Dual diagnosis rehab is an integral part of treating the whole person, both with substance use and mental health disorders. Often, these conditions co-occur, feeding off each other and increasing the difficulty of completing addiction treatment successfully.
Your occupation significantly impacts your life, even when you’re at home. For example, physically demanding jobs may result in life-limiting injuries and lifelong pain.
Some jobs have a more emotional or mental toll, which can be just as devastating. If your on-the-job stress begins to spill over into your time with family, friends, or hobbies, it can create more stress and a vicious cycle of substance abuse.
Some jobs and industries have a higher rate of substance use disorder.
Hospitality Industry and Substance Use
People who work in food service, hospitality, restaurants, and bars have higher addiction and substance use rates than the general population. According to a 2015 study, hospitality workers had the highest rates of substance use disorders. They also held the highest rate of illicit drug use in the previous month.[1]
In a study conducted with employees of a national restaurant chain, 80% of male employees and 64% of female employees surveyed displayed problematic alcohol use patterns. Working in hospitality can be demanding and physically and mentally draining. Not to mention the abundance of alcohol and drinking in restaurants and bars.
Doctors and Healthcare Professionals
Doctors and healthcare workers endure some of the most demanding and high-stress situations on the job. Along with being responsible for the lives and welfare of others, they’re working against the clock, and any mistake can literally mean life and death. This pressure can be overwhelming, leading these professionals to seek drugs or alcohol to cope.
In addition, doctors and healthcare workers handle prescription drugs regularly. They also have access to narcotics and other drugs, increasing the opportunities to engage in substance use.
According to some studies, doctors are more likely to abuse prescription drugs than their patients. In addition, a study from the Mayo Clinic found that over 50% of doctors in a physical health program misused alcohol, and 36% misused opioids.[2]
Lawyers and Legal Professionals
Drinking alcohol is commonplace among legal professionals. From client lunches to industry events to office minibars, alcohol is normalized in the legal industry and may contribute to problem drinking among lawyers and other legal professionals.
According to a study conducted by the American Bar Association, one in five lawyers are considered “problem drinkers.” As a percentage, that may seem low. But consider that it’s double the rate of comparable professionals with the same level of education.[3]
According to that same study, 28% of lawyers struggle with some level of depression, while another 19% demonstrate anxiety symptoms. A further 11.5% admitted to suicidal ideation at some point in their careers. These problems are more likely to occur in younger lawyers.
There could be several reasons for the prevalence of alcohol abuse among legal professionals. Long hours, cultural expectations, the high-powered lifestyle, lack of work-life balance, and the increasing pressure for billable hours can all contribute to alcohol use as a coping mechanism.
Co-Occurring Disorders: Mental Health Disorders and Substance Use
Dual diagnosis is a condition in which a patient displays both a substance use disorder and a mental health disorder, such as alcoholism and depression.
For decades, we treated co-occurring disorders separately. Medical professionals encouraged those struggling with dual diagnoses to get clean or sober before seeking help for their mental health conditions. This left one untreated and ignored how these disorders are influenced by one another.
Dual diagnosis treatment seeks to treat both co-occurring disorders simultaneously to get to the root of the problem. This also identifies ways in which a mental health condition may influence or impact a substance use disorder – and vice versa – and their intrinsic connection.
Dual Diagnosis Rehab at Silver Sands Recovery
Stressful professions often display substance use disorders along with mental health disorders like anxiety or depression. These may be triggered by each other or by the job’s stress, pressure, or trauma. Dual diagnosis treatment is the most effective method of addressing co-occurring disorders and supporting whole-person health. Contact us today to learn more about our dual diagnosis rehab program.
Sources:
[1] https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_1959/ShortReport-1959.html
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2704134/
[3] https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2018/02/midyear_2018_panel/
About the author:
Lisa Waknin is the Founder and Director of Silver Sands Recovery, located in Prescott, Arizona. Lisa started Silver Sands Recovery after immersing herself in the addiction treatment world for several years to figure out what could be done differently to help her daughter and others like her to overcome addiction and stay sober. She believes in a hands-on treatment approach, which includes taking someone out of their environment, providing a 90-day program in a structured environment. During treatment, clients not only recover physically but also learn to live their life again. Lisa is a sought-after expert speaker for recovery support groups, charities, schools, communities, and companies wanting to educate themselves on the explosion of opiate and heroin abuse in our country and the best way to understand, treat, and beat it.
