Workplace Addiction Archives - Clearview Clinic

Category: Workplace Addiction

Aspects of Substance Abuse in the workplace

Substance abuse affects the daily life in all aspects of a person suffering from addiction and addictive behaviours. This doesn’t stop even when a person is at work/working. The use of substances by employees in corporate and other work environments during working hours has become something that happens more often than you would think. Regardless of drug policy’s at work, drug tests that might be done or even possible risks of being caught. According to drugabuse.com “22.5% of people admit to using drugs or alcohol during work hours. 1 in 4 men admit to using drugs or alcohol in their place of work, while 1 in 5 women say that they have used drugs or alcohol in a professional setting.” Substance abuse and addiction are a huge global concern and very costly to all societies where they occur (Hitzeroth & Kramer, 2010:13; Miller & Weisner, 2002:3). Ignoring or sweeping the matter under the carpet in the workplace can become an occupational hazard. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of 1993) Companies including any employer are responsible for managing the negative aspects of substance abuse in the workplace. Addressing the abuse of substances and helping employees or colleagues with substance abuse may benefit the work environment in the following ways: Saving on recruitment costs, as these employees or colleagues remain in the business following treatment. Reducing losses of absenteeism or impaired productivity of employees or colleagues; Creating a more productive environment for all employees. Creating and sustaining a positive moral culture in the office; Reducing the risk of possible injury or harm due to impairments; and Enhancing the public view or reputation of the business as informed and supportive. The International Labour Organisation(ILO)” code suggests that “employees with alcohol or drug related problems should be treated in the same manner as workers with other health problems.” So should an employee be identified or need help with their addiction problem, the employee shouldn’t be discriminated. They should get the benefits offered by their employer. Most organisations have wellness programs but in those that do not, assistance should be provided to the employee to get access to counselling, treatment, and rehabilitation.   References drugabuse.com (accessed May 2024) (Hitzeroth & Kramer, 2010:13; Miller & Weisner, 2002:3). Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of 1993) ILO publication, Geneva. www.ilo.org.za – accessed in May 2024

What causes substance abuse amongst youth? Part1

The National Youth Commission Act, 1996, defines youth as people aged between 14-35 years. According to  Stats SA(2010) ‘’Youth in South Africa constituted 37% of the population in 2010, numbering 19.1 million individuals.’’ There is a rise in drug use by the youth in South Africa. This ranges from the Youth in Schools and economically active population. ”This is a tide that South Africa is struggling with”. Based on the most recent report  received from the SACENDU (South African Epidemiology network on drug use) dated April 2019 , it’s indicated that that the most common primary or secondary drug used by Youth under 20 years  attending specialist treatment centres is cannabis. Treatment admission for alcohol related problems remains less common for Youth under the age of 20 and more common for Youth above 20years old. These are stats based on people that have gone for treatment. Unfortunately, there are many others that have not received or gone for treatment for many different reasons. In recent years, much has been learned about the health effects of drug use by the Youth. The health effects of teen drug use can vary, depending on such factors as frequency of use, the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how quickly it gets into the brain, what other drugs are taken at the same time, the differences in body size and chemistry, the length of time the drugs are used, and other components. Drugs are readily available to those who choose to use them in either an “experimental” way or to those who are chronic drug abusers.  The consequence of such use, even casual use, can be devastating to both the user, to the user’s family members and society. Click here for part two(2) of this article as it looks into ”What are the causes of drug use amongst Youth.”   References :  http://www.sahrc.org.za/home/21/files/SA%20CHILDREN%2024%20MARCH%202011%20SAHRC%20_%20UNICEF%20REPORT.pdf https://www.samrc.ac.za/sites/default/files/attachments/2019-04-30/SACENDUFullReportPhase44.pdf https://www.statssa.gov.za/?s=youth%20population 

