Surviving Rehab without Losing Your Job

By Kia Wakefield

When a person has an addiction, it affects everything around them. An individual’s life can become overwhelmed with their addiction. Although family and friends are usually the first thing affected by a person’s addiction, those aren’t the only things negatively impacted. In many cases, a person’s job may be at risk as well.

To deal with an addiction, many people turn to addiction treatment centers to help them cope with the physical and emotional aspects of recovery. After rehabilitation is complete, most people strongly desire to return to a better life and maintain some normalcy. 

Unfortunately, many people discover that their lives have been left in shambles because of their addiction. In some cases, professional and personal relationships have vanished or the person has lost their job. When a person makes a commitment to get help for their addiction, there are certain steps that can be taken to ensure that their career won’t disappear during the recovery process.

Individuals must prioritize sobriety above their career. The need to live a life free of addiction is more important than any job. Rehabilitation shouldn’t be rushed, but there are times that a person will attempt to rush through the recovery process because they fear they will lose their job.

The book Passages Through Recovery details six stages that take place during recovery: transition, stabilization, early recovery, mid recovery, late recovery and maintenance. People who rush through those stages are more likely to suffer a relapse, which will place them in an even worse position with their career. But there are some things they can do to ensure a successful career at any stage of recovery.

Authenticity

It is best for a person entering recovery to be honest with their employer about their addiction and the steps they are taking to overcome it. This may create an uncomfortable situation, however, if the addiction has been affecting their work performance.

If the person is truly committed to saving their career and excelling at their work despite their addiction, an intuitive employer will recognize this commitment and respect it. Being authentic with your employer and investing 100 percent in your work performance can build trust and open the lines of communication with your employer.

Reestablishing Your Professional Name

Addiction turns a person’s world upside down. They must reestablish their true identity and their goals, and reestablish their life altogether. This takes time. The person must also reestablish the professional name and reputation that they have worked for. This is a process and may not happen overnight. Fortunately, it can be done.

One key to reestablishing a professional name and moving beyond your addiction is to stay persistent. You may face some professional and personal embarrassment, but moving past this emotion and staying persistent is key. The individual must be committed to their pursuit of living a healthy and drug-free life.

The Worst-Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario is when the individual doesn’t have a job to go back to after treatment for addiction. When this occurs, the person is left wondering how they will manage to get a new job after they have been away because of treatment. Drug and alcohol addiction carry a stigma, and some employees are reluctant to hire an individual that has recovered from an addiction. This can give an individual a disadvantage when marketing himself or herself to a new employer.

While the person is undergoing recovery, it may be necessary for them to completely step away from their job duties. This requires a certain level of maturity, responsibility and patience. It is also best that the person not return to their occupation if they feel there is a chance they could suffer from a relapse. An employer more easily forgives falling into addiction once than falling twice.

New Career Paths

Some occupations are less forgiving of a recovering addict. If a person finds themselves in such a field, they may want to consider what new career options are available. It might be necessary to change careers altogether and find something new.

Once a person is able to return to work successfully, the key to continued success is to stay clean. In the book 12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery, author Allen Berger, PhD, explained that if a person wants to stay clean, they must grow up emotionally. This means that they must be honest and authentic, and face any self-defeating actions or thoughts that would lead them back into an addiction.

Most people enter alcohol or drug rehab because they have lost their lives to the addiction and want to retain whatever it is that they have left. Going into recovery can be an attempt to retain their relationship, peace of mind, sanity or even their career.