If you’ve been struggling with substance abuse, then you know it can feel like a full-time job in itself. Trying to balance your work on top of your addiction is exhausting. Maybe you’ve considered getting help for substance abuse, but you don’t want to lose your job or take time off from work to seek residential addiction treatment. First and foremost, know you’re not alone and that it is possible for you to get the treatment you need and deserve — with the right help. If you’re a working professional, a resource at your finger-tips is your EAP. So, what is an EAP and how can they help?
What is an EAP?
EAP stands for Employee Assistance Program. These assistance programs are a free and voluntary resource for employees to receive consultations for issues in their life or workplace that are directly affecting their job performance. In addition to consultations, EAPs can provide you with referrals to outside resources. Some of the resources EAPs can give employees are resources around mental health, grief counselors, lawyers, doctors, and addiction treatment.
How Can an EAP Help Me With My Addiction?
Battling addiction in silence is exhausting and lonely. EAPs are a confidential and unbiased source you can use to finally open up and talk about your struggles without judgement. They’ll refer you to an addiction treatment program, such as addiction counseling, detox, intensive outpatient, or residential addiction treatment.
EAPs can also help you understand the rights you have as a worker. Did you know you can take up to 12 weeks off of work to seek addiction treatment and legally cannot be fired for it in most cases? Well, it’s true! When considering your options for addiction treatment, don’t just choose the treatment that’s going to take the least amount of time away from work. Addiction isn’t caused by a lack of ability to resist a substance; it’s a disease. To treat that disease, you need to spend the appropriate time to fix the years of emotional trauma that have been fueling your addiction. Residential addiction treatment is a beneficial treatment method because it allows you to take some time away from the triggers in your life and focus on yourself — so you can return to work thriving.
Are you afraid to tell your work you need to take time off because you don’t want them to know about your addiction? EAPs can actually speak with your human resources representative for you, so you don’t feel uncomfortable.
How Do I Contact My EAP?
Typically, when you are onboarded for a job, your HR rep will explain any Employee Assistance Program and the resources offered. If you don’t have their contact information, you can ask your HR representative for it with no questions asked. As mentioned before, once you are in contact with your EAP, they can communicate directly with your HR regarding the time you need to take off from work.
What If My Company Doesn’t Have an EAP?
If your company doesn’t have an Employee Assistance Program, give us a call! Our caring admissions team, Matt, Brian, and Ashlee, will help communicate with your work about your rights and taking a leave of absence for substance abuse treatment. They’ll also help make your transition to addiction treatment as easy and stress-free as possible.
If you don’t take time off of work to get help now, your situation will only get worse and could eventually cause you to lose your job. Sipping hot cocoa by the fire and overlooking the snow-capped Utah mountains, you can finally find your serenity at Acqua Recovery. Start your path to a better life today and give us a call.