Drug Addiction and Pregnancy

When a woman is struggling with drug addiction during her pregnancy, that drug use affects more than just her – it affects her fetus as well. The drugs can also have devastating effects on the child one he or she is born. Drug addiction and pregnancy should be treated as a very serious issue. A mother taking illegal drugs during pregnancy increases her risk for anemia, blood and heart infections, skin infections, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. She also is at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Most drugs cross the placenta – the organ that provides nourishment to the baby. Some can cause direct toxic, or poisonous effets and create a child who is born with a drug addiction. During pregnancy, a woman needs to take active steps to combat her drug addiction, if not for herself, but for the good of her unborn child. While most drugs don’t necessarily cause deformities, what they can do is stunt the growth of the child leading to low birth weight and having a baby born already addicted to drugs. Once that child takes his or her first breath, they begin the painful process of withdrawing from drugs. This puts stress on the baby’s organs and provides for a very unhappy life. As much pain as an adult goes through during withdrawal, the pain is compounded for a helpless child. A urine lab test performed on a woman during her pregnancy called a chromatography can detect the presence of many drugs including marijuana and cocaine. Marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to behavioral problems in the child and cocaine can bring on premature delivery and even stillbirth. Drug addiction is a very complex mental condition as well a physical one. During pregnancy, it becomes a serious health risk both for the mother and the baby. After birth, you may find yourself having troubles coping with the stress of a newborn. You may have difficulty dealing with your baby’s needs such as feeding and diapering. So what can you do if you are dealing with drug addiction during pregnancy? This can be problematic, especially if the child is not planned. The best thing you can do is to stop using drugs immediately. Sure, this will cause severe physical symptoms, but those generally subside within a few weeks. Get yourself into the Clearview Clinic Treatment  treatment program and get counseling. A pregnancy is exciting, but when you are struggling with drug addiction, it can be painful. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to your child to beat your drug addiction and have a healthy pregnancy.

Grieving, guilt, shame and healing

The fact is that life has its ups and downs. This can be as a result of a chain of personal or professional sufferings. As individuals we have different ways of coping. Some of us tend to cope with our hardships by resorting to the abuse of substances including alcohol or other forms drugs that will not only affect our health negatively but can add more suffering to our personal or professional hardships as well as affect others that are around us negatively. Imagine going out one night to meet up with a friend at a bar where you went to drown your sorrows. Having one too many glasses of wine and the next thing finding that you crashed into a car at a stop light on your way home. Finding that two of the passengers in the car you crashed into are seriously injured and there is no one else to blame but you, the drunk driver. There is absolutely nothing worse than knowing your actions have hurt innocent people. The feeling that you get from this is shame and guilt. You feel like you don’t deserve to live, that it should have been you instead because you are experiencing hardships and you feel like your life is miserable, worthless and lonely. Lamia, M. (Emotions: the engine of attention, (2010) p.81) points out, that “the feeling of guilt, blame and shame is the most dangerous especially when you are experiencing your own personal or professional hardships”. The feeling of guilt causes you to experience mental discomfort and pain. No person likes the feeling of pain. So when you start feeling that pain you end up telling yourself that you need to numb or do something to help you forget about this pain. Overcoming Guilt Overcoming guilt doesn’t need to be lifelong journey. Taking the right steps and action plan can make the feeling of grief and shame temporary. Here are a few things you can do to combat the power that guilt has over you. Share your feelings with a loved one or talk to someone or people that are in the 12 steps program. Consult a professional mental health practitioner like a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. Share goodwill. Nothing beats the spirits of giving back. Doing good or helping others will assist you to focus off yourself and your problems. Give a helping hand to those that can use your help. May it be animals or people.

When is the right time to be admitted into a Drug & Alcohol rehab centre?

This is just one of the most agonizing questions loved ones ask themselves when they are thinking of getting a family member that’s struggling with drug/alcohol addiction help. When is the right time to say you’ve had enough and something needs to be done? Unfortunately, a lot of the time you find families/parents waiting for a long period of time before they say enough is enough. But whilst they wait the addiction gets worse, things fall apart, sometimes lives are put at risk, people get hurt, jobs are lost, future progress ruined and the addiction gets more difficult to treat. So the answer to the question “WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO GET INTO REHAB?” shouldn’t be “When the time is right” or “When we can’t manage to cover the situation anymore”. The answer to this question should be” as soon as we see a problem”. You might be asking yourself what sort of problem to look out for? Well, the following indicates some of the problems to look out for: When the substance addiction is keeping your loved one from going to school/work or holding down a job. When your addicted loved one is making family life unbearable because of his/her addiction. When you are afraid for their safety. When the addicted loved one has got into trouble with the law/at school because of his/her substance addiction/use. When he/she has gotten into financial trouble because of his addiction. When they try to stop using but they fail. Source: https://ncadd.org/about-addiction/signs-and-symptoms/what-to-look-for-signs-and-symptoms This is just some of the problems that should set alarms. It’s never too late for anyone to get into rehab and start treatment. The sooner you start the better. “Recovery is not only possible, it’s a reality.” A lot of times families try to cover the addiction of a loved one because of the stigma associated with addiction. But if you send a loved one to rehab and admit the family can’t cover for this addiction any more, things will change in all your lives. Rehab has benefits and admitting there is a problem and getting your loved one help is so much better that trying to cover it up. It will not only end with Rehab. Rehab will give them a chance to a new and healthy life. If he/she attends the programs and actively works towards living a sober life, your loved one will once again enjoy a happy life. So, when is the right time to get your loved one that’s having problems with substance addiction/use? The answer is NOW! Talk to your loved one and help them find a treatment centre that offers an individualized treatment program.

