If your top priority was to be totally honest or to prove a certain point I salute you, because that is a tough one and it takes a strong personality.
But never forget to calculate the consequences before you act. You know that us addicts have a bad reputation among society. You didn't know how the CEO thinks about addicts, what experiences he made in the past and what his general situation businesswise is. Maybe he is under pressure right now and simply can't afford a failure.
If you aren't a dumbass you knew before that this could happen.
I think nothing of complaining about consequences when they were forseeable. You should always decide based on reality, not on moral or ideals unless you are ready to hazard the consequences.
That isn't unfair, it's like it is.
Exactly what I'm saying. But that doesn't mean its not unfair.
Just because its life and we need to deal with it doesn't mean its not fucked up.
Youre 100% right, it is what it is. Until someone changes it it will stay that way. But it doesn't mean its unfair. As a drug addict yourself, i am sure you know you are more qualified than other non addicts. But at least youre aware that it is what it is.
Dont have to like it, agree with it, or any of that shit. Just accept it for what it is and deal with the realities. Its still unfair despite it being reality though. Often times unfair and reality overlap quite a bit. But you are correct in saying that you have to deal with it.
Thats life, you accept what it is, deal with the unfairness, and react to it in a method that is possible for you. Not hopes and dreams. Yes its unfair, but I am very pragmatic about my approach to it, as I said:
cover it up like a tattoo until the stigma disappears. My method of reacting is trying to illicit change within my control, but at the same time as i've said,
i am by no means foolish enough to desire to bethe martyr.
Once again: thats life. You are absolutely correct about the solution to this unfairness as i've said:
Deal with it, or do something about it. I do something about it in the only way I know how: by educating people. Showing people that drug addicts are human beings, that they are capable/incapable as just as much as the next guy.
In fact, on the topic of drug addicts and their professional careers,
I once saw a study that showed people in recovery (NA/AA/IOP/etc) make it much further professionally than others. Why is that? Because
we addicts are TENACIOUS. once we grab a hold of something we enjoy doing,
we stick to it to say the least.
Think of how fucking difficult it actually is to wake up, EVERY DAY, and subject yourself to the horrors of addiction. To the ups and downs, the lying cheating stealing and shame, the horrendous comments, the destruction to your body; how hard it is to wake up every single day, see a piece of shit int he mirror, and KEEP DOING IT! Its hard as shit if you really think about it. Hard as fuck to live that lifestyle of going penny to penny, fix to fix. It is also hard as shit to get clean, but the point is:
We addicts clamp down on shit as hard as pitbulls and rots. And once you get a good grip and hold on the 'arm' of your career, hobby, etc you aint lettin go until someone pries you off with a crowbar. An addict can focus their addictive behaviors in a positive way. and when they do? They practice swinging that bat like no other, and hit a home fucking run day in and day out.
Use your tenacity to your advantages people!
I even agree to your point about recovering addicts being highly functional. I experience that myself every day and would call myself extremely functional at the moment. But I have to admit that I have a self-destruct button right in my face. I just have to say "fuck it, I'll get high" and all I won't be tenacious when it comes to career any more. That's a risk that has to be calculated. Anyways, if I was an employer and had the choice to hire a stable, recovering addict or a generic person with similar qualifications I would always hire the ex-addict.