The idea that addiction treatment could hurt your career is both wrong and toxic. For many people with a substance use disorder, it is the only way to ensure you not only keep doing your job but excel at it.
In some cases, an employer or licensing board requires addiction treatment. In others, seeking treatment is a wholly voluntary and necessary step to regain control of personal and professional lives. Whether your treatment is your decision alone or mandated by an employer or licensing board, the benefits remain the same.
When Addiction Treatment is Required
The most obvious benefit of seeking treatment is your ability to keep your job. If your employer or licensing board requires treatment, it is the only option available if you want to stay the course with your career. However, rather than viewing the requirement as an obligation, consider seeing it as an opportunity.
Recovery takes discipline and strength, both of which everyone can improve in their own lives. Addiction treatment is a chance to prove your resilience, both to your employer and yourself. Because of the insights you’ll gain through recovery, getting help will not only allow you to retain your job, but also advance your career.
You Will Become Better at Your Job
Substance and alcohol use take up a lot of space in a person’s life. One can spend a lot of mental energy thinking about the next drink or drug use. They might take time away from work because of their addiction. People with substance use disorders also find that addiction greatly impairs their performance. If you’ve been struggling with a substance use disorder, you have likely been operating at a fraction of what you are capable of. Even if a professional isn’t drinking or taking drugs on the job, addiction is still affecting their memory, cognitive abilities, work relationships and efficiency.
Through addiction treatment, you will remove the barriers that substance misuse creates, which will in turn make you a much better employee. In recovery, you will be more present and far more capable of handling all the challenges you face at work.
Realizing That Your Health and Well-Being Are Most Important
Many Americans so closely see themselves through the lens of their careers that they lose sight of all the other important aspects of their lives. People put tremendous pressure on their own shoulders to excel at work and advance their careers. To cope with the stress, some turn to substance use, which only curbs their performance and makes them more anxious and depressed.
We’ve discussed how treatment positively impacts your job performance and career possibilities. However, it’s essential to understand that the most important thing for someone with a substance use disorder is to consider their own health. Addiction treatment provides an opportunity to take a step back from a fixation on our careers so that we can prioritize our physical and emotional well-being. Yes, people do become better at their jobs when they aren’t addicted to drugs and alcohol. However, recovery only begins when you are motivated by the prospect of a better quality of life.
You Are Still in a Position of Control
Whether required to seek treatment or voluntarily doing so, remember that you likely have far more agency in your life than you realize. Addiction doesn’t just end careers; it can ruin or even end lives. If treatment can still salvage or advance your career, then consider your position a favorable one.
Everyone encounters their own challenges in life. Those challenges strengthen you if you learn from your setbacks and equip yourself with the proper tools. In recovery, you learn a lot about who you are and what you are capable of. These lessons are empowering, and they give people advantages in many aspects of their lives.
Providence Treatment Helps Professionals Get Back on Track
As a facility that specializes in addiction treatment for professionals, Providence Treatment knows the effect that getting help has on one’s career. Our clients are lawyers, doctors, pilots, business executives and professionals from many other industries. Each of our client’s needs are unique, so we assess their situation to determine the best path forward.
If needed, and with your permission, we work closely with licensing boards while helping you gain the tools you’ll need for a sustainable, long-term recovery. The addiction treatment professionals at Providence Treatment see the power of recovery every day. Recovery can be transformative in your professional life, but you must take the first step to get help.
If you’re interested in learning more about addiction treatment for professionals, contact a Providence Treatment admissions counselor at 866-247-3307.
