Why a job can help with recovery
INTRO: MY STORY
I have to admit I’ve never understood the “functioning alcoholic”. These are the alcoholics who seem to have it all together. They’ve graduated from college, or are working successfully. They have families and responsibilities.
I was never a functioning alcoholic. For me, it was unclear whether I drank because I was dysfunctional or if I was dysfunctional because I drank. My best guess is that alcohol was just another weed in the garden of my dysfunction—albeit a large weed that shaded and protected the other weeds. But, it wasn’t as if alcohol ruined my garden. My garden was never really that great, to begin with.
Why is work helpful?
Work is a gift from God.
God gave Adam and Eve work in the garden before The Fall. This means that we were created to work. Rather than being a curse—as some people today seem to believe—work is a blessing.
Work is part of being human. Work is what we do. Birds make nests, beavers build damns, eagles fly, and happy and healthy adults work. In fact, a human without work is either retired, sick, or suffering some type of dysfunction.
God himself worked when he created the world. Jesus—the embodiment of humanity in perfection—also worked. This means that work is a positive thing—a thing that even a perfect and omnipotent God engages in.
Does work always strengthen sobriety?
A job is not a silver bullet, though. In fact, many people with addiction lose their jobs. For them, the job was not enough tot help them get sober or stay sober. Why does a job seem to help one person and not another? This is a mystery that no scientist has been able to crack.
I can only say two things conclusively about jobs and recovery:
1) It is better for your recovery to have a job than not to have one.
2) A job may be more helpful to a person in recovery than a person who is spiraling downward.
Think of it this way. When a person is spinning out of control, almost nothing seems to be able to help them gain stability. But, once a person is stable, things like a job can be a support and motivation.
How does work help us be sober?
It adds structure and beats boredom
Having a job can provide structure and routine to a life that is out of control. It can also provide a regular pattern of work and rest that is missing for someone whose whole life is boring and unfulfilling due to a lack of work and hobbies. Interestingly, boredom is one of the most often cited reasons for relapse in the men and women I work with.
It gives us aspirations
A job gives you something to aspire to. Whereas alcohol is a path to nowhere, a job can provide a sense that we are improving in life.
I remember quite clearly an incident where I saw this in my own life. It was when my brother Jack took a look around the trailer I was living in South Phoenix and started exploring with me how I might improve the living conditions for my family. It stung a little bit to be reminded that my living situation was rundown and dangerous, but he was right.
I needed to do more, and when I pushed myself, I found I could do more. Not long after my conversation with him, I upgraded my job and started drinking less.
It provides monitoring
While a person is at work, their activities are monitored. Bosses will notice if work isn’t completed, or if your interactions with customers are bleary-eyed. Many jobs monitor their employee’s productivity, attitude, and effectiveness and they will notice if you come in hung over. For some people, that extra level of monitoring can help them stay sober.
Some jobs even drug test their employees. Maybe only after an accident at work, but even that level of monitoring can make people think twice about using drugs or drinking.
It gives us rewards
The rewards derived from work include pay, bonuses, benefits, acknowledgment, recognition, advancement, comradery, and many other rewards.
I knew a young man who was taking an addiction class from me because he got a ticket for having an open beer in a public setting. He worked at a local convenience store that has a good reputation for treating its employees well. The young man gladly took the class and had a great attitude about learning anything he could that would help him stay sober, or live better.
Why?
It was because he did not want to lose his job. He is not alone. Pilots, for example, have a great track record for getting and staying sober. One of the keys seems to be the desire to keep their employment.
It gives us a sense of worth
Being good at something can boost our sense of worth. Compared to the shame and depression that results from alcohol abuse, working gives a sense of satisfaction and contentment.
