Finding a Job After Addiction Treatment

I’ll get straight to it: your coworkers are going to ask where you’ve been. Or, if you’ve told your coworkers why you were taking a leave, they’ll likely ask how it went. Almost immediately upon return, you have to face a big decision about whether or not to be honest about your recovery. You might choose to avoid being honest and that’s okay. It’s completely your right to remain anonymous in your recovery. It might help you avoid judgment, stress, and additional awkward questions.

However, being honest and owning your recovery does have its benefits as well. At an umbrella level, owning your recovery makes you better able to keep it. You’re able to be honest about your new way of life, which also means you’re able to celebrate it. It also sets you up to place your recovery as a barrier to other triggers in the future. For example, you won’t have to lie when turning down a drink offer at the company holiday party. In fact, if you’ve been honest about your sobriety, then you might not even be presented with that type of trigger, as your coworkers will likely remember not to offer a drink.

Yes, you’ve done this job before. But recovery will shift your mindset and give you different tools to navigate life without the crutch of a substance. So, while it’s not a new job, you’ll still want to give yourself time to get reacquainted with your job. Remember to be patient if you feel like you aren’t reintegrating as quickly as you expected. Keep track of your daily successes — no matter how small — in a journal so you’re better able to see the progress you’re making.

The first step towards finding a job after treatment is to understand what you can offer and where you see yourself. Take time to think about your qualifications, goals, and desires. What skills do you bring to the table? Which qualities do you possess that will benefit you in a given workplace? Where would you like to see yourself in a year, two years, or ten years?

If you don’t take the time to evaluate these things, you’ll find yourself unnecessarily stressed in your job search or even despondent in a job you don’t like and aren’t a good fit for.

A good way to stay strong in early recovery is to immerse yourself in the tools and structure that were set up in treatment. Many recovering addicts find that they do well in jobs that have a set routine rather than those that are chaotic or too fast-paced. You might even consider going to work for a treatment center.

As cliche as it sounds, it’s okay to ask for help. Many people seek help from outside resources and connections when looking for a job. In recovery, you have an additional set of resources derived from the program that you’re now working. Whether that’s simply the connections you made in residential treatment or it branches out to include a sponsor, speakers, and meeting-goers. Networking is a huge part of finding a job whether you’re in recovery or not, so go ahead and reach out.

While it’s great to have big goals and dreams for your career, it’s also perfectly fine to start smaller — most people do. Applying for entry-level jobs or even internships can be a great way start to reintegrate into the working world. It’ll give you a better chance to get your bearings and adopt a new routine with a (hopefully) lower amount of stress. These types of jobs also typically present a lot of room for growth with a clearer reward path for hard work.