Wednesday, March 13, 2024

How To Work With Addicts

Finding Employment While In Recovery

WORK ADDICTION: Why are people addicted to hard work??

Finding employment while in recovery can be intimidating. Many addicts think that employers wont even have jobs for recovering addicts. Quite the opposite there are many companies that go out of their way to offer employment for recovering addicts. This is because recovering addicts are often eager to go the extra mile to ensure success in their work.

Still, its best to bear in mind that that there are roadblocks that you might encounter during your job search. You may be frustrated by the prospect of having to start over again. You may have to accept a more remedial job that pays less than what you were making before your recovery.

You may also feel some anxiousness while trying to explain to prospective employers the gaps in your resume. Regardless, patience and honesty not only with your prospective employer, but with yourself will be key.

You have to remember that youre starting fresh and while that may mean taking a step backwards, know that youre now better equipped than ever before to catapult your career to new heights.

What Are The Signs Of Work Addiction

Whether you have work addiction or someone you care about could be a work addict, these are the commonly-seen symptoms exhibited by work addicts:

  • There is no delineation between your work and home life. The two are basically the same, with work being more important.
  • Vacations are always working vacations. There is no break for you.
  • You usually stay at the office later than all your colleagues, and you may return to the office after hours to continue working.
  • Close family members and friends complain about how often you work.
  • You have lost relationships, possibly marriages, because of your workaholism.
  • You have strained relationships with your colleagues who are not work addicts and see your addictive behavior as a threat.
  • You cannot take a break from work without feeling like a failure.
  • The thought of being alone and not having work to do is devastating and scary.
  • You constantly fear youre not working hard enough to keep up.
  • You worry youll lose your job if you stop working.
  • You have been diagnosed with another addiction.
  • You have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD.
  • You would do anything for your work, including losing all contact with your friends and family.
  • You have neglected your own health for your job, including not going to medical appointments or staying in shape.
  • You dream about work.
  • You are unable to delegate any work to others.
  • You frequently suffer from insomnia, headaches and stomach problems.

Best Careers For Addicts: Recovery

One area that often attracts people in recovery is recovery-related careers. Working at a rehab center, learning how to be an addiction counselor or working in the healing arts is very appealing for people who have benefited from the healing touch of others.You may have noticed during your stay in rehab that many of the staff members at 12 Keys are recovered addicts themselves. Recovered addicts understand what other addicts are going through, and are the best people to help. Their wisdom, strength, hope and encouragement are what can help newly sober people get through the initial withdrawal crisis and learn to live without substances.

But before you jump into a career in addiction and recovery, consider all the ways in which your experience can help. Its not just being a counselor that counts.Careers that help your fellow recovering addicts include:

These are just a few ideas for jobs that appeal to recovered addicts, and for which people in recovery may be well-suited.

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Find Meaning In Your Journey

Even people who have been clean for years sometimes need a reminder of what it all means. If you need motivation outside of its the right thing to do for me, being a substance use disorder counselor for others can be a way to find meaning in your own life. The struggles you have faced are experiences that can help others in their journey to recovery. Not only are you doing whats may be right for your life, but youre also helping others find a career that works for them.

The Impact Of Addiction On Work And Career

Work Addiction: How To Break Your Work Addiction As An ...

Those suffering from a substance use disorder can very effectively hide their addictions. Functional addicts appear to successfully manage every aspect of daily life, and are adept at fooling friends and family members even themselves. Often they struggle for years, without any obvious effect of the addiction on work, before anyone discovers their secret.

As a result, the addiction frequently goes untreated, and eventually progresses to the point where it can no longer be hidden. The effect on health, relationships, finances and work is undeniable and far-reaching. According to findings reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse , 18.2% of unemployed adults over age 18 in the United States were current illicit drug users at the time of the study.

The research supports a strong correlation between job loss and substance abuse problems. An individual addicted to prescription medication like opioids, alcohol, or illegal drugs such as meth or heroin, will have difficulties maintaining professional responsibilities at some point.

Actually consuming alcohol or drugs in the workplace often is part of the progression of the addiction, and has an obvious detrimental impact on career. Even if there is no job loss, there is a significant impact on performance and success at work.

