Author: Annie Winner

How Are Religion and Spirituality in Recovery Different?

man in recovery attending church service

How Are Religion and Spirituality in Recovery Different?

If you’re in recovery and moving into self-help and recovery groups then you quickly start to encounter spirituality as a major part of recovery. For many, that sounds synonymous with “religion” but it’s very much not. In fact, many rehab programs and self-help groups incorporate religion and spirituality separately and as two distinct but important parts of treatment.

That’s important, especially if you’re don’t share the religious faith of your treatment program, aren’t sure about your religious faith, or don’t have one. You can still engage in spirituality and spiritual practices without religion. And, if you’re religious, you can use spirituality as a separate tool from your religion.

What is Spirituality?

Spirituality is the process of relating to the world around you in a meaningful way. It’s about getting in touch with your physical self and the physical world around you and being able to experience the world with wonder, curiosity, gratitude, humility, and love. It’s often also about the search for or acceptance of a lack of meaning in that life and finding answers or acceptance for the things that happen to you.

Spirituality can mean exploring:

Do things happen for a reason?
How can I live life in a fulfilling way?
Am I connected to the world around me and how?
What is happiness?

Who am I? What defines me?
Am I a good person? What is a good person?
Is there a higher power?
If there is a higher power, how does it affect my life?

Spirituality is about connecting to the world around you including people and places. It’s about living in a careful way, designed to reach the goals you want. And, its about learning to interpret the world around you in your own way.

That can be found in simply practicing some religions. It can also be found in thought, self-exploration, connecting with others, and learning to interpret the world and your own emotions.

What is Religion?

Religion is, in most cases, a communal set of beliefs, sometimes formalized into a formal religion, shared by a group of people. This means that a larger group of people share rituals, moral beliefs, and beliefs about the world.

There are also many, many different religions in the world. In the United States, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. And, each of those divides into many further categories, like Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, etc.

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Religion is a formal system shared by a group of people and may include:

Moral practices and guidelines regarding behavior and personal conduct
Beliefs about the world and how it was created
Beliefs about right and wrong
Moral guidelines dictating responsibilities to the self and others

Those beliefs can create a significant amount of structure to your life depending on the religion. In other cases, it may provide very little day-to-day structure. For example, Islam religions typically dictate prayer five times per day, most Christian religions only dictate church attendance once per week.

Religion also often incorporates a significant amount of spirituality including connecting to the self, acknowledging a higher power than the self, and a search for meaning. For many people, the spirituality aspects of religion are the most important parts of it – which is often where the confusion between the two terms arises.

For example, Christianity helps to answer many of the defining questions of spirituality by defining what it means to be a good person, by laying down moral guidelines, and by defining a higher power and what he expects from you as an individual. That’s still spirituality, because you still have to interpret it and use it as a guideline for your life. So, in many ways, religion is a set of guidelines or a framework for practicing spirituality.

How Are They Different in Recovery?

Spirituality and religion have definite overlaps. However, they are used in very different ways in recovery.

Religion – Used as a formal and defined or structured activity where you meet up, pray, work together, and study. Religion can be thought of as learning to follow rules, to engage with others, and to learn or be accepted into ideas and concepts. If you’re in a religious program, you might be asked to join prayers, to talk to a higher power, and to take part in rituals with your group. Those rituals can be as simple as daily prayers or as complex as fasting or abstaining from eating red meat on certain days of the week. It can also help you with recovery by making you feel accepted, by giving you boundaries and rules, and by giving you a framework in which you know what you have to achieve to be a good person.

Spirituality – Spirituality in recovery is normally used as an informal framework in which you can explore yourself and the world around you. Sometimes that will mean exploring yourself and your interactions with others. It may also involve finding a higher power (including the universe), learning to explore yourself, and learning to connect with the world around you in a meaningful way. That can be a powerful part of your recovery because self-discovery and finding out what is important to you is an important part of setting goals, figuring out where you want to be, and deciding what is good for you.

Spirituality and religion are both very different. However, religion does include a lot of spirituality, although with a framework. Therefore, many treatment programs actually include both and separately. In addition, while you can often choose treatment programs that aren’t based on religion, you’ll almost never find one that doesn’t use spirituality. However, there are benefits to both and it may be a good idea for you to explore your options and decide what you want. Often, if you’re not practicing a religion, you won’t likely want to attend a treatment program based around that religion. However, you can attend a spirituality program with no concerns because it will not likely conflict with your religion.

