American culture prioritizes a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude, while devaluing leisure time and relaxation. Technology like smartphones has caused many professionals to feel increasingly pressured to be “always on.” Even on vacation, people feel they must bring their laptops and stay connected to their colleagues. As a result of this mindset, you may struggle with a poor work-life balance as your boundaries increasingly erode. With such outsized importance placed on staying busy and keeping in touch, work-related stress has become a significant public health concern.
The Health Risks of Professional Stress
While some amount of stress can help drive your career goals forward by pushing you to achieve more, chronic stress can disrupt the delicate balance between your job and personal life.
As a professional, you are probably already familiar with some of the side effects of stress, such as irritability, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. However, the cumulative consequences of stress can affect every system in your body. OSHA qualifies stress as an occupational hazard that increases the risk of several severe health problems, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, headaches, ulcers and mood disorders.
To fend off burnout and escape the pressures of their job responsibilities, many professionals attempt to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. However, substance use is a maladaptive coping mechanism that will only make your problems worse in the long run. Drinking and drug use can worsen mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, with both components of a dual diagnosis fueling each other. In addition, addiction will take a significant toll on your relationships with family, friends and co-workers.
Do You Need an Executive Addiction Treatment Program?
If your thoughts about your job are primarily negative and you reach a point where you feel you need to drink or use drugs to make it through the day, those are warning signs you’ve reached a potentially dangerous level of work-related stress. Burnout, combined with an untreated substance use disorder, can threaten your livelihood and make you sick. At this point, seeking help is essential for your continued health and professional well-being.
In Pillars Recovery’s executive addiction treatment program, you can learn to replace self-destructive behaviors with positive, sober activities that nourish you mentally, physically and spiritually. We offer confidential, non-judgmental help for CEOs and other high-level executives struggling with addiction and job stress.
One of the leading benefits of finding a rehab that caters to executives is that it allows you to retain the freedom to continue with your career goals, instead of putting your life on hold to focus on your recovery. Pillars Recovery has two beautiful, welcoming locations: Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. We provide individualized substance abuse treatment for young professionals who need a fresh start. Contact our compassionate staff to start your journey to health, healing and lifelong recovery.
