It’s interesting to me that when drug use and addiction is discussed, it seems the homeless are the main topic of conversation. It’s as if addiction does not affect those in the mainstream of society and in the workplace.

Its a very misguided assumption and simply not the case at all. My many years of working with many different kinds of employers and developing drug policies as required by law was a dose of reality many were not prepared for.

As a result I have decided to give some examples that I have personally been involved in. Sometimes these stories come from families. Sometimes they come from family or workplace interventions.

I was thinking about where to start and what would be the most informational in understanding the functioning addict. There are ones that have families, work, nice homes and cars, take vacations and generally have a “perfect” life. Except for a dirty little secret, that is. Their addictions become their lifestyle. Many have no mental illness or trauma. So I decided to start with a physician.

I will just refer to him as “he.” He was raised in a nice stable family. His father was a physician and his mother a teacher. No family drama. He always had his family’s support in whatever he chose to do. He excelled in sports. He was a straight A student. He grew up in a family that most of his peers did not. He was admired by his teachers, his two younger siblings and most others he came in contact with.

After he graduated from high school he applied to a well-known university and was accepted. Unsure of what degree he would pursue he decided to follow his fathers footsteps and become a physician. No problem getting through college or medical school. He was unsure of what specialty to pursue, but once he decided he did his residency which was an additional four years. Which he nailed, of course. I am not going to divulge what specialty because it really doesn’t matter for this story.

He was a very sought-after physician and had many offers to relocate. He decided to take a position in a medium-sized town and was on staff at the local hospital.

He met his wife there, married and had two children. Life was good.

Until, that is, he started taking opioids for a back injury from high school. And he liked it. He liked how it made him feel. The more “feeling good” the state, the more he needed to take to maintain that feeling. He had plenty of access to opiates. The start of drug use for pain led to his addiction. It was no longer about pain, but the high he got.

How was this find this discovered? As his addiction progressed he would show up late to see his patients or sometimes not at all. His speech became erratic and slurred. He would nod off frequently. His behavior became unacceptable. His colleagues and family were concerned. Never did they think he was an addict. He did not look like “a drug addict.” He was a professional and “above” that kind of thing. He was reported to the medical board as a last option.

After an investigation, his addiction was discovered and he was placed on probation for two years. He agreed to that, and he agreed to random drug testing and supervision by another physician. He was not allowed to prescribe schedule three medications because they have a high potential for abuse.

Did he complete his probation? Did he relapse? Did he turn to other drugs? Were his patients aware of his probation? Did he harm any patient as a result of his addiction? Did he lose his family? Is he still practicing? Did he relocate?

All good questions. And I have the answers.

This is only one story. I’ve seen so many others from all kinds of employment. Not just men, but women as well. Many are in the workforce.

Addiction does not discriminate. Many start with marijuana, usually in their early teens. Some progress to other drugs and the lifestyle that comes with it. Alcohol is involved, as my experience has been polydrug abuse. Often many substances are abused at one time. Many street drugs do not show up on a drug test, so it is difficult to treat an addict as they often don’t remember what and when they have used.

Any story or information I share is based on my real life experiences, as I call it with addiction and mental illness. It is my personal opinion and important to have discussions about topics that are not easily addressed.

Addiction is not a bad word, but is judged as one. In the workplace in particular, patterns of behavior can be an indication to refer an employee to your employee assistance program for a professional and confidential evaluation. It is not our place to diagnose.