Eventually, spirituality and religion are different tools. However, religions always include spirituality.

If you or your loved-one struggles from alcoholism or other substance abuse please contact us today and speak with one of our experienced and professional intake advisors about our detox, partial hospitalization, and residential treatment programs. 10 Acre Ranch also has specialty tracks like our pet friendly drug rehab and couples substance abuse treatment programs. We’re here to help you recover.

Dealing with Anxiety at Social Events in Early Recovery

Dealing with Anxiety at Social Events in Early Recovery

Moving into recovery is a big step and one that can be extremely important for your long-term health. However, it means dealing with life and people without social lubricant, without drugs and alcohol to reduce stress, and without a barrier between you and the world. In many ways, that’s a great thing because you get to have genuine and meaningful connections, to meet new people, and to feel supported, connected, and part of the group. You’ll never get that while high on drugs or alcohol. At the same time, you’ll face anxiety, worry, and possibly even panic. You might have trouble getting into new groups. You might worry what people will think and how they think about you.

The good news is that people are never as judgmental or as bad as our worries make them out to be. But, you’ll have to take steps to deal with social anxiety and stress at those social events so you can get over the hill of that early recovery anxiety. The following include some ways you can start doing that.

Journal Your Anxiety

If you’re anxious about a social event, it’s important to understand why. Taking time to write down your worries can give you insight into what those worries are about and what steps you can take to feel better.

This is a very proactive approach and depending on how bad your anxiety is, you might want or need support to do it. However, if you write reasons down, you can then write out what steps you can take to fix the issue. For example:

I am anxious that I won’t know anyone and won’t have anyone to talk to = take steps to talk to a stranger and hit off conversation
I am anxious that I will see alcohol and will want to drink = talk to your host about helping you stay away from alcohol
I am anxious about people judging me = take steps to acknowledge that you’re mostly judging yourself and that if you work through guilt associated with yourself, you’ll probably feel better

Of course, most of those aren’t simple one-step solutions.

Other forms of anxiety are more general and are harder to name or to do anything about.

Being around large groups of people makes me feel anxiety even though I know nothing is wrong = build up positive experiences around larger groups so that you can feel less anxious
I am afraid I will do something wrong and people will laugh at me = work on understanding that most people don’t care what you are doing at any given point
I simply feel anxiety = work on stress management techniques

None of these steps will cure anxiety. However, they can help you to reduce it.

Understand Your Triggers

If you know what your triggers for using are, you can take steps to make life easier for yourself. For example, if you know that being alone in a crowded room makes you feel bad, you can take steps to have a friend or colleague with you. If you know that being around alcohol is a trigger, you can try to avoid events with alcohol for a bit longer. Triggers can be how people react, past events, and any situation of stress, so they can vary quite a bit from person to person.

Working to understand what causes anxiety or triggers you to want to drink can help you to better compensate for those situations.

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Learn Stress Management Techniques

Good stress management techniques can do a lot for reducing anxiety in the moment. Unfortunately, many of them take some time to learn. For example, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Therapy is extremely popular, but typically takes several months. However, it will help you to ground yourself and focus on recovery.

Some good stress management techniques include:

Take 5-10 minutes and do a breathing exercise
Practice mindfulness
Give yourself a hand massage
Take 10 minutes to play a difficult game on your phone that requires attention
Ask for a hug
Focus your attention
Actively work to get rid of the stress factor in question

In most cases, you’ll want to focus on learning stress management techniques with your counselor or therapist, so they can help you to create positive experiences specific to what you’re going through right then.

Practice Preventive Self-Care

Ensuring that you’re in as good of a mental and physical state as possible will help you to reduce anxiety during a social event. However, that takes time and the fact that you’re in recovery may be against you there. For example, many people experience significant issues with nutritional deficiencies when leaving addiction. That’s because drugs and alcohol actively harm the gastrointestinal tract, preventing you from getting the nutrition you need. That can make stress and anxiety worse.

In addition, you’ll want to:

Exercise 30-60 minutes per day, 4-5 days per week
Eat healthy food about 80% of the time
Get enough sleep and take steps to ensure it’s high-quality sleep by avoiding phones and keeping a sleep routine
Engage in social events and spend time around people who make you feel good
Keep your home and space clean so you experience less stress leaving
Take steps to avoid stress when going places, such as by ensuring you won’t be late, making plenty of time, and planning well.

