How to Rebuild Your Career After Struggling With Addiction

How to Rebuild Your Career After Struggling With Addiction We don’t like to talk about addiction, but it’s a widespread problem in the United States. In 2016, there were more deaths from drug overdoses than there were deaths during the entire Vietnam Warâ€"around 62,000 people. And the problem doesn’t have to be that severe to affect you; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimates that 16 million people in the United States have some kind of alcohol abuse disorderâ€"which is 5 percent of the adult population. Trying to rebuild a career after addiction, or start one from scratch, after facing your demons can be intimidating, but it’s certainly possibleâ€"and you might come out stronger at the end of it because of your efforts. Rebuilding a Career After Addiction Making a new career for yourself will be easier if you follow these important steps: Focus on staying clean. Staying clean after recovering from addictionâ€"even if you’re months or years past your habitâ€"is the hardest challenge you’re going to face, so it deserves to be your top priority. If you feel your career is making it harder for you to engage in the habits and practices that are keeping you clean, it’s okay to put your career on the backburner. Only shift your focus to a career when you feel ready. Stay involved in a support group. You shouldn’t have to do this alone. You probably won’t have the opportunity to discuss your struggles with your coworkers, nor would they understand as intimately as your support group, so make sure to keep your support group meetings as a top priority in your life. Attend regularly and connect with some of the people there; they’ll be able to help you when no one else can. Be honest about your past. You don’t have to disclose your past to your employerâ€"nor should you, in most cases. However, if asked directly, or if the company has a drug testing policy, it may be in your best interest to be honest about your use in the past. Framing it as a positive, by describing addiction as a challenge you’ve been able to overcome, can help increase your chances of getting hired and finding success. Take baby steps. Don’t try to become a CEO in your first month of professional work; instead, take things one step at a time. This phased approach will help you get acclimated to your new work environment gradually and will prevent you from scaling your stress level too quickly. The more time you have to think through your decisions, and the more gradual your working changes are, the more stable your foundation will be. Treat failure and rejection as opportunities. It’s hard for anyone to accept failure and/or rejection, but you may feel extra vulnerable since you’re building a new career and recovering from a major personal struggle. Instead of dwelling on the sting of each rejection, turn it into a new opportunity; learn from the mistakes you made in the original process, and use it as a springboard to your next big chance. Lean on your support network. Don’t try to internalize all your stress, and don’t keep your successes or stresses to yourself. Your family and friends are there to support you, so take advantage of that network. Spend as much time as you can with your loved ones, and be honest with them about how you’re doing. They’ll be there for you if you need the extra support to get through the day. Find new coping strategies. Starting a new career is going to be immensely stressful, so you’ll need to find a new outlet for all that stressâ€"and one that isn’t self-destructive. Consider starting a new physical exercise regimen, or finding a new hobby you can get immersed in. You could even pick up a side gig to supplement your primary income, or volunteer on the side to meet new, interesting people. One Day at a Time Depending on what stage of your recovery you’re in, you may be faced with a daily struggle as you attempt to rebuild your life. Accepting that, and understanding that this process won’t be easy, will make it easier for you to manage the stresses associated with it. Take things one day at a time, and don’t let your past interfere with the possibilities of your future.