Employment is a big part of an active and positive recovery. You need goals. You need something positive to fill your days. You need a way to pay back your debts. Finding a job is one of the best ways to do those things, but here are a few things to consider as you undertake the process.

Finding a Job You Can Deal and Assessing Your Career After Drug Rehab

Many in recovery report that the atmosphere at their job and how they feel while at work can make or break their recovery. This isn’t just a money issue. You may find a job that pays you six figures, but if the stress is too much for you to bear or you are surrounded by people who are actively abusing drugs and alcohol and you ultimately relapse back into addiction, it won’t matter at all. Here are a few “must-haves” when it comes to choosing a job after drug addiction treatment:

• No drug abuse or use. If you are surrounded by co-workers who smoke marijuana or do crystal meth on the job or come into work while high, it’s only a matter of time before you relapse. Avoid these jobs at all costs.
• Low stress. Any job that causes you stress due to a demanding boss, intense hours that are difficult for your schedule, work that is hard for you to undertake, or too much work expected in a short period of time can ultimately push you to relapse.
• Interesting work or advancement opportunities. If you find a low-key, laidback job where you get to work with good people – great! But if it starts to bore you or you find that you have a hit a ceiling in terms of your advancement opportunities, this too can be an obstacle to your sobriety.

The best idea is to find a job that is interesting to you that provides you with room for growth and progress, allows you to work with positive people, and means working hours that allow you to attend 12-step meetings or personal therapy and care for your physical health. Ultimately, if your current career path or the career you were in before drug rehab no longer serves you, it’s time to change focus.

Living Your Life After Drug Rehab

Stay tuned for the last post in the series, After Drug Rehab: The Question of Relationships. In the meantime, check out other posts in the series:

1.       After Drug Rehab: Getting the Support You Need to Succeed

2.       After Drug Rehab: Create Your Own Treatment Plan

3.       After Drug Rehab: Focus on Relapse Prevention

4.       After Drug Rehab: Paying Off Your Drug Addiction Treatment Bill

We began this blog post series by looking at how to get the support you need to succeed after drug rehab, and fighting relapse, and creating your own treatment plan in order to stay on track in your recovery. Today, we look at one of the biggest issues facing those who opted for financing to pay for their drug addiction treatment: how to pay back what you owe while remaining dedicated to your recovery.

Debt and Recovery: Finding Balance

Many people take out a large loan to cover the full cost of their drug rehab bill when health insurance is either non-existent or doesn’t cover the full amount. And most in active addiction have a fair share of bills well before they even begin the process of paying for drug addiction treatment. Handling this debt may not be easy but it’s possible to handle it without minimal stress and low risk to your recovery. Here’s how:

• Contact those you owe. Call credit card companies. Call your financing company. Explain your job situation and let them know what you can pay going forward. Ask for a reprieve on interest or a lower interest rate, and let them know that you are in recovery for a medical illness and will need more time to pay back what you owe.
• Consider debt consolidation. Non-profit debt consolidation companies are often a solid way to handle overwhelming debt when you can’t manage the minimum payments. Most will contact those you owe and negotiate a lower interest rate and set a repayment period, allowing you to make one payment that they disburse among your creditors. NOTE: Avoid debt settlement companies at all costs. These ask you to break contracts and often result in lawsuits.
• Create a budget. Figure out what you need to pay rent, bills, and food as well as the payments for each person you owe. Assign any extra funds to pay off the smallest debt first so that you can get rid of a bill. Once that first bill is paid off, make that payment to the next smallest debt on your list until that, too, is gone. Stick to it!
• Consider a second job. Don’t overwork yourself so that you are no longer prioritizing your physical health or your drug addiction recovery, but if you can’t handle the minimums and you can’t get the companies to lower the amount of your monthly bill, consider getting a second job until you can make some headway.

Handling Finances in Drug Addiction Recovery

No matter what your job situation, make sure to stay in contact with your financing company. If you go through a hard time, ask if you can lower your payments for a period. If you get a job that pays more than expected, make an effort to pay off the loan early so that you can more quickly be released from debt. In the meantime, if you don’t have a job you love, consider getting the education you need to move forward or changing locations if you get a job offer. Paying bills is important but doing so by doing a job you love is even moreso to your recovery!

This month, we’re presenting a series of blog posts on how to get through after drug rehab. Today, our discussion focuses specifically on relapse prevention and what you should do when you feel like you’re going to get high or drink. Though you likely learned a little bit about relapse prevention during drug rehab, it’s not always easy to remember the actionable steps you should take when faced with the temptation to relapse in real life. Here’s what to do:

1.       Call someone. If you have a sponsor, this is the time to call the number they gave you. If you have a supportive friend or family member, call them. Talk about what’s happening to you and, if necessary, arrange to meet them somewhere right away and spend some time until the feeling passes.