Preventive self-care is about improving your health, giving yourself the space and mindset to approach things without anxiety, and actively working to reduce stress in your daily life. That will reduce the amount of anxiety you feel at social events, while helping your recovery, and giving you a better threshold to deal with anxiety at social events.

Eventually if you stress at social events, chances are, you may just have to learn to deal with it. That may involve going to therapy, it may mean getting counseling, and it may mean working to build as many positive experiences as you can to reduce the overall impact of that anxiety. However, taking care of yourself around social events, ensuring that you can reduce stress as much as possible, and learning good short-term coping mechanisms will help. It may also be important to have a sponsor or support person on call so you can talk to them if you need to.

Navigating life in early recovery is harder than at most other points in your life. However, you should be able to take steps to improve that, which will impact your recovery and the rest of your life around it.

What is Evidence Based Addiction Treatment?

What is Evidence Based Addiction Treatment?

In 2020, some 4.1 million people (or 1.5% of the population received substance abuse treatment across an estimated 16,000 treatment facilities in the U.S. Those facilities offer a wealth of options, ranging from 12-step and Christian-based treatment to rigorous evidence-based treatment and therapy built around research and long-term outcomes. That wide variety of choice means you’ll have options to choose from, to select a type of therapy that works for you or your loved one’s lifestyle, beliefs, and preferences. However, it also means you may want to learn what those treatments actually mean and how they work.

One of the most pressing questions is “what is evidence-based” therapy. This term is typically used to reference a standard of quality, which means that methods have been researched and proven to be effective in achieving recovery. This gives you more assurance that the program will actually help you to recover – although results almost always depend on your mindset and motivation.

What Does Evidence-Based Mean?

Evidence-based is a term that means research has been done and has produced evidence that the treatment has a positive effect. However, the term doesn’t say anything about the quality or scientific rigorousness of the study.

For example, LSD was used for years to treat mental health patients based on a study of just four people. On the other hand, CBT is now used to treat substance use disorders based on studies containing thousands of test subjects.

Evidence-based can also mean that a program is based on results from the program. This means that the term can be abused. For example, if 2% of the total patient population go on to graduate into recovery, evidence shows that the program works. For this reason, “evidence” based isn’t good enough and you’ll always want to ask about completion rates, recovery rates, etc. However, even those can be difficult to use as a proof of efficacy, because treatment centers conduct their own research based on factors like program completion rates, sobriety in the months immediately following treatment, and alumni interviews at follow-up points of 6 months or a year.

Evidence-Based vs Research-Based

You’ll also often see terms like “research based” or “science-based” instead of evidence based. Here, terminology can be confusing because it may be used interchangeably. This means that it’s highly likely there is no difference between the evidence-based and research-based claim.

However, a good “research based” program would use a treatment method after initial studies have shown potential efficacy, followed up on how that treatment efficacy lasts, and followed up to understand which parts of the treatment helped and why to work on building a better program.

Unfortunately, you won’t know which a rehab center means unless you start asking questions. Or, if you do your own investigation into the treatment methods they use to see how well studied they are.

Here, most therapeutic interventions are well-studied and well-tested. In addition, any medication assisted program is actually regulated by the government, meaning that it is very well tested and proven. On the other hand, there are many complementary therapies, spiritual programs, and holistic programs that are not based on rigorous research at all.

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Do You Need an Evidence-Based Program?

Eventually, most studies show that any treatment is better than no treatment at all. Attending a 12-step program like AA or NA still gives you social accountability and motivation – which can empower you to quit and stay clean and sober. However, looking for and finding a scientifically tested and proven treatment option may improve your chances of recovery. For example:

Has this treatment method been tested on many people and been proven effective at a high level?
What is the program graduation rate?
What is the recovery rate at 6 months? A year? 5 years?
How much follow-up treatment is needed to achieve those success rates?
Are there rigorous and objective controls in place to ensure the quality of data from a study?

Evidence based treatment should be tested for:

Safety
Efficacy
Long-term results

That’s important for ensuring that you can easily move into treatment without questioning the treatment itself.

Eventually, most people looking for treatment don’t have the scientific expertise to determine if a treatment method is science-based. You also shouldn’t have to. However, looking for evidence-based treatments can help you to ensure that your program is based on research and evidence of success.

