In an ideal world, you would aim to try and face up to the challenge of beating your addiction while trying to maintain other important aspects of your life at the same time, such as your career.
That sort of scenario might be feasible with the help of a partial hospitalization program. This could allow you to maintain a reasonably regular work routine and get treatment simultaneously.
The dangers to your career prospects are clear to see when it comes to the sort of impact addiction can have. Here is a look at some ways your work could be impacted.
Your level of focus could become diminished
Addiction can cause your mental and physical health to follow a downward trend. This could make you lose your focus at work and miss details that you would normally spot straight away.
You become less approachable at work
If you are consuming drugs or alcohol regularly it is bound to have an impact on your mood at work. That means you could easily become more irritable and less approachable.
Once you develop a reputation for being difficult to work with it could easily have a detrimental effect on your career.
Your sartorial and physical standards decline
Addiction can easily lead to a sharp decline in your physical appearance and standards of dress in the workplace.
If you look unkempt and in a poor physical state this is going to prompt some awkward questions about your ability to do your job properly.
Your energy levels are noticeably lacking
Another detrimental impact on your work prospects can happen when your addiction creates levels of fatigue that make you ineffective at your job.
Once you start to suffer sleep deprivation your performance will inevitably suffer.
Your timekeeping starts to deteriorate
Addicts can be notoriously unpredictable and tardy when it comes to keeping a watchful eye on the clock. If you don’t turn up for meetings or habitually arrive late it won’t exactly enhance your career prospects.
You become less trustworthy
Another classic personality trait associated with addiction is when you start lying to cover up mistakes or situations you can’t explain.
Once these lies are exposed you could quickly develop a reputation for being untrustworthy.
You stop becoming a valued team player
It has been shown that certain types of drugs might deliver a short-term boost in your level of creativity, but that can quickly go into reverse as time goes by.
Once your creative input dries up you stop becoming a valued member of your team.
The sick days start to rack up
Once addiction takes hold it becomes highly likely that you will start calling in sick on a regular basis.
Develop a reputation for taking too many sick days and that can seriously harm your career prospects.
Financial pressures can make you a high-risk employee
Once your employer has an idea that your personal financial situation has deteriorated as a result of addiction it can often make them see you in a different light.
If your employer thinks you can’t be totally trusted when dealing with financial transactions at work that is going to be damaging to your career prospects.
As you can see, addiction can quickly consume your career. That’s why it is wise to get professional help and seek a treatment option that allows you to prove you are still a valuable member of the team at work.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.