Barriers to Substance Abuse Treatment for Busy Professionals
By examining the barriers you encounter that seem to stand in the way of addiction treatment, you may find that they are not as solid and prohibitive as you previously thought. On the other side of those perceived barriers is the motivation to prioritize your best professional life and your best success in recovery.
It can be hard to perceive addiction rehab as a priority when your list of responsibilities is already so great. Perhaps you already have a list of things you want to get to around the edges of work: achieving work-life balance, starting an exercise regimen, or spending more time with your family during the week.
Adding rehab to your schedule, on top of everything else going on in your life, may simply not seem feasible.
But addiction is not something that just goes away on its own. Rock bottom may end up being the impetus to get you into treatment, but it doesn’t have to be. Overcoming your barriers to substance abuse treatment and proactively developing the skills and perspective for effective forward-moving recovery is the route to avoiding unnecessarily negative outcomes.
What Barriers Commonly Prevent Professionals from Seeking Substance Abuse Treatment?
One reason why substance abuse and addiction are so common among busy professionals is the stress involved in their lives. It may be the stress of managing others, caring for others at work or at home, constantly needing to meet tight and overlapping deadlines, or fielding pressure from others or from the work culture itself. Unfortunately, the complicated forces of stress also tend to serve as barriers to recovery from the trap of addiction. If you are stuck in this trap, it’s critical to gain some awareness of the forces that bind you so you can recognize that the value of treatment and recovery will always overtake the value of your obstacles. The life you really want is more valuable than the one you’re stuck in.
We’ll look at some of the key barriers that keep professionals from seeking treatment so you can consider whether any of these reasons are familiar:
Concerns About Privacy
You’ve worked hard to build your reputation in your professional networks and your social circles. It’s a part of who you are, and damaging that image is not an option. You don’t want to be labeled as mentally ill, irresponsible or reckless, unfit to perform your job, or inadequate as a parent. You worry that taking time away from work and leaving your home for a treatment center will bring your reputation crashing down.
Denial About the Extent of the Problem
You’ve seen yourself and believed in yourself one way for all of these years, and it has helped to fuel your success. It may be uncompromisingly difficult to consider that maybe you can’t manage this problem on your own. It might be easy to admit that the problem really is addiction—that substance use isn’t something you can just stop when you want to. This internal resistance can mean that you reactively push against recommendations and opportunities for help—perhaps for years.
Concerns About Job Responsibilities
A lot is expected of you in your professional life. And you expect a lot of yourself. It seems like an absurd stretch of the imagination that you might take a considerable amount of time out to focus on recovery for your substance abuse. It might be hard to trust someone else with your responsibilities. You might even be concerned about your job security if you prioritize mental health and well-being.
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How Can You Overcome Your Barriers and Find the Motivation to Get Help?
You may believe that you have too much to lose by going to rehab for substance abuse. But the real truth is that you have too much to lose by not getting help. Yes, you’re successful, and, yes, people are depending on you. For those reasons, a treatment program is even more fitting. Remember: you can be successful in recovery, which will lead to even more success in other areas. Remember, the best way to avoid letting others down is by taking care of yourself and your needs. Now, let’s look at some of the ways in which these barriers are more illusion or misunderstanding than real obstruction:
You Can Expect Privacy and Confidentiality
Substance abuse treatment centers that specialize in treating addiction among executives are committed to protecting your privacy. Federal HIPAA policies regulate confidentiality, and leading centers go above and beyond to secure their private facilities, to train compassionate and responsible staff, and to require confidentiality statements from all visitors as well. Not only for your privacy, but these measures also lay the foundation for a more peaceful and immersive environment for you to focus on your recovery, removed from common triggers and stressors.
Addiction Is Real, and Treatment Is Your Best Chance for Recovery
As much as you deny the problem of substance abuse and addiction, the problem will not go away. The perspective of treatment is to have an open mind and compassion for your own holistic well-being. You can continue to see yourself as capable and strong and successful by making the next right decision for your best health and your best life.
The Best Move for You and for Your Career Is to Get Help
Perhaps your substance use has started to affect your job performance already or perhaps not yet. But substance abuse disorder is a progressive one, and you may lose more and more control to the power of your addiction without expert guidance to develop strategies and better manage your compulsion to use. You cannot be your whole self, at work or at home, if substance use is taking control. If you have the chance to regain control before things get out of hand, take that chance.
While a stay in residential treatment feels like a big stretch of your time from where you sit now, looking back on it, you’ll recognize how you made an enormous amount of progress in a relatively short time. The perceived barriers to treatment for substance abuse are not actually stopping you. You can say “yes” to recovery at any moment, and it won’t be too soon or too inconvenient for your higher good.
Alta Mira offers comprehensive treatment for people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction as well as co-occurring mental health disorders and process addictions. Contact us to learn more about our renowned Bay Area programs and how we can help you or your loved one start the journey toward lasting recovery.