Also Check: Who Is An Addict Na

What Is Drug Addiction

Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted persons self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. These brain changes can be persistent, which is why drug addiction is considered a “relapsing” diseasepeople in recovery from drug use disorders are at increased risk for returning to drug use even after years of not taking the drug.

It’s common for a person to relapse, but relapse doesn’t mean that treatment doesnt work. As with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be ongoing and should be adjusted based on how the patient responds. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patients changing needs.

Lesson #2 Different Strokes For Different Folks

Although genetics seems to play the largest role, there are many causal factors that can influence whether or not a person is at risk for addiction

  • Genetics
  • Personal habits and coping skills
  • The substance of choice

Because there are so many influences, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment that is always 100% successful. I learned that the disease of addiction must be addressed on multiple levels medical, physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, nutritional, etc. in order for the chances of a successful recovery to be maximized.

This is especially true in the case of any co-occurring mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. If a person is suffering from any of these and the condition remains untreated, any attempts at recovery from addiction are virtually doomed to failure.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned as an addiction specialist is to know when to refer my client to other services. When I work in cooperation with other health professionals, Im able to offer the best treatment for my clients.

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Understanding Drug Use And Addiction Drugfacts

Many people don’t understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to. Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain and have found treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead productive lives.

Option 1 Talk To Your Coworker

Quitting a Work Addiction

The first step may involve talking to your coworker. Some addiction professionals note that showing someone with an addiction that you care for them and their well-being can be the first step toward getting them the help they need.

If you feel safe to do so, you may want to speak to your coworker directly about the situation in a non-judgmental way. Let them know that you dont want to see them lose a job or face disciplinary action or harm someone. But that can be risky. Your addicted coworker may become defensive or angry, denying the problem and lashing out at you for bringing it up. Someone whose addiction causes them to feel paranoid and threatened might even try to harm you. Assess the situation thoroughly before proceeding.

Recommended Reading: Which Drug Is The Most Addictive

Get A Job And Keep It

When you finally land employment, you will live with the keen awareness that keeping your job is only one of your top priorities. The first and most important priority is working on your recovery.

The same rules apply at work as those you practice off the job: avoid people who are still drinking or who are using drugs. Avoid them at all costs.

If you are able to find employment, it is wise to avoid taverns or restaurants that serve alcohol. If possible, you should also avoid looking for employment where it is located near those places that you used to use drugs and alcohol.

In order to keep your new job, following common sense rules is often the best way to stay employed. Good attendance should be the bare minimum. If you cant show up as scheduled, you wont last long. Arrive on time each day or shift. Staying late to make up for absences is not seen as acceptable. If available, you should offer to work overtime so you can show your employer that you are willing to work hard. Additionally, you should show enthusiasm and take pride in your job. These are the minimums you should be doing.

Administrative And Other Roles

There are a variety of other roles that do not require higher education or degrees related to medicine. These include:

  • Dieticians: These professionals help create nutrition plans for clients, which can work to treat vitamin deficiencies and other conditions caused by substance use.
  • Maintenance Workers: These staff members keep the building in clean, working order.
  • Administrative Roles: These may include positions in operations, human resources, customer service, marketing, finance and more.
  • Vocational Counselors: These include financial counselors, life coaches, job placement professionals and other roles that help clients improve day-to-day life after treatment.

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Lesson #3 Relapse Is A Part Of Recovery

When a person is first starting out on the road to recovery, their brain doesnt automatically become rewired back to normal just because they are in a structured plan. It takes a lot of hard work and repeated positive behaviors over time for progress to be made.

This means that the substance abuser is always at risk of relapse returning to drug use, and this is especially true during early recovery when withdrawal symptoms and cravings are the most severe.

Most people have to repeat drug rehab more than once, in order for their recovery to eventually succeed.

Let me be clear relapse is never acceptable. Every time someone goes back into the drug world, there is no guarantee that they will ever come back.

However, relapse is always possible. If any recovering addict or alcoholic is in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people, and in the wrong frame of mind, the temptation may prove to be too great. That is why a person in recovery must always remain hyper-vigilant.

However, a slip or relapse does not mean the end of recovery.

As I tell my clients, if you fall down GET UP.

Bachelor’s Degree In Addiction And Recovery

Work Addiction

Bachelor’s in addiction counseling programs typically require a minimum of 120 credits, which full-time students can complete in four years. Accelerated online tracks enable distance learners to complete their training in less time. Additionally, many higher education institutions provide degree completion pathways for learners with an associate degree and other returning students.

