Is your addiction getting in the way of your career success?

Consider today’s post a public service announcement from me. I know that though you may not be someone who is addicted to alcohol or drugs, most likely you know someone who is an addict or an alcoholic.

After working in the career field for more than 30 years, I have met many people who, even if they don’t drink or do drugs, have an aunt, uncle, brother, sister, mother, father, or other family member or friend who is addicted to alcohol or drugs.

Sadly, the state of our country in the United States and global economics is a direct cause of growing and expanding the numbers of alcoholics and addicts with each passing day. Fear of what is going to happen, loss of jobs, loss of housing, and breakdown of family units because of the global recession has caused many people to try to run away from their problems with a bottle or drugs.

Does genetics mean you will always be an addict?

Alcoholism and drug addiction are potentially genetically connected but even those who can trace their drinking or drug abuse to a genetic trail have choices. You might think that you have no choices but think of other predispositions. You can be predisposed to diseases but there are solutions and cures for some of them or you can avoid the disease all together. When you determine that genetics are how you became who you are, you lock out new solutions for the problem.

For today, I would like to speak to those people who may be ready to change their habits. It has been proven that no one will change unless they personally want to change. Family members may coerce and suggest that getting help is the way to go for the alcoholic or drug addict but until that person is ready to change, nothing will work.

How does addiction or alcoholism get in the way of career success?

Let’s look at several things that happen when you hang on to the bottle or drug.

1. You may find it hard to get a new job. Your track record is out there and many companies are screening out people who are using drugs or even drinking. Candidates who have a clean drug test will be pushed forward past those who fail testing.
2. You may lose a job because your perspective of time and values is skewed. Getting to work on time isn’t a priority and your ability to do the job is affected by the chemicals you are putting in your body. You probably don’t even realize the damage you are doing or recognized that your ability to perform at top capacity is compromised.
3. You feel as those there is no future. If at one time you believed you would be successful, you lost that hope when you became chained to the bottle or drugs. You don’t think that you could go back to school or work in the field you really desire because you have defined yourself with your addiction.
4. You are not able to maintain successful work relationships with coworkers or management because you revert to the Blame Game whenever things don’t turn out right. It is never your fault.

If you see yourself in the examples above and want a different life, ask yourself if this is the day you should go for help. You will need to make that choice because no one can make it for you. If you do go down that long and often difficult path of letting go of your addictions, you will have a long road of rebuilding but there is hope for your career success. Is it time?

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Photo Credit: Imagens Evalgelicas