One facet of staying on track in early recovery is to stay as busy as possible. Idle time is rarely a good thing for anyone’s life; but, for people in recovery, unoccupied time is often disastrous. Those who establish a routine after treatment are exceedingly more likely to continue on the path of progress and healing.
For most people who go through treatment, counselors impress upon them the importance of both accountability and responsibility. In many respects, such mentors of early recovery are referring to attending meetings, working with a guide like a sponsor, and keeping in close contact with support group peers. Regular phone call check-ins and being present at meetings are two ways of staying accountable to someone other than yourself. In recovery, lasting progress depends on being answerable to other people. The people in your support network will share with you how to strengthen your program or tell you if it seems like you are losing sight of the mission.
While recovery work is vital to your daily routine and making long-term progress, no one can be at a meeting every waking hour. Calling your sponsor and recovery peers will take up some time, but there are many available hours in every day. A significant number of individuals working a program of recovery get out of treatment and are encouraged to find employment. While some people will go back to their previous job, many were unemployed, or they have to get out of the line of work they were in previously. Having a job will not only put money in your pocket, but it will also help fill up a significant chunk of time that would have otherwise been spent idle.
Working for Recovery
In early recovery, the first job you find is preferably one that is low stress. Tension and strain aren’t good for anyone’s program, so if you are looking for employment consider the particular impact lines of work might have on your sobriety. Hopefully, your counselors gave you some guidance before you left treatment; many treatment centers include vocational training in their core curriculum. Those who stay local after rehab may get job placement assistance. You may even find a job working with others in the program, a bonus to be sure. You can work your shift and then hit a meeting with your co-workers afterward.
There are even some employers around the country that are dedicated to hiring people in recovery. Such businesses understand that those climbing out of the depths of addiction need support, they also know that sober people can actually be more punctual and attentive than those not in recovery. One example of the above is the DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky. It turns out that all 25 employees working at DV8 are in recovery, The Daytona Daily News reports. Restaurant purveyors, Rob and Diane Perez, contend that securing employment for recovering addicts is vital for the community.
“The message that we have for business people is, ‘Hey we’ve gone out there. We’ve hired people in recovery. We’re having really great success,’” said Perez. “Why don’t you hire just one person?’ Perez adds that, “Nothing is going to change unless people and commerce start to try to figure out how to be part of the solution.”
Other aspects of DV8 that are unique include:
- They don’t do dinner service, so employees can get to recovery meetings.
- Employee tips are not paid in cash but are added to paychecks instead.
- Each Tuesday, guest speakers share with employees about prioritizing health and wellness, financial responsibility, teamwork, and mindfulness.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
At Hope By The Sea, we place significant emphasis on vocational and life skills and furthering one’s education. We understand that clients having options after treatment is of the utmost importance. Please contact us today to understand better how we prepare clients for maintaining a program of recovery after treatment, and learn how the miracle of recovery can be yours too.