Youth, Drug Abuse and Causes (Part 2)

From  our last article we looked at some of the statistics concerning the Youth, substance use and health effects of substance abuse. In this weeks article we briefly look at some of the causes of substance abuse amongst the youth. We are human from fertilization with the Embryo’s Conception to birth and so on. Although this article is focusing more on youth, the causes of drug use are similar across the board. There is a close correlation between Substance abuse and mental health conditions. ‘’Recognizing anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders—and even the symptoms of these conditions—in youth and helping children to cope, treating them when necessary, is the best approach because then they will be less likely to seek drugs and alcohol to treat the symptoms of these conditions,” Kathleen R. Merikangas, PhD. There are many different reasons behind drug use by Youth. Some of the reasons include the following : –          Curiosity/Experimentation –          Peer pressure –          To gain weight/lose weight –          To relax from the Stress –          Emotional struggles –          A desire to escape Family history may also have an influence in being a part of reason a person becomes addicted.  Although poor choices are part of being a teenager, they can’t be blamed for their genes, especially if they haven’t been educated. If there is a family history of addiction, be honest and open a dialogue about the real risks of substance abuse. Youth with prior psychiatric conditions have a Higher risk of using/abusing alcohol and other illegal drugs. Substance abuse amongst Youth causes a huge problem in every area of a young person’s life. Experimentation is something that is real and is one of the things that play a big role in teenage drug abuse. References: www.helpguide.org IOL News article  – 2017

Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Drugs and alcohol abuse are a virus that has been spreading in South Africa for a long time.  It’s a growing problem in our society, and alcohol and drug addiction has become a tough nut to crack, so to speak. Drugs and alcohol make people feel good.  When they are able to feel those feelings, they are apt to use more just to maintain that feeling.  Eventually, the drugs and/or alcohol take hold of a person’s life until they are completely controlled by the effects they are used to.  They may realize they have a problem, but when the painful withdrawal symptoms start, using seems like a much better option than suffering. South Africa has declared a “war on drugs”.  This is a great effort, but it might just be too big of an epidemic to control.  The real truth is that if we take a personal interest in healing those around us, we can gain control of the problem one person at a time – if we’re lucky. Recognizing the signs of alcohol and drug addiction are actually quite easy – when you know what you’re looking for.  While the following signs are just suggestions to look for, don’t take them lightly: Chronic bloodshot eyes Behavior other than normal Always disappearing for long periods of time Problems with work or school Excessive shaking or tremors Financial problems Avoidance of social situations Spacey or unintelligible conversation If you recognize any of these signs in a loved one, you should take steps to confront your loved one and try to steer them towards recovery efforts.  The process is not simple, but when you take the time to help them realize that what they are doing is damaging not only themselves but those around them, they will possibly be more open to help. Alcohol and drug addiction can be debilitating to families all over the world.  It takes hold of lives and can ruin them in an instant.  Drug and alcohol addiction are very serious diseases that should not be ignored. If you think you or a loved one might be struggling with this powerful problem, seek help now! There are more resources available now than ever before when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction.  Whether you seek out help from an in-patient rehab facility or through a counseling service, it’s imperative that help be gotten in any way.  Drug and  alcohol addiction can be conquered, but first, there needs to be an admission that a problem exists.  That doesn’t mean weakness, that actually means strength! At Clearview Clinic, we follow a  holistic in-patient rehabilitation program for individuals struggling with drug addiction. Call today on +27 12 819 1422 or +27 61 424 1939 (24/7) or email us, for an assessment. Its better now than later!

How to Identify Drug Abuse In the Workplace

Certain behavioural patterns and signs can indicate possible abuse of substances by employees or colleagues. These include: Sudden mood changes; Unusual irritability or aggression; Confusion; Abnormal fluctuation in concentration and energy levels; Impaired performance of duties and responsibilities; Poor time-management; Increased frequency of short-term illnesses and absence; Deterioration in relationships with colleagues, customers or management; Dishonesty; and Theft in the office Please remember that these signs and symptoms may also be caused by other factors such as stress, marital or family conflict. Addressing the abuse of substances and providing assistance to employees or colleagues with substance abuse may benefit the work environment in the following ways: Saving on recruitment costs, as these employees or colleagues remain in the business following treatment; Reducing losses of absenteeism or impaired productivity of employees or colleagues; Creating a more productive environment for all employees; Creating and sustaining a positive moral culture in the office; Reducing the risk of possible injury or harm due to impairments; and Enhancing the public view or reputation of the business as informed and supportive.