2.       Get to a 12-step meeting. In some places, there are 12-step meetings available to you around the clock. Go online or call their 1-800 number to find the next meeting that’s closest to you and get there.

3.       Walk away. If you are in a situation where someone is offering you a drink or to get high and you feel like the next words out of your mouth might be a “yes” or you are concerned about being rude or looking stupid, simply walk away. “No, thanks” or “no, that’s alright,” is all you need to say and then turn and walk out the door. Don’t stop walking until you get somewhere safe.

4.       Blow off some energy. Many people report feeling antsy, like they can’t sit still and just can’t seem to do anything to distract themselves from the thought of getting high right before a relapse. If you feel that way, do something active to work off the energy: lift weights, go running, play paintball, walk an energetic dog, go for a bike ride, vigorously clean the house. Anything physical that will help you get rid of the excess energy that is pushing you toward relapse.

5.       Write it out. If you feel calm but still tempted to get high but can’t get anyone on the phone (e.g., therapist, 12-step sponsor, supportive friend or family member) then talk it out to yourself on paper. A journal is an excellent device to work through what you’re feeling and why, write what happened leading up to the feeling that you wanted to get high, what has worked to help you avoid relapse in the past, and how to avoid or get out of the situation if it comes up again.

If you have yet to enroll in a drug addiction treatment program, contact us at The Canyon today to learn more about how we can help you heal from drug and alcohol addiction.

Stay tuned for our next post in the series, After Drug Rehab: Paying Off Your Drug Addiction Treatment Bill.

Last week, we began the conversation about how to find support after drug rehab and this week, we’re continuing the discussion about how to be successful in recovery with a new topic: creating your own treatment plan.

During your stay in drug rehab, you had a treatment plan designed for you that included medical care, psychological addiction treatment, group therapies, alternative treatments, exercise, and good food meant to promote detox. When you leave drug treatment, you can create a treatment plan for yourself that includes these elements as well. Get an organizer that includes a calendar and create a schedule for yourself that will help you stay on track during recovery after drug rehab.

Here are the main points to focus on and some ideas to include in your daily schedule:

• Medical care. Regular doctor and dental checkups are important, and if you have chronic health issues or any medication of any kind, regular doctor visits are essential. Don’t forget these! Schedule them in advance and mark them on your calendar so that you don’t forget.
• Psychotherapy. At least once a week, meet with a therapist or a counselor on a one-on-one basis. This person should have a solid understanding of drug addiction treatment and recovery. Use their guidance to help you navigate difficult situations and learn how to work through emotional issues and issues of perspective that may be causing problems in your life. If you suffered trauma prior to or during your addiction, it’s important to work on this as well. NOTE: Many patients in early recovery benefit from two one-hour sessions each week until they can adjust.
• Group therapy. It’s essential to have the support and social interaction with peers who are nonjudgmental and understand what you’re going through and what you want for your life. You can get this from 12-step meetings or addiction treatment groups that are designed to provide support in recovery.
• Exercise. If you don’t feel good physically, you won’t feel well mentally, and if you’re not happy, you’re more likely to relapse. Feeling better about yourself and life in general starts with regular, gentle exercise and a focus on fitness. This can be as simple as incorporating regular walks into your day or brief weight lifting or as serious as a regimented exercise plan that includes a trainer and regular workouts – whatever works best for you.

What will you add into your treatment plan after drug rehab?

This month, we’re looking at the steps that you need to take after drug rehab in order to maintain recovery. There are a number of threats to your sobriety, and they can come from everywhere. The next few posts are dedicated to giving you the guidance you need to get through and avoid relapse whenever possible after drug addiction.

Have anything to add? Any suggestions that worked for you? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Getting the Support You Need After Drug Rehab

There are a number of different resources for emotional and physical support after you leave drug rehab and all of them can be the defining factor in your sobriety. Here are a few examples:

• Job support. As you begin the process of starting a new life without drugs and alcohol, you’ll most likely need to find a job. There are community resources (like food stamps and cash aid) that can get you started while also offering you help with the creation of a resume, job fairs, job interview training and more. Some communities even have resources where you can get interview-appropriate clothing if you need it. Money is a big problem that causes people to relapse. Take advantage of your community’s resources!
• Peer support. Meeting other people who are going through the same issues that you are as they acclimate to a life without drug and alcohol addiction can be crucial. It’s good to know that you’re not alone and to avoid isolation – isolation almost always leads to a slip or relapse. Instead, attend 12-step meetings for recovering alcoholics and addicts, go to group therapy and/ or volunteer in drug addiction outreach.
• Family and friends. Not all of your family and friends are going to be supportive of your continued recovery after drug rehab. Some who are continuing to drink and use drugs will, of course, want you to join them. Others who have a “normal” relationship with illicit substances may believe that you can have the same thing if you try. It’s important to find friends and lean on the family members who are willing to take midnight phone calls or last minute requests for time or help when you feel like you just need someone to hang out with or talk to in order to avoid relapse – leave the rest behind until you are more grounded in your new life in recovery.