Choosing a Treatment Center

There’s no one best option for treatment for everyone. In fact, the best treatment programs are those that are tailored to the individual, updated as the individual progresses through treatment, and adapted to meet specific needs. However, some of the following include evidence-based treatment methods you can look for:

Medication-Assisted Treatment – Pharmacological interventions including acamprosate, buprenorphine, disulfiram, LAAM, methadone, and naltrexone.
Individual and group counseling
Interventions
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Motivational enhancement therapy
Multi-dimensional family therapy
Couples behavioral therapy
Family strategic therapy
Contingency management therapy
Relapse prevention therapy
12-step facilitation treatment
Problem-service matching for customized treatment

Other forms of behavioral therapy such as DBT and EMDR may have research-based and evidence-based claims as well. Many treatment centers also offer complementary therapy. However, this means that the treatment is added on to the primary treatment and will not, on its own, help you to get clean and sober. Instead, it may improve or enhance the primary therapy. They are almost always based on small scale studies rather than larger studies – which means they are not suitable primary treatments.

If you’re worried about the efficacy of treatment, there’s a lot to navigate. With over 16,000 treatment centers in the United States, there’s also a lot to choose from. Here, it’s important to take into account that CBT, family therapy, behavioral therapy, and medication-assisted treatments are the most proven treatment methods for recovering from a substance use disorder. However, counseling, 12-step, and other types of therapy can also be extremely effective – especially when used in conjunction with CBT. In addition, the best programs typically tailor their treatment to the individual, so you tackle your individual problems and overcome specific behaviors or issues. It can be extremely difficult to independently verify the efficacy of any therapy offered by a treatment center, however, asking about what methodology is used, how programs are built, and what you can expect in terms of treatment, counseling, and therapy, will put you on the right track to figuring out if the center uses evidence-based treatment or not.

Signs of Substance Use in Your Loved One

Signs of Substance Use in Your Loved One

If you suspect your loved one is abusing drugs or alcohol, it’s unfortunately common. In 2021, some 46.3 million Americans qualified for a diagnosis for a substance use disorder, or 16.5% of the population. Of those, some 29.5 million had an alcohol use disorder and 24 million had a drug use disorder or a drug use and alcohol use disorder. But, it means that 4 out of every 25 people have a substance use disorder, and that means that one in two Americans knows someone with a drug or alcohol use disorder.

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of substance abuse is one of the first steps to getting your loved one treatment and help. However, those signs can vary from person to person. In addition, people often try to hide drug abuse and use. In some cases, your loved one may be high functioning or show very few outward signs of substance abuse – but may have no money, unexplainable absences, and deteriorating health.

People use substances to cope with life, stress, and pain. Getting help is about getting treatment and improving quality of life. Hopefully, recognizing these signs in your loved one makes it easier for you to throw out a lifeline and help them get their life back.

Constant Stress and Mood Swings

People who abuse drugs and alcohol are not generally chipper and happy when they are not using. Instead, they’ll be stressed, paranoid, irritable, and may have significant mood swings. That’s in part because of the change in hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain because substance abuse changes how the brain regulates chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and opioids. Substance abuse makes you feel good in the moment, but tired, hungover, and cranky.

If your loved one is having mood swings they didn’t used to have, it could be a sign of increased stress or a mental health disorder. But, if that’s paired with substance use, it might just be a hangover.

Changes in Behavior

People who regularly abuse substances get very adept at hiding their effects. That’s especially true as they increase tolerance and the drugs or alcohol have less effect. However, if they’re binging on any substance, you should be able to tell. For example, someone with an alcohol use disorder may loosen up, they may have more trouble articulating thought or words, they may act dizzy or woozy, they may act in an exaggerated fashion, etc. And, if they’re using other drugs, there will be other signs. For example, pain pill and opioid abuse typically results in longer periods of lethargy or increased sleeping – sometimes even passing out on a couch or acting extremely fatigued.

That is the same story if they constantly have withdrawal symptoms. For example, someone without a hay fever diagnosis should not have constant puffy eyes and runny nose or a cough. And hay fever does not come with fever and excessive sweating.

Manipulative Behavior

If your loved one is lying, stealing, or manipulating others into giving them money or breaks from their responsibilities, it’s a good sign that something is wrong. Someone who frequently needs larger sums of money for no reason or for similar reasons like frequent car accidents, not being able to make the rent for unexplained reasons, etc., are being suspicious. People who frequently ask for money, who steal valuables, or who manipulate others into paying for things may be using their own money for substance abuse.

