Dealing with addiction and recovery comes with lifelong struggles. Some of those struggles include finding sobriety in the workplace. Nearly every industry will have social events and business outings where alcohol is present at some point, and this places a great deal of pressure on people who don’t drink. Learn more about maintaining sobriety at work.
Finding Sobriety in Work
Finding sobriety in work can be a challenge for many people across several industries. The challenges do not arise from issues related to drinking while at work, but rather from drinking after the job, particularly as a form of bonding, or from the demands of a stressful job and difficult work hours that lead to a risk of alcohol consumption.
For example:
Jesse is a music teacher at a university. He also performs with a professional orchestra in town. After rehearsals, and especially large performances, the group of professors and musicians alike tend to go out to celebrate. During these celebrations they go to bars often because of the late hour when they finish work.
Jesse finds it hard to stay sober at work because he doesn’t want to avoid social bonding or activities, but he also doesn’t want to be around so much drinking or explain why he doesn’t drink.
In this case, Jesse, early in his recovery, has to focus on being away from situations that might trigger him, which would include going out to bars to celebrate. So, for the first few months after treatment, he kindly declined the offers and went home. His therapists and support groups reminded him often that he didn’t owe anyone an explanation; he didn’t have to explain why he was going home or justify why he “never” went out with the group. He could just politely decline.
Later in his recovery, Jessie found that his control had increased, and with time he was able to accompany his coworkers after performances, even if they went to bars, but he could only stay for a short time and he could only order mocktails.
Another reason finding sobriety in work can be difficult is when there are work-related events that might be mandatory or strongly encouraged, like holiday parties or company activities where alcohol is present.
Now, let’s look at another example.
Mike works for a large medical facility. Every summer they host a company-wide picnic, which includes several divisions who do not typically work together. The picnic is hosted at a large public park and features games, food, and drinks.
Mike knows that this is a good opportunity to socialize and meet other members of different divisions with whom he may only have email communication. However, he doesn’t like to stay more than a few hours in social situations where other people are drinking, because it makes him uncomfortable.
Mike worries because he thinks that other people will notice that he doesn’t stay for as long as they do and that they will judge him for it.
How Therapy Helps You Find Sobriety in Work
With ongoing therapy and support groups, you can learn personal coping mechanisms that work best for you, as well as ways to change how you think in relation to your circumstances and drinking.
For example:
If you consider the example of Jesse above, it’s easy to be in his shoes and assume that everyone notices the fact that you aren’t drinking and that everyone is curious as to why not.
But in reality, finding sobriety in work is much easier than many people think. It might seem like you are the only person who doesn’t drink, but this is often far from true. You might be surprised to find that the majority of your coworkers don’t notice whether or not you are drinking alcohol and that, for several reasons, there are plenty of other people who are not drinking as well.
Just like Mike, you might think that people will notice if you only stay for work events or celebrations for a short time. However, most coworkers won’t notice and will simply appreciate that you showed up.
Getting Help When You Need It
If you are struggling to find sobriety, working with professional facilities like Providence Treatment can give you access to flexible outpatient programs and long-term support.
Our team starts with a substance abuse evaluation, after which we will help curate a personalized treatment plan based on your industry, taking into consideration the pressures you might face in your career, like the high demands that are placed on you, the need to work long shifts, or the pressure to drink in social situations related to your job.
From there we will help you utilize local resources so that you can participate in support groups and appropriate therapy where you can learn coping mechanisms to apply to those situations where you might struggle with workplace stress, difficult hours, or thoughts similar to Mike and Jesse.
Overall, finding sobriety in work can be a challenge, especially for those who have jobs where alcohol consumption is a common part of the culture. However, with professional treatment, you can learn to control your relationship to sobriety at work and live a life that is rewarding and within your control.
Contact our team today to learn more about our drug rehab for professionals.
