Fell over at work Christmas party

[Onslow1985]

Today is the morning after of a very boozy work Christmas party and I need a good talking to. The day was filled with wine and Prosecco and not much food! I’ve recently started a new team and I’m a few years away from qualifying as a solicitor. I’m 37 and other women in the team are the same age and have children. I’ve sadly had 5 miscarriages - I’ve been asked several if I have kids and why not and it was on my mind that I would be asked last night so probably numbing it with alcohol. The whole team were also really drunk and I remember a vague conversation about children and one the girls pulling me to one side and saying sorry & that she is also struggling to conceive. I also lost my balance on a high stool, slipped and took a solicitor down with me. He’s been really kind and told me to forget about it and don’t worry but I can’t stop panicking. My manager had went home by this point so didn’t see but I am so worried about my unprofessional drunken behaviour. Desperately fighting the urge to text every individual on the team with an apology. Am I wasting my energy on this? I’m hoping people won’t give it an extra thought. Dreading work on Monday….

You don't need to apologise to anyone for falling off a stool. If anyone mentions it, just joke about 'Oh, I'm such a klutz, I think I'm safe of this chair, it's not as high up!' or something. Don't be apologetic or evasive, just joke about it and let it pass.

😂😂😂😂

Being Scottish. HTH.

Those of you moaning about SPaG can just do one, frankly.

This isn’t someone posting at work. I’m sure the OP is perfectly capable of using ‘acceptable’ SPaG in her professional environment.

You should be more concerned about the physical and mental state of the OP.

Oh chill OP. I've done much worse.

I went to an awards ceremony, too much champagne, fell over wearing wedges. Ankle went 90 degrees and I briefly passed out knocking over a poor bloke in the process.

Some how I managed to get a taxi back to the hotel, drag my sorry arse up the stairs and fell asleep for the evening in a drunken stupor.

Woke up the next morning with a hangover and an ankle the size of a grapefruit, over 100 miles from home and on a day when there was a tube strike on, of course.

After dragging myself across London with my suitcase, pleading with the train people to let me on an earlier train and then driving myself with one leg working up to the a&e once home.... It gets better but I'll stop boring you all.

What I'm trying to say is. Stop beating yourself up. Shit happens.

No texts! Do not bring attention to your transgressions! Just breeze in on Monday looking fresh and well rested and look surprised if anyone suggests there was excessive drinking!

Don’t worry about it, just bear in mind and don’t do the same thing next year!

At one drunken Christmas do my friend fell down some stairs in a bar and landed at our senior manager’s feet, it was all fine after some initial embarrassment!

I agree with a pp. Alcohol incidents like or even worse than this happen in your life far too frequently. You then get terrible "hangxiety" and fret over your (real or imagined) behavior. It must be a hard way to live, not knowing what you've done while drinking too much.

I have so much sympathy for your losses. Did the over-indulging begin before the miscarriages, or are they more recent? Either way, you have to stop drinking. Anything. Ever.

You have so much of your life to look forward too. I don't know if an adoption would be an option for you, but the alcohol could put it out of reach. Same for so many things. Please make this wake up call the one that leads to change.

Honestly OP don’t worry about it. It doesn’t sound like you done anything outrageous at all. So what you were drunk and fell, you’re not the first or the last person to fall on a work night out! In my experience unless someone has done something really scandalous or outrageous people really don’t care that much! Most people are too busy going through their own behaviour to be worrying about yours.

Hi OP.

Things I've seen on work dos over the years:

Throwing up
Arguing
Sexual harrassment
People snogging someone they shouldn't
People getting caught in the toilets with someone they shouldn't
Various drug related things (dealing, aggression, paranoia)
People telling others 'home truths'(what others really think of then
People sharing highly confidential info that could have got them sacked
People drinking so much that they passed out or had some kind of accident and an ambulance had to be called

So someone falling over and sharing some personal info won't have even registered with most people

I have fallen off a bar stool sober which is even more embarrassing. Nothing happened on your Christmas night out which could be considered scandalous, only a casualty of a glass too many. Part of the general ambience of the evening.

Just laugh it off. generally what happens at the Xmas party stays at the Xmas party unless it ventures into HR territory (like groping the head of HR which an ex colleague did).

You got drunk and fell over - it’s honestly not a big deal!!

I thought you was going to say you tried shagging/slapping your boss or something.

FWIW I love when my colleagues get wasted.
It makes me feel less on edge and I think brings the team together.

You sound like you just had a great time and so there’s nothing to apologise for.

’had went’ common in Scotland

Yes, this is how we say ‘gone’

I don’t live in the gorbals. Solicitors/lawyers/doctors would all say ‘had went’ in formal speech

I’m sorry for your losses. I can’t imagine the pain of those and then being asked by people (probably well meaning) why you don’t have children.

Please don’t beat yourself up about what happened. You won’t be the only one from that night I’m sure, who regretted something that happened- most of them were probably utterly off their tits and might not even remember your fall. I think copious amounts of alcohol is how many people get through work get togethers.

'Had went' is a Glasweigan colloquialism so I'm guessing the op is from Glasgow or nearby. OP I think a bit of a fall off a stool isn't that big a deal. If that's all it was forget it and don't text.

What do you mean?

You just have the beer fear (anxiety after drinking). Put some headphones with music or a podcast to distract you from the thoughts. Some exercise will help if you can manage it.
Just laugh it off at work. Don't text anyone!

OP should add that they have a drinking problem to the original post.

And you didn't behave badly. At our office Christmas party years ago I drew terrible caricatures of everyone in the office (including the big boss!) on the board on the meeting room.
It was there for everyone to see on the Monday. And I bloody signed it!

You’re not the first, you won’t be the last.
My top tip is to get in early on Monday. Much easier than walking in 😬

This! Don’t beat yourself up Op.

Also that she thinks she may have been drinking to numb the pain of being asked about having children.
It is right there in the post, I don’t know why some posters are questioning the relevance of it!

I read this when it was first posted and I couldn’t get my head around the negative “had went” posts. It’s quite normal to say that in Belfast & beyond. I have never been told it isn’t grammatically correct so will continue. Perhaps Ulster Scots.

Also don’t think you’ve done anything wrong slipping off a stool after a few drinks, we’ve all been there I’m sure. Don’t see what you’ve posted before which signifies an alcohol problem. Just hope you’re ok and don’t worry xx