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Unexplained Disappearances

People who abuse substances need time to use those substances and that often means taking hours or even days out of their week. Some will use on their own in a room, others will go out to meet people to use with. This symptom is less visible with alcohol use disorder, because many people have no problems drinking around friends and family. However, they may get blackout drunk or may be unable to remember conversations where you thought they were sober.

Waste and Trash

It’s often relatively easy to find waste and trash from drug or alcohol abuse. For example, most alcohol requires buying bottles, which means receipts, bottles or cans, etc. If your loved one is drinking a lot, they are hiding bottles somewhere and sneaking them out of the house. That’s especially important if you find things like very strong alcohol that you wouldn’t normally buy. People hide bottles behind couches, in the bottom of the trash can, in garages, and under their beds – although some may simply make sure they do their drinking outside of the home.

Drug paraphernalia is also relatively easy to spot and typically includes pill containers, small pipes, burnt tinfoil, spoons, pipes, etc.,

These will vary significantly depending on what kinds of substances your loved one is using. But, if you suspect they are, taking time to look for signs is a good idea.

Lying

If you know your loved one has been using or drinking and ask them about it, and they lie or show guilt, it’s usually a bad sign. For example, if your loved one has a prescription for pain medication and they start hiding usage or lying about it, it’s a good sign that something has gone wrong. Similarly, if someone always underexaggerates how much they’ve had to drink, even though you know they’ve had more, it’s a sign that they might have a problem.

People who have a good relationship with substances do not try to hide drinking or using. They also won’t show or react with guilt when asked about those substances.

Getting Help

If your loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, it’s important to reach out and get help. Substance abuse is bad at any level, simply because it causes stress to mental and physical health, resulting in permanent damage to the liver and the gut, and what can be permanent damage to the way the brain functions. The more substances someone uses, the worse the effects are. A substance use disorder or addiction means that person has lost control over their substance abuse and will seek out substances regardless of their impact on social, career, or personal life. People become addicted for different reasons, but there is always a way to treat that addiction.

A rehab center can help your loved one to recover by treating the addiction and its symptoms and then treating the underlying causes of that addiction. People use to mask pain, to destress, to fit in, to hide mental health problems, and to feel good. Modern treatment includes behavioral therapy like CBT to help uncover behaviors that contribute to needing medication and to help people build new and better coping mechanisms, social behavior, and to improve their life – so they don’t need drugs or alcohol.

Substance Abuse Issues in the LGBTQ+ Community

The LGBTQ+ community is especially vulnerable to mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Today, an estimated 60% of people identifying as LGBTQ+ will have a mental health disorder in their lifetime, which means that LGBTQ+ individuals are more than twice as vulnerable to mental health problems. That exacerbates in relation to substance use disorders, where the LGBTQ+ community is anywhere from twice to four times as likely to have a substance use disorder. The National Survey on Drug use and Health shows that 21% of sexual and gender minority adults struggle with substance use disorders vs about 11% in the general population, for a total of about 16%.

The complex interplay between the problems faced by the LGTBQ+ community and mental health are an important factor in that. This means that treating substance abuse in someone how identifies as LGBTQ+ requires acknowledging those issues and treating the trauma caused by stigma, homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria, shame, lack of fitting in, and abuse.

The LGBTQ+ Community and Substance Abuse

It’s a well-studied fact that the LGBTQ+ community is more vulnerable to mental health disorders including substance use disorders. Often, that relates to other life experiences, especially early trauma, inability to safely manage self-expression, and feelings of being different or not fitting in.

The LGBTQ+ community is also at especially high risk of domestic and interrelationship violence, which increases risks of mental health problems and substance use disorders.

That’s often exacerbated by social stigma, shame, family rejection, and in how common it is for the LGBTQ+ scene to drink and use drugs as part of culture. The following sections discuss each of these issues in detail.

Early Childhood Trauma

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study directly links incidents of trauma experienced before the age of 16 to heightened risk of addiction, mental health disorder, and physical health problems. The scale links increases in experiences of trauma to heightened risk, with increases in risk taking behavior, poor coping mechanisms, poor social behavior, and reliance on substances and heightened experiences to self-medicate.

