Returning to work after addiction rehab can be daunting. It is not uncommon for you to have several reservations about the impact it will have on your recovery.
You may even be worried that it will hinder your addiction recovery.
After all, as you entered a rehabilitation facility, you had the opportunity to put all of your responsibilities to one side and entirely focus on your treatment.
As you prepare to leave rehab, your thoughts may once again turn to work. You will likely have various questions crowding your mind.
These may surround how you will focus on your recovery as you return work.
You may even be concerned about what others will say as you re-enter the workplace. While these thoughts may leave you feeling anxious, it is imperative to not let them get the best of you.
Top Tips on Returning to Work
As you brace yourself for your first day back at work, it is entirely normal to experience a mixture of emotions. You may feel excited to get back to your routine. Yet, at the same time, you may also feel nervous.
To help you deal with returning to work after addiction rehab, we have come up with our five top tips that you can take advantage of to mitigate your apprehensions.
1. Be Honest with Your Employer
If you have recently completed a rehabilitation treatment programme, your employer probably knows that you are recovering from an addiction.
As you return to work, we would encourage you to be open and honest with them about your progress.
This may seem nerve-wracking, especially if you do not want them to think you are not capable of returning to work.
Still, it is essential, especially if you are feeling under pressure or stressed. Various things can be done to help relieve you of these feelings, such as reducing your workload.
Remember, your employer has a duty of care for you, and they will want the best for you.
2. Slowly Ease Yourself Back into Your Working Routine
As you prepare to return to work after addiction rehab, it is recommended that you slowly ease yourself back into your daily routine.
Although you are in recovery and have overcome the worst of your addiction, rushing back to the responsibilities you had before entering rehab could hinder your recovery.
It may be beneficial to ask your employer if you can gradually return to work. This could see you working one or two days a week for a month, gingerly increasing this until you resume working full time.
Slowly returning to work will allow you to pick up the pieces little-by-little. It will also continue to provide you with the time you need to attend group and one-to-one meetings as you recover from your addiction.
Although you may want to throw yourself in at the deep end, and you may believe that this in your best interest, your aftercare might advise against this.
3. Ask Your Loved Ones for Support When You Need It
Although you may believe that there is little that your loved ones can do for you as your return to work, this could not be further from the truth. There are various ways in which they lend a helping hand.
Even though they cannot physically return to work with you, they can help to relieve you of any stress that you may feel at home as you begin to return to work full time.
This could be as simple as ensuring that house chores are complete before you return home so that you do not feel additional pressure to do this.
You can also turn to your loved ones for emotional support. As you will have acknowledged during your time in rehab, talking to someone can help alleviate any negative feelings that you have.
It can also provide you with the opportunity to voice your concerns and find solutions to problems that you may have encountered.
4. Continue to Attend Aftercare Support Meetings
Continuing to attend your aftercare support meetings is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself as you return to work after addiction rehab.
As you return to work, you may feel selfish for asking your employer for time away from work. However, these sessions play a critical role in addiction recovery.
Attending meetings will provide you with a safe space to disclose how you feel. You will also be able to listen to how others are managing their addiction recovery as they return to work.
This in itself, will provide you with additional support from those who know what you are going through. It may also offer inspiration, leaving you feeling better equipped to manage your recovery as you return to the workplace.
5. Take Advantage of Addiction Rehab Aftercare
The addiction rehab aftercare support provided to you will help you navigate and overcome any troubles and worries that come your way.
Not only will you be able to turn to the coping strategies that you devised during your time in rehab, but you will have the ability to contact your specialist team of recovery professionals to seek their support.
Many recovering addicts assume that asking for help will leave an impression that they are unable to cope with their addiction recovery.
However, this is not at all true. Asking for help determines that you are committed to a long-term recovery.
Returning to Work After Addiction Rehab
As you return to work after addiction rehab, we would encourage you to dig deep and remain confident.
If you have completed a rehab treatment programme, you will have the resources you need to ensure you can control your emotions and your recovery.
If at any point you find yourself struggling to cope as you return to work after addiction rehab, please do not be afraid to reach out to us.
At Addiction Advocates we have a 24-hour helpline to ensure that we can provide you with support and advice you need, at a time that you need it the most.