Stay tuned for our next post in the series, After Drug Rehab: Create Your Own Treatment Plan.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment provides those who are living with a drug addiction and a psychological disorder with the care that they need to work through both issues during the same treatment program. It’s one of the benefits that Bai Ling, an actress currently on Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab on VH1, is experiencing – kind of. In fact, it’s something that has been causing her issues, perhaps because she doesn’t understand the goal of drug addiction treatment in relation to her psychological issues.

Bai Ling and Psychiatric Medications During Drug Rehab

It’s clear from Bai Ling’s behavior when she refuses to take her pills that she needs that medication badly. It’s also clear that she is physically incapable of focusing on groups and treatments for drug addiction when she is off her meds. She is living with a psychological disorder, as yet unidentified on the show, in addition to alcoholism and it is obvious that she requires treatment for both issues at the same time in order to make any real progress on either front. The first step is to stay on the meds that she is currently prescribed, adjusting the medication and dosage according to her development in treatment. While Dr. Drew and other counselors can only encourage her to take her meds, they can’t force her, but if she continues to choose not to take her medication and can’t stay on track while continuing to distract from treatment, stopping others from getting the help they need, it may be necessary for her to leave rehab.

“I Want to Get Off All Drugs. That’s Why I’m Here.”

It’s a common thought among those who are struggling with dual diagnoses – unfortunately, it’s not an effective way to handle treatment when psychological illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other disorders are an issue. Part of the stabilization process that happens during drug detox means getting the medication right to effectively treat any psychological disorders. It will be practically impossible to remain clean and sober without treating mental health at the same time since it is often the case that patients self-medicate the symptoms associated with their disorder by abusing illicit drugs and alcohol.

Medications taken to mitigate the effects of a psychological disorder are not the same as addictive medications or drugs. It’s important to utilize medication effectively and stabilize emotional issues, hallucinations, paranoia, et cetera, during the early part of treatment, begin the process of dealing with emotional issues and trauma and learn new and healthy coping mechanisms – then, if you feel and your doctor feel that it’s appropriate, consider lowering your medication dose or changing medications.

At The Canyon, we offer Dual Diagnosis Rehab to help those who are living with both drug addiction and a psychological disorder. Call now to find out more specifics about our program.

The reality show Deadliest Catch follows a few different privately owned fishing boats in the Bering Sea, chronicling the hard labor that comes with the job and the personal stories of many of the fishermen as well as the boats’ captains. One thing that the show doesn’t do is address the drug addiction that is rampant among fishermen – until now.

Drug Addiction and Deadliest Catch

It’s not uncommon for fishermen to abuse crystal meth and other stimulants in order to stay awake for 36+ hours at a time during the most labor intensive parts of the trip or for them to smoke marijuana or drink heavily to unwind. But the problem this time around was likely a mixture of job stress and depression. Jake Harris is one of the new owners of the Cornelia Marie after his father, Phil Harris, the former captain of the boat, passed. Though Jake had struggled with drug addiction for years, he sought drug addiction treatment right around the time that his father died and did well during rehab. When he got out, he and his brother were tasked with finding a captain who was a good fit for their boat and would be able to help them carry on their father’s legacy.

The man they chose didn’t quite work out as the brothers had hoped. The boat made absolutely no money at all on their trip and the captain got along with no one on the crew, causing many long-time crew members to find a new boat. It was alleged by the captain that Jake had been smoking marijuana while aboard the ship, and he had a cop waiting to drug test Jake at the dock to prove his charges.

If Jake did get high on board the Cornelia Marie, he wouldn’t be the first fisherman to do so. Stress over the relations between the crew and the captain, financial concerns, and the sheer wear and tear caused by the job may have made it difficult for him to avoid triggers to get high. It’s a topic that the reality show has handled with grace and objectivity, allowing fans a better look inside both the world of fishing and the issue of drug addiction in the workplace.

When Work Encourages Drug Addiction

It’s not an issue exclusive to fishermen. Many people struggle with getting high while at work or drinking heavily and abusing drugs after work and on the weekends due to stress and pressure. The constant threat of losing your job because of the state of the economy doesn’t help, either, and if you don’t like your job, the risk of drug addiction only gets worse.

If you are living with a drug addiction and feel that your job is part of the cause, take measures to find new employment. If that’s impossible –and for many, it is – then get the drug rehab help you need so that you can learn to manage the stress without drugs and alcohol. Contact us at The Canyon today for more information about our drug rehab program.