How can you stay sober during the transition back to work? Tips from Lisa Smith, author of Girl Walks Out of a Bar.
Sitting on my flimsy cot at the psychiatric hospital on the fifth and final day of my detox from alcohol and cocaine, I looked at the doctor in the chair at the foot of my bed and shook my head. “No,” I said. I sounded like a two-year-old refusing to eat my peas, but I was actually a 38-year-old lawyer refusing to take my doctor’s strong recommendation that I head straight to an inpatient rehab for at least 28 days. I would only agree to attend intensive outpatient treatment at night.
Forgoing inpatient rehab, my doctor stressed, put me at needless risk while my recovery was at its most fragile. I’ve always been a rule follower, so why did I ignore this directive? One reason: I feared the stigma of addiction in the workplace, which for me was a law firm.
As far as my colleagues knew, I had been out that week to deal with a “stomach issue.” If I were to stay out for longer than five days, I would need to produce a doctor’s note and possibly consider a leave of absence. I wasn’t willing to do that.
When I left the office the previous Friday afternoon, my co-workers viewed me as a smart, hard-working, reliable member of the team. Sure, many of them had seen me drink a lot—some of them had sat on the barstool next to mine. But somehow I had kept my spiraling addiction under wraps. If I went away for a month, I was afraid the reason for my absence would spill out. Then I feared I would be viewed as weak, defective, and even untrustworthy upon my return. I was determined to keep my personal reality out of my professional life.
But how to do that? (It’s worth noting that, 14 years later, I would strongly suggest to someone sitting on a hospital cot that they decide differently than I did, and go to inpatient treatment.) Based on my experience, whether your colleagues know about your recovery or not, there are ways to make navigating sobriety at work easier.
I have a few suggestions for re-entry into the workplace.
1. First things first.
When I got sober, I was told anything I put in front of my recovery, I would lose. That’s still true today. The most important thing I do on a daily basis is not pick up a drink or a drug. There are plenty of times I feel just “too busy” at work to break for a recovery meeting or other action essential to my mental health. A big project is due, so I feel the need to work late and skip my meeting. A colleague invites me to breakfast and I feel like I should accept, even though it means I won’t get to the gym and the regular exercise that helps keep my depression at bay.
To counter these thoughts, I remember that just about every time I’ve heard a story of relapse, it had included the fact that the person’s recovery had taken a back seat. Of course, there may be people who can stay sober without prioritizing it above all else. But I’m confident I’m not one of those people, and I’m not interested in any experiments to confirm that fact.
2. Your recovery is your business, no one else’s.
Getting and staying sober is an incredibly personal decision. No one is “entitled” to know your story. I had no intention of relapsing, but what if I did? I was afraid that sharing the fact of my addiction early on with my colleagues would add pressure, so I kept quiet.
Everyone’s story is different, though. For many, what brings them to recovery involves a situation in the workplace. I would still make the same suggestion. What you decide to share and with whom you decide you to share it (beyond those who unavoidably know) is entirely your decision.
3. “No” is a complete sentence.
Upon my return, I had no idea what to say to my work friends whom I liked, trusted, and often joined for drinks. So, I chalked up my new seltzer-and-cranberry-juice habit to “being on medication.” People nodded understandingly, and no one questioned me further. In fact, I was taking antidepressants and had been instructed not to drink, so telling this smaller truth did the trick.
When other people at cocktail parties or work dinners asked me, “Aren’t you drinking tonight?” I learned to answer, “No.” If they looked at me as if I had just spat in their Chardonnay, I would follow up with, “I’m just not drinking tonight.” I was pleasantly surprised at how often the conversation ended there. It turns out that most people don’t behave the way I did before I got sober, heckling and pressuring other people into drinking. I learned that others care a whole lot less about the beverage in my hand than I had ever imagined.
After detox, I realized I needed to chase sobriety every bit as much as I had chased drugs and alcohol. It wasn’t something I could do alone, but it also wasn’t something that had to involve people from the office.
In fact, the connections I made with my work colleagues, as a present, fully engaged team member grew stronger. So what if I missed some work lunches, skipped some cocktail parties, and ducked out earlier than usual for recovery meetings? There has never been a day those choices haven’t been worth it.