A typical curriculum covers core concepts in abnormal psychology, lifespan development, and sociology of social problems. Students develop addiction counseling skills to help individuals, groups, and dysfunctional family systems. They also complete counseling practica and capstone projects, preparing for career entry or graduate-level academics.

What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s in Addiction and Recovery?

Health educators teach individuals about healthy and unhealthy behaviors. They gather and analyze data about community health needs to implement effective outreach events and social service programs. As organizational leaders, health educators also train staff, coordinate volunteers, and advocate for improved resources and better public policies.

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Can Drug Addiction Be Cured Or Prevented

As with most other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, treatment for drug addiction generally isnt a cure. However, addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed. People who are recovering from an addiction will be at risk for relapse for years and possibly for their whole lives. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients. Treatment approaches tailored to each patients drug use patterns and any co-occurring medical, mental, and social problems can lead to continued recovery.

More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective for preventing or reducing drug use and addiction. Although personal events and cultural factors affect drug use trends, when young people view drug use as harmful, they tend to decrease their drug taking. Therefore, education and outreach are key in helping people understand the possible risks of drug use. Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction.

Four Phases Of Addiction Treatment

Though individual experiences may vary, in general, people who complete an addiction rehab program can expect to progress through at least four distinct phases of treatmentintake, detox, rehabilitation, and aftercare/ongoing recovery. Intake consists of a comprehensive evaluation, which is then used to create an individualized treatment plan. Detox manages unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

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Is It Possible To Be Addicted To Work

Yes, work addiction is a real condition. Psychologist Wayne E. Oates coined the term workaholic in his 1971 book, Confessions Of A Workaholic: The Facts About Work Addiction. According to Oates, workaholics felt the compulsion or the uncontrollable need to work incessantly. And, much like alcoholism , work addiction has been known to damage an individuals health, happiness, interpersonal relationships, and ability to function socially.

Despite that, 48% of Americans self-identify as workaholics and for many, this a proud identification. Being a workaholic is often synonymous with dedication, ambition, and initiative. Employees are exhorted by managers to consistently go above and beyond. Raises, promotions, and other perks are handed out to those who take on extra responsibilities. If an employee refuses a task because its not part of their job, theyre at risk of being viewed as difficult and not a team player.

Contemporary researchers, however, such as Malissa A. Clark, Ph.D., make an important distinction between work addiction and work engagement. According to Clark, the difference comes down to motivation. Engaged workers are driven to work because they find it intrinsically pleasurable they truly enjoy it while workaholics are driven to work because they feel an inner compulsion to do so, she wrote in an article for FastCompany.

Telehealth And Closing The Gap

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Potential and current rehab clients have shown interest in telehealth services, but many centers do not offer it or fail to offer it in a meaningful capacity. However, the benefits of telehealth are numerous.

Telehealth increases access to life-changing health care for patients with transportation, scheduling or financial barriers. Its flexibility allows for continuous support outside the facility and it can improve the quality of care for remote patients. More and more facilities are working on expanding their telehealth services due to increased demand.

Working remotely as a therapist or counselor does not typically require additional credentials, which allows professionals to transition into telehealth roles without further training.

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Workaholic: What Is Work Addiction And How Is It Dangerous

Category: Drugs & Addiction

People work hard for a variety of reasons.

Some work hard to ensure they can provide for their families, while others may work hard for financial gain or perks. In many cases, people confuse working hard for being a workaholic. Although people may use the terms interchangeably, being a hard worker does not make you a workaholic. There is a significant distinction between the two. Someone who works hard may put in long hours, but they still make time for non-work activities that they enjoy and give back to their loved ones. Workaholics often value work over everything else, even if it negatively affects their health or relationships with others.

Available Positions At The Recovery Village

The Recovery Village has several facilities throughout the United States, and we are always looking to add new professionals to our team of industry-leading experts. In addition to positions at one of our facilities, jobs are also available nationally through our telehealth platform. Our evidence-based approach to addiction treatment has made us one of the first organizations to be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Substance Use Treatment. We are accredited by The Joint Commission, and our staff collectively holds over 3,000 professional credentials.

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