Substance Abuse Among Professionals
Substance abuse rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2019 to 2020, substance abuse and addiction rates nearly doubled as people were dealing with the forced isolation and added stressors of the pandemic. According to the 2020 Behavioral Health Impact Update, as many as 49 percent of workers reported struggling with some form of addiction in 2020.
With the effects of COVID on public mental health waning, many professionals are now still struggling with substance use disorder – the clinical term for drug and alcohol addiction. The new data showing the high rates of substance abuse and addiction point to a clear need for employers to start a conversation about substance abuse among their workers.
Click here for job protection & behavioral health, call Union First today at (855) 215-2023.
The Stereotype of an Addict or Alcoholic
A common misconception about people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol is that it came about because of weak willpower or poor personal choices. This is far from the truth and addiction, just like many other chronic diseases, is caused by the culmination of addiction risk factors with biological factors accounting for about half of all risk factors.
Moreover, addiction is a mental health disorder as recognized in the DSM-V which categorizes all mental health disorders. A person with hypertension, which is also a chronic disease with similar relapse rates as addiction, wouldn’t think twice about getting treatment for their hypertension. Substance use disorder should be treated as a chronic, relapsing mental health disorder that it is in a similar way that a person seeks treatment for other chronic diseases such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
What Alcohol or Drug Addiction Really Looks Like
The cycle of substance abuse is one that traps the person making them feel as if their only choice is to continue to abuse drugs. Physically addictive substances such as cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, prescription drugs, meth, and alcohol can alter the way the body and brain work, making the person physically reliant on the drug to maintain the new balance that is formed. Oftentimes, the person abusing drugs will know that their substance abuse is causing problems with their mental health, physical health, work, social life, family life, and even problems with law enforcement but even though they have the desire to stop, they are unable to break the hold that drugs and alcohol has.
Addiction is a spiraling problem that continues to become worse over time as the person becomes more reliant and issues in their life multiply. Any attempt to stop doesn’t work out and the person can feel quite hopeless.
When to Seek Help for Substance Abuse and Addiction
If you or someone you care about is experiencing problems related to drug or alcohol abuse and any attempt to stop or slow down fails, then it may be time to seek professional intervention. Addicts may deny that their problem exists but upon examination of life, it can become clear that there are drinking or drug problems.
Click here for job protection & behavioral health, call Union First today at (855) 215-2023.
How to Get Addiction Treatment Without Losing Your Job
One of the fears that people seeking substance use disorder treatment may have is that if they get help for their addiction, then they might lose their job and livelihood, preventing them from getting help. Union First members can benefit from the job protection services that we provide. We protect your job so that you can get the professional treatment needed to overcome and heal from the causes of addiction.
Get in touch with Union First today to learn about our employee assistance program benefits that provide significant assistance with addiction in the workplace, protecting workers and helping them to find the best in-network rehab that will be able to help them.