{"id":11225,"date":"2019-11-16T09:10:46","date_gmt":"2019-11-16T14:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/?p=11225"},"modified":"2020-07-07T08:16:51","modified_gmt":"2020-07-07T12:16:51","slug":"working-through-addiction-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/blog\/working-through-addiction-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Working through addiction\u2026 while at work"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"two<\/a>I recently had coffee with a good friend who works in a very different profession than mine. For a little while, we talked shop about our work and traded strategies on how we deal with certain issues. Although she\u2019s an accountant and I am a Work and Business Psychologist (officially known as an Industrial\/Organizational Psychologist<\/a>) offering Career and Executive Coaching, we have plenty in common. We both encounter similar problems that our clients are dealing with and these are often issues that most people wouldn\u2019t think would come up in our specific lines of work.<\/p>\n

The seriousness, prudence, and discretion<\/a> required to protect our respective clients are often comparable to that of a lawyer or a Clinical Psychologist. We all deal with sensitive personal information.<\/p>\n

As my accountant friend noted,<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not only dealing with just a client\u2019s financial information I\u2019m also delving into their personal habits and or problems \u2026 I have seen lives financially and personally destroyed by addictions, whether it is gambling or substance abuse \u2026 often these delicate matters eventually come up.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I reflected on all the times that I\u2019ve drawn on academic, personal, and professional experiences to help people navigate around complicated life events including:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Mental health issues<\/a> like burnout, anxiety, depression;<\/li>\n
  2. Harassment, bullying, and human rights issues (e.g., racism<\/a>, exclusion<\/a>, barriers to employment because of religion\/cultural affiliation<\/a>);<\/li>\n
  3. Divorce<\/a> and separation;<\/li>\n
  4. Invisible<\/a> and visible disabilities<\/a>; and<\/li>\n
  5. Domestic violence<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    On reflection, I realized that I haven\u2019t actually spent any time writing about employees and\/or clients that are silently struggling with addiction and its fallout. Drug addiction is also called substance use disorder, and it\u2019s defined as a disease that affects a person’s brain and behaviour and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. Substances including prescription medication, alcohol, cannabis and nicotine are considered drugs. When someone becomes addicted, they may continue to use the drug despite the harm it causes physically, mentally, to one\u2019s relationships, finances, and workplace performance.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"alcohol<\/a>According to Statistics Canada, \u201capproximately 21.6 percent of Canadians, or about six million people met the criteria for a\u00a0substance use disorder<\/a>\u00a0during their lifetime. \u00a0Alcohol<\/a>\u00a0was the most common substance for which people met the criteria for abuse or dependence at 18.1 percent. \u00a0More Canadians had symptoms of cannabis abuse or dependence in their lifetime (6.8 percent) compared with\u00a0other drugs<\/a>\u00a0(4.0 percent).\u201d<\/p>\n

    If slightly over one person in five will meet the criteria for a substance use disorder, it means that most of us will work with someone who is dealing with an addiction. Despite the prevalence of addictions, it\u2019s not a topic that\u2019s usually discussed freely in the workplace.<\/p>\n

    When used long enough and frequently enough, eventually, drugs and\/or alcohol can change how our brains work and interfere with our ability to make choices, leading to intense cravings and compulsive drug use.\u00a0People who have become addicted or dependent on drugs or alcohol often experience:<\/p>\n