He kept coming into work later and later, and getting in real shit from the boss. I knew his job was hanging on the line. Some days, you could still smell the booze on his breath. I knew the drinking was bad enough, but obviously the guy was hurting from something. So, I asked him what’s bothering him lately, rather than talking to him about his drinking. He told me that his wife left him – out of the blue. Apparently, she was having an affair. It tore his heart out. It was then that I understood he was drinking to numb the pain."

Deb, Construction Worker