Impact of Substance Misuse on Professional Life

If substance misuse determines daily life, it doesn’t only impact the person who is actively engaging in the substance but also jeopardises social relationships and working environments. Drinking or using drugs on a daily basis results in being late for work, always feeling hangover and being less productive at work.

Substance misuse also causes cognitive impairment such as memory difficulties, lower ability to focus and concentrate, and influences decision making processes which can have very dangerous consequences for self and others.

Financial difficulties are also very common amongst individuals who have substance problems, whereby people often try to escape from the reality of increased financial pressure by using even more substances. This often results in loss of job, making financial problems even worse.

Lying to co-workers and trying to hide addictive behaviours during work can damage a wide range of social and business relationships. Many people are in denial when it comes to how their behaviour negatively influences many areas of their professional career.

Rebuilding your career again as part of recovery

Finding a way back into a healthy work routine after detoxing can be challenging and intimidating for some people. To maintain sobriety, it is important to establish new and positive working routines to build up self-esteem and re-establish your career.

Another fundamental benefit of returning to work as part of recovery is the structure and safety a job provides. Having a structure and also a purpose are two important factors for long-term recovery, with a consistent source of income also contributing towards managing a happier life after addiction.

On the one hand a job is helpful for adjusting to sober life, however on the other hand going back to work to early and not having positive coping mechanisms in place can cause relapse. Taking small steps can help to manage challenges of the early recovery stages. The body and mind needs time to adjust to a new sober lifestyle and going back to work shouldn’t be rushed.

If full time work isn’t an option right away, volunteering or working part-time is a great way to introduce structure again, which supports the recovery process.

To avoid relapse it helps to identify new ways to cope with toxic work relationships or increased stress levels. Burn out is commonly experienced if work is seen as first priority and there isn’t enough time to relax and practice good self-care. Putting effort into separating work and leisure time helps to avoid mental exhaustion and lowers the risk of relapse.

Openly communicating individual needs and sharing feelings and emotions regarding going back to work are key steps to successful long-term recovery.

How can Right at Home Central London support your recovery?

The highly skilled Addiction Recovery Support team of Right at Home Central London supports clients who are going through recovery and planning to go back to work after their detox.

We offer support to regain independence and work towards long-term sobriety by helping clients to identify high risk situations they could face at work, develop new coping strategies and assist with re-building professional and social relationships.

Going back to a full-time job is a big achievement and our team can help with setting the right sub-goals to work through step by step at each client’s own pace. We can also advocate with employers on behalf of each client, helping to make the adjustment back to work life and prevent relapse.

Recovery Support