of sobriety.

[00:18:31]And I'll just check in once more, and you know, I I don't want this YouTube channel to to go away.

[00:18:39]Um I'm going to stick around.

[00:18:44]I'm going to continue making content.

[00:18:47]And uh I hope you stick around for it. Cheers, guys.