Because persons who are not cisgender and who are not straight are at significantly higher risk for domestic violence, family rejection, social rejection, bullying, and feelings of being ostracized from peers, they are significantly more likely to have more Adverse Childhood Experiences, and therefore a higher vulnerability to addiction.

Trauma

LGBTQ+ individuals are at an increased risk of experiencing trauma as adults. This relates to:

Increased risk of domestic violence and inter-partner violence
Stigma and shame
Hiding gender and sexuality
Inability to practice self-expression
Stress from slights, stigma, and bias from the community
Family rejection
Homophobia and transphobia, including internalized
Lack of resources for mental health support

These can all result in real trauma, without considering that people identifying as LGBTQ+ are significantly more likely to experience violence outside of the home in the form of attacks, challenges, and being physically beaten. As a result, rates of trauma, PTSD, and high levels of stress are significantly higher in the LGBTBQ+ community than in the general population.

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Mental Health Problems

The same risk factors that increase vulnerability to substance abuse increase vulnerability to mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. In addition, those factors are more likely to trigger bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder. Many people who are not cisgender also experience gender dysphoria which can be traumatic on its own. This leads to higher rates of using substances to cope, higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts, and increased need to self-medicate to manage life. With as many as 60% of LGBTQ+ individuals qualifying for a mental health disorder diagnosis, LGBTQ+ individuals are four times as likely to have mental health problems as the general population.

Exposure to Drugs & Alcohol

Drugs and alcohol are a standard part of life for many people but the culture of drugs and alcohol in the LGBTQ+ community is especially bad. That often relates to the fact that homophobia means that homosexual gatherings were actually prosecuted by the police – leading them to be prime spots to sell drugs because they were already secret. As a result, drug use and raves are very common as part of culture and adults who are stressed and who have poor impulse control because of trauma are more likely to seek out quick ways to feel good. However, it does mean that the LGBTQ+ community is more exposed to drug use and heavy alcohol use than many other communities in the United States.

Building Treatment Plans Around LGBTQ+ Needs

Finding and seeking mental health and substance abuse treatment is difficult for the general population but often more so for people who identify as LGBTQ+. For example, one study shows that 70% have experienced stigma or bias during treatment. And, as many as 24% of have been denied care at all because of their gender or sexuality.

That stigma, plus the significant amount of specific issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community, mean that the community needs unique care built around those needs.

LGBTQ+ Only

Individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ face significant issues including stigma, homophobia, rejection, social isolation, and low self-esteem. These issues must be understood and incorporated into treatment in order for treatment to be effective. That necessitates custom programs and tracks, built around offerings support and treatment to not only the substance use disorder but also the underlying causes. Offering LBGTQ+ focused programs at rehab centers creates safe spaces, reducing fears of stigma, violence, or harassment. And, studies show that doing so improves outcomes, because people are better able to invest in treatment and not in ensuring that they stay safe through treatment.

Personalized Care

The LGBTQ+ community is not homogenous, instead, each person has their own unique and individual history, with patterns and life problems that might contribute to substance abuse in different ways. Rehab relies on behavioral therapy, which means investigating the root of problems and treating those causes. That requires significantly personalized care and treatment tracks, which may involve dealing with trauma, coping with self-esteem problems, overcoming social barriers, or learning to feel accepted. From there, you can base the treatment approach on individual motivation, progress, and aptitude.

Emotional and Psychological Support

Understanding, support, and affirmation are seen as critical elements of any treatment program but that is more true in the case of the LGBTQ+ community. It is critical that mental healthcare providers be able to deliver understanding and reaffirmation for gender and sexuality – without judgement. For this reason, staff involved in LGBTQ+ programs must be trained to do so and to handle those aspects with care.

Getting Help

If you or your loved one is struggling with substance abuse, it’s important to reach out and to get help. The LGBTQ+ community is significantly vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse and that goes on to impact quality of life, mental health, and ability to live a fulfilling life at all. Trauma, mental health problems, and lack of support mean that people in the LGBTQ+ community are significantly likely to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope, but good healthcare, mental health support, and treatment will actually improve quality of life.

How to Go to Rehab and Keep Your Job

How to Go to Rehab and Keep Your Job

Struggling with drugs or alcohol can ruin your life. For most of us, the only way to stop the cycle of relying on substances is to take a break and go to rehab. And, while some 42.3 million Americans qualify as having a substance use disorder, only about 11% of those ever seek out rehab. Here, barriers like careers, family care, stigma, and funding clinical care can call get in the way. That’s especially true if you’re a professional with a reputation to uphold, where you might feel that calling in sick for a month to deal with a substance use disorder will get you fired.

