The sense of accomplishment you feel for successfully completing drug and alcohol addiction treatment is incredible. You know you will need to rebuild your life, but you have already taken on the hardest part of that process. Now, you need to get a new job and start building your financial health.
7 Tips for Starting Your First Job After Addiction Treatment
For many people in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), that’s a challenge. Getting a job can be hard, but then maintaining that job when you are battling the demands of recovery may seem impossible. Consider adopting these strategies to support yourself throughout those first few months of a new job.
#1: Find a Job You Can Believe In
There is no rule that says you cannot get a job or may not be qualified for a job because of your SUD. In fact, employers are not allowed to ask about any addiction history in the interview process. So don’t limit yourself when searching for jobs out of fear that you won’t be hired. Go after work that you can put your heart into and feel good about doing. This will provide you with the focus, motivation, and desire to get up every day.
#2: Be Honest, But Be Discerning
Go confidently into work without the fear that your employer can use your addiction history against you. According to the ADA, an employer can only ask questions about a disability when they have good reason to believe it might be affecting your performance.
That said, it could be to your advantage to reveal your situation to your supervisor. Explain that you are in recovery and that part of your relapse prevention strategy involves, for example, avoiding work parties that serve alcohol and attending outpatient meetings several days a week. The key here is to be honest with yourself. Sometimes knowing that your employer knows your situation will motivate you to stay honest and stay on the path to recovery.
#3: Set Smaller Goals First
When you are working towards addiction recovery, you learn the importance of setting small goals to help you meet your larger goal of sustained sobriety. These goals might include daily self-care, healthy eating, 12-step meetings, and more. The idea is that focusing on small, one-day-at-a-time goals can help keep stress at bay.
The same applies to work. Learning a new job can feel overwhelming, especially if it requires learning a lot of new skills. Remember to set small goals. Take one day, one skill, at a time, and ask for help when you need it. Be patient with yourself.
#4: Dream Big
While you may be working towards your employment goals and career objectives one goal at a time, that doesn’t mean you can’t dream big. This may be a good time to create a better future for yourself. With the help of your addiction treatment center counselors and support team, talk about your biggest objectives.
Then, create a plan for getting there. You may want to learn new skills, for example. You may find resources available to help move up in your career.
#5: Keep Going to Treatment
Work is stressful for everyone, but for those with an SUD, the challenges are even bigger, and there is so much more on the line. The good news is you have a treatment center and counseling team ready to support you.
When you take the time to go to your appointments and check in with your counselors on a routine basis, you are empowering yourself. In fact, you may be able to manage the stress of a new job better than your coworkers who aren’t in recovery.
#6: Utilize Your Network and Resources
For some people, starting that first job after addiction is challenging because you feel like you will need extra help in getting back into the working world. Consider the following options:
- Look for assistance programs in your community that offer training and educational support.
- Develop relationships with your coworkers that are mutually supportive. Ask for help, and offer to help.
- Consider going back to school. Your employer may offer incentives for higher education or be able to offer a modified schedule to allow for classes.
#7: Prioritize Your Well Being
While having steady work that you enjoy can be a big boost to your recovery, do not sacrifice your well-being if the job starts to become too much. Keep your focus on:
- Going to recovery meetings on a routine basis. Group therapy can also help with job-related stress.
- Checking in with your mentors – even if life feels good right now, it’s still essential to stay connected.
- Nourishing yourself outside of work, by pursuing your interests and hobbies or by giving back to your community.
At Iron Bridge Recovery Center, we offer a wide range of supportive tools to help you get the most out of your future. Contact us now to learn how we can help you start the healing process.
