Chris has always been a great employee -- full of
energy, happy, and a hard worker. But lately, Chris’ co-workers have
noticed that something is wrong. Chris
. . . is late to work more often and is out sick a lot
. . . doesn’t pay attention and forgets things easily
. . . needs a lot of help with work and asks coworkers to cover up for
being late
. . . seems to make and receive a lot of personal calls
. . . avoids old friends in the office
. . . is always tired.
Chris’ coworkers are worried. Could Chris have
a problem with alcohol or other drugs?
marriage troubles?
a sick or dying parent?
a night job?
a spouse or child with an alcohol or drug problem?
As a matter of fact, Chris’ problem could be any of these.
So how can you tell if
someone has a problem with alcohol or other drugs?
The sudden appearance of unusual
behavior may be a sign of an alcohol or other drug problem.
If it is, you will probably notice that the behavior is getting worse.
Alcoholism and drug addiction are diseases that will get worse until they
are treated or until the person dies. Alcoholism and other drug addiction
affect the user’s health, behavior, and life. Look at these stages. Do
you see someone you know?
How to Help
When you enable, you allow a person to avoid the
negative results of using alcohol or other drugs.
If someone you know shows signs of alcohol or drug abuse, you may want to
help. But you need to know how. The best way to help a user face an alcohol or
other drug problem is to make sure you don’t ignore or cover up behaviors or
mistakes that result from the abuse or addiction. When you cover up for someone,
it is called enabling.
Some enablers are also codependent.
People who are codependent treat the user’s needs
as more important than their own because they want to please the user.
After a while, you may feel angry because the user takes advantage of your
patience and kindness.
Codependent people are often raised in addicted families, which puts them at
high risk for developing their own addictions. A codependent person may be
addicted to drugs, other people, work, sex, money, food, gambling . . . anything
to try to ease their emotional pain. If you are saying "not me,"
remember that people who enable and who are codependent are often in denial;
they will not admit that there is a problem.
Examples of Enabling
and
Codependency in the Workplace:
You offer to take on more than your fair share of the work because a
coworker is "going through a rough time" and is finding it hard
to get her work done on time.
A coworker who you suspect is high has caused an accident -- again. You
know that if the boss finds out, your coworker will be fired. You feel
sorry for him, so you cover for him by lying to the boss about how the
accident happened.
One of your employees seems to have a problem with alcohol; he is late a
lot, and sometimes in the morning or after lunch he comes in smelling like
alcohol. You convince yourself that it’s just a stage. You don’t want
to get him in trouble; he has a family, and besides, he’s a great worker
-- when he shows up.
Examples of Enabling
and Codependency in the Home:
You often find yourself covering up your wife’s alcohol use. Last
night, one of your neighbors saw you help her into the house; she was too
drunk to walk. The next day, you made a point of telling your neighbor
that your wife had gotten a horrible case of food poisoning last night and
needed you to help her into the house.
Your husband, Jim, was too hungover to get out of bed this morning, so you
called his boss and said that Jim would be out sick today. Now you are
worried because Jim’s boss sounded like he didn’t believe you and made
a comment that this is the fifth time this month that Jim has been out
"sick."
Your husband caught your 18-year-old son stealing cash from his business
and now wants to turn him into the police. You suspect he needed the money
to buy cocaine, but you ask your husband not to turn the boy in because
you believe he has learned his lesson.
If you ignore, excuse, or cover a user’s behavior while drinking or using
drugs, you are really just helping the user put off facing the problem -- that
the drinking or other drug use has become more important than the person’s job
or family.
Take Action
Confronting someone can be scary. Here are some common fears and some
reassuring facts:
Even if you are ready to confront someone, the person may not be ready to
listen. A user is in denial when he or she won’t admit that the problems are
due to drinking or other drug use. Users who are in denial may say things like:
"Who me? I don’t have a problem; you have the problem . . ."
"I couldn’t have a problem. I have a good job and hardly ever miss a
day."
"I could stop if I wanted to; I just don’t want to."
"You don’t know what you’re talking about."
"It’s none of your business."
For Family and Friends:
Remember that millions of people have been hurt by someone else’s alcohol
or other drug use. You are not alone. You can and should get help even if the
user won’t. There are lots of self-help groups for friends and family of
alcohol and other drug abusers. These groups can show you new ways to respond to
the user so you don’t feel as hurt or scared. And maybe when the user sees the
change in you, he or she may realize that it’s time to make some changes too.
A trained addictions counselor can help you arrange an intervention where
friends and family confront the user and encourage him or her to seek help.
For Coworkers:
Don’t let a drug-using coworker put your health, safety, or job in danger.
If you suspect that someone is using alcohol or other drugs on the job or is
coming to work high, don’t help the user avoid facing the con-sequences of his
or her behavior. If an impaired coworker threatens your safety, tell a
supervisor right away. If you see a coworker get high or deal drugs on the job,
report it to a supervisor as soon as you can. If a coworker asks you for help,
refer him or her to the help and hotlines listed below. If your company has an
employee assistance program (EAP), you may want to talk to an EAP counselor
about how to handle the coworker’s alcohol or other drug use.
Where to Find Help
National Hotlines
If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol or other drugs, call
these hotlines for free, confidential help.
The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s (CSAT) Drug Information,
Treatment, and Referral Hotline:
1-800-662-HELP
NarAnon
(310) 547-5800
Toughlove
1-800-333-1069
Families Anonymous
1-800-736-9805
Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National HIV/AIDS Hotline
1-800-342-2437
Parents Resource Institute for Drug-Free Education (PRIDE)
(404) 577-4500
Publications
The following list of readings can be ordered for free by calling the
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686:
Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide To Prevention Helping Your Child Say No To Alcohol And Other Drugs (Bilingual) Alcoholism Tends To Run In Families What You Can Do About Drug Use In America (Bilingual) How Getting High Can Get You AIDS
Ask for the telephone number of your State clearinghouse -- the RADAR Network
-- from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information.
More information about alcohol and other drug abuse can be ordered for a fee
from these publishers:
Hazelden Educational Materials: 1-800-328-9000
Health Communications: 1-800-851-9100
Parkside Publishing: 1-800-221-6364
Performance Resource Press: 1-800-453-7733
Also check your local library or bookstore.
Local Resources
Look in your local telephone book for these numbers:
Site Map
Help
Account
Cart
Home
So how can you tell if
someone has a problem with alcohol or other drugs?
The sudden appearance of unusual
behavior may be a sign of an alcohol or other drug problem.