Fortunately, the United States has a lot of law in place to protect you when you do seek out rehab. In addition, you’ll have the option to attend rehab without quitting work – which means you’ll never have to take time off. The following article reviews your options, and which might be a best-fit for your circumstances.

Consider Your Options

Most people think of rehab and immediately consider an inpatient clinic, where you stay for 30+ days to receive round-the-clock care. That’s one way to get treatment. However, you can also opt for outpatient care.

Inpatient Care – 30+ days at a rehab clinic, typically out of state where you’ll have privacy. Costs are high and only about 15-20% is covered by most insurance programs. However, you get one-on-one care, a break from stress and triggers, and the ability to fully focus on recovery. This option is often recommended for people with severe addictions.

Intensive Outpatient Care – Intensive Outpatient Care or IOP allows you to attend rehab for a few hours a day, after work, so you can continue going to work for the duration. This option allows you to avoid asking for time off, so you don’t have to tell your boss anything. In addition, outpatient care can be as effective as inpatient care – providing you stick to it and attend throughout the whole program. IOP also means you’ll stay in the same environment as before – which means that if you frequently drink or use at work, it may not be the best option for you. However, you can pair outpatient treatment with staying in a sober home for maximum support and a change of lifestyle, without having a gap in work.

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You’re Legally Protected

While you might not want to take a 30-day break from work, you are legally protected. Sick leave, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) all mean you are protected in case you seek out medical care for rehab. The ACA classifies substance use disorders as a temporary disability – firing you because of one is against the law. Of course, if you’ve explicitly signed away those rights or your employer catches you using on the job, that’s another story. The FMLA also allows you to take up to 12 weeks of free time for an undisclosed medical reason – with nothing more than a doctor’s note that doesn’t have to say what you’re taking the time off for.

Coincidentally, if your employer has over 50 employees, they’re also legally obligated to offer assistance and insurance covering rehab. This means you can go to HR, discuss your problems with substance abuse, and have them help you move into a program. You might not want to do so, as it may impact your reputation or your long-term standing in the company because stigma does still exist, but you do have the right.

In addition, Obamacare and FMLA both allow you to apply for short-term disability through your employer. You’ll have to request medical leave, sit through decisions, and possibly fight them. However, you don’t have to reveal why you’re requesting leave or temporary disability. It’s up to your medical professionals to determine if you need it, not your employer.

Keep in Mind that Disclosure Isn’t Required

If you’re afraid you’ll lose your job or reputation at your job for going to rehab, you don’t have to disclose. You never have to tell your employer why you’re taking sick or medical leave of any kind. In addition, if you’re going to rehab in the weekends or at night, you can keep this to yourself. You never have to tell your employer what goes on in your personal life. In fact, if they ask, you can report them to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Of course, your employer may be able to help. Many offer assistance with rehab, can offer ongoing rehabilitation programs, can offer financial assistance, etc.

However, whether or not you disclose is up to you and the amount of privacy you need.

In Summary

If you’re struggling with drugs and alcohol, getting help is the best thing you can do for your future – with or without your job. But there’s no reason why you can’t go to rehab and keep your job.

What if I Can’t Take Time Off Work?

You definitely can take time off work. You’re legally protected by FMLA, which allows you up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off. If you stack that with sick days, you can likely limit that to about 3 weeks of unpaid time off. Your employer isn’t legally allowed to fire you for doing so.

What if I Can’t Afford Unpaid Time Off Work?

You can always take the route of going to an intensive outpatient rehab center. This allows you to go to work during the day and attend rehab at night or during the weekends. These programs are typically 3-6 hours per day – so your life will be busy. However, you will get the care you need without taking unpaid time off work. And, if you mix IOP with a sober living home, you can get most of the benefits of inpatient care without taking off work. Alternatively, you could apply for FMLA and temporary disability to ensure you receive some money to make up for the missed paychecks. However, this process can be quite lengthy.

If you or a loved one is struggling, there are always options. Whether that’s taking the hit and taking unpaid time off work or committing to a busy month and going to therapy while you work, you can mix rehab and your job. Most importantly, your employer isn’t allowed to fire you for getting treatment for a substance use disorder, even if you disclose that disorder to them.