I just posted this question on my social media, and it caused me to reflect on the ADA and its treatment of addiction and alcoholism. I remember when the ADA went into effect. I was working at that time in the recruiting industry, and since my background and degree are in Human Resources, I was naturally curious to learn how this law might impact my client companies. (I should mention that in 1990, the year the ADA passed, I was 28 years old, married to a high functioning drug addict, drinking heavily and in complete denial that I might be an alcoholic.)

I clearly remember mulling over what the ADA might mean if the “disabled person” in question were a drunk. Did it mean that to comply with the ADA an employer now had to incur extra expenses by having to accommodate someone whose disability was a result of weak will and low morals? I didn’t say it out loud, but I sure thought it. I mean, I understood why an employer was required to install a ramp to accommodate a worker whose physical disability rendered them unable to climb stairs. But why was an employer expected to accommodate a person whose “illness” was a matter of choice? Why did an employer have to support someone because of a bad habit? Were all who partied too hard now going to claim to be an alcoholic in order to get special treatment? I’m not proud to admit that these thoughts went through my head, but they did.

Fast forward twenty years. Has my thinking has changed? You bet! I got sober in 2010 and embarked upon a new level of self-discovery via a program of recovery and working with a coach. But what about the thinking of the rest of the world? Has it changed? Do we business leaders recognize alcoholism (and addiction) as a disease or a disability? Or is the attitude of people in positions of influence and authority more like mine was in 1990?

I recently asked an HR colleague for input on what she thought were the some of the concerns surrounding addiction/alcoholism in the corporate or business setting. Her answer was “I think these issues are still a little sensitive in the business world.” That answer saddens me. After twenty years, why are we still so hesitant to talk about an illness that is costing employers billions of dollars and killing thousands of people?

There are many answers to this question, but in my opinion, at the root is a general lack of awareness of what addiction is and, in some cases, denial. Very little press is given to the disease of addiction. Yes, we hear lots of stories about the bad behavior of celebrities who are addicts or alcoholics, but those stories rarely talk about the disease that has them under its control. If you aren’t involved in the world of substance use disorders, if you aren’t a therapist or counselor, or if you haven’t personally been a part of someone’s recovery from addiction, then you most likely have very little knowledge of the disease.

The other obstacle to open discussions about the fatal disease of addiction is denial. Experts agree it is the hallmark of the disease. Not only does the addict or alcoholic deny he/she has a problem, but the family and friends (and this includes coworkers and bosses) often deny that the disease has had an effect on them. Until I understood where I stood relative to the disease of addiction/alcoholism, I simply could not accept that it was a disease. I had to accept that my life had been impacted by the family disease of alcoholism since birth, and only then could I consider the possibility that alcoholism was NOT a moral shortcoming.

So where do you stand on the issue of alcoholism, the disease?