Let’s face it – anyone who has managed to hold onto their job in 2020 should count themselves lucky, and good for them, too.
It really has been a tough time for the vast majority of people, work-wise. Countless business foreclosures, furloughs, layoffs or simple terminations, all under the still darkening cloud of the coronavirus, has left millions of U.S. citizens queuing up in the unemployment line.
“Hey, Mr. President, I know you got your plans –
You’re doing all you can now to aid the little man.
We got to do our best to whip that inflation down,
Maybe you got a job for me just driving you around!”
– Gary U.S. Bonds, U.S. singer /songwriter
And that still darkening cloud isn’t going to be clearing anytime soon, or even just a little to allow some sunshine through, whether we have a vaccine or not.
If that wasn’t enough for your average U.S. citizen, take a moment to think about all those in recovery from substance addiction, fighting day-in, day-out to keep their sobriety intact, especially at a time when more and more of the population are citing serious concerns about their own mental health.
Sadly, your job “going down the pan,” for one reason or another – a global virus pandemic has to be one of the more original reasons, doesn’t it? – is a simple fact of life, global pandemic or not. Businesses succeed or they fail, and people’s jobs come and go as regularly as a New York City yellow cab during a typical Wall Street work day.
However, for the person in substance addiction recovery, aside from this year’s isolation, lockdowns, and quarantines, losing their job could very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. For the recovering drug addict or alcoholic, that could well mean relapse.
I know. I’ve been there, got the t-shirt, had tickets for the front row, and everything, but
I came out the other side. It’s been over 6 years since I left the Colorado
rehab that gifted me with sobriety, and saved my life. Have I lost a job during those 6 years? Indeed, I have.
Maintaining your sobriety if you get fired during recovery, or losing your employment because of another of the myriad of possible reasons, is going to be extremely difficult – of that, there is little doubt. Just consider the wide range of emotions that are suddenly going to crash down on you – rejection, dejection, defeat, insecurity, instability, fear or the notion that you simply were not good enough to be kept on.
Regardless, you’re not going to be alone.
According to U.S. government statistics for this year, unemployment reached an all-time high in April, 2020 – 14.70%. Fortunately, that rate had reduced back down to 7.9% by the time we got to September.
All of this has been predominantly down to our friendly global pandemic, the coronavirus. However, there is the distinct possibility that the U.S., now experiencing a coronavirus outbreak worse than its original one, will have to return to the obligatory isolation, lockdowns, and quarantines that states demanded back at the beginning of the year. If that happens, don’t forget your own boundaries for recovery.
So, for all those that managed to retain their employment during the year, sadly, the year isn’t done yet – there is the possibility that, to defeat the virus, the economy will have to take another hit. If you are a recovering substance addict, and you have lost your job this year, this practical advice is for you: “How to Maintain Your Sobriety If You Get Fired During Recovery.”
1. Respect Your Emotions
As we mentioned earlier, losing a job during addiction recovery is going to bring a whole heap of emotions raining down, such as rejection, dejection, defeat, insecurity, instability, fear and anger. Don’t be concerned – this is perfectly normal. It’s what you do with those feelings that’s the important thing to remember. Handle them badly, and they may get the better of you.
Therefore, before you do anything, respect your feelings – this is the sober “you” reacting quite normally to a, sadly, all too common occurrence. Understand that they are powerful emotions for anyone to deal with, recovering addict or not. Losing a job can be a lot like losing a friend for many people, so take the time to grieve for it, and try to acknowledge your loss in a positive way. As one door closes, another opens…
2. Remember Your Coping Skills From Your Treatment Program
Depending on how you got clean and sober in the first place, you could well be in possession of the necessary coping skills and tools you need to fall back on. If you attend an inpatient program (a residential rehab, as it’s often referred to), then you will know these. Likewise, you will be aware of these if you attended a reputable outpatient program for your addiction recovery.
For example, when was the last time you used breathing techniques and mindfulness meditation to calm yourself and your nerves down? These are the types of skills we’re talking about here. If you don’t know these, it’s really recommended that you find a meditation or yoga class to enrol in. Additionally, activities like keeping a journal of how you’re feeling or writing a gratitude list are so useful in keeping a check on yourself. These really are excellent tools to use when your recovery may be wavering.
3. Revert to Your Recovery Basics
Losing a job can make you feel self-pity. Fatal. That’s all too easy to do, and it won’t help you at all. These things happen to everyone – accept it, and move on. Rather than wallowing in the feeling that the world has done you wrong yet again, remember the basis of recovery.
Get to daily 12-Step meetings, keep in touch with your support group (and certainly tell them about being unemployed at present), and keep yourself busy and active in positive ways. In fact, your support group or those at the meetings may well have been in the same position before, and may be able to offer sound, practical advice on what you should do next.
4. Above All Else, Stay Focused on Your Recovery
Yes, above all else. Your recovery is priority numero uno – nothing should stop you from remaining 100% focused on staying clean and sober. Nothing.
Follow this advice, keep yourself safe and sober, and take care.