Finding the opportunity and courage to enroll in rehab can be among the biggest and challenging steps of recovery. Some fear the unknown of rehabilitation and processes such as detox and group sessions. Others hold a firm stance against rehabilitation because they cannot imagine a life without drugs or alcohol. But for some people, they feel trapped in their daily life with families to raise and jobs to attend to.
Nevertheless, despite these traps, there are solutions to seek rehab and jobs that will cover it. In fact, addiction treatment is legally covered by health insurance as a diagnosable medical condition. Whether or not you have all options available, there are multiple methods to seek the time and help needed.
Your Legal Rights
When hired for a job, employees are provided with several privileges and rights. Additionally, many written laws protect you from certain issues and problems, including those out of your control. This includes drug and alcohol addiction, which is classified as a medical condition.
As an employer, the company or supervisor you work for should honor some rights and protection for you. Your employer may provide an EAP, or Employee Assistance Program. An EAP is a program that assists in providing services that address many different emotional and psychological issues. These include but are not limited to:
- Stress
- Grieving
- Family problems
- Mental disorders
- Substance abuse
In the case that your employer does not provide the EAP, there is also the FMLA or Family & Medical Leave Act. This opportunity provides unpaid time off for up to 12 weeks and includes medical conditions such as substance abuse. While this time off is unpaid, the FMLA does not affect health insurance, making it a potentially safer option.
Paid Time Off
Benefits from your employer may vary from others, where some may provide an EAP while others do not. Perhaps you or your family cannot afford the unpaid time off from the FMLA. In such cases, utilizing your paid time off may be the best option.
Paid time off is a valuable resource for vacations or other occasions, but you may need to assess which is more important. By using paid time off, you can not only get the treatment you need but also earn needed resources. Having said that, not all employers provide paid time off and it varies from company to company. If you have it as a resource, however, you should absolutely consider it despite the potential sacrifices.
Outpatient Care
If your employer does not provide EPAs, FMLAs, or paid time off, other options still exist. While most professionals
go against opting out of inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment is still a hypothetical alternative. Outpatient treatment allows you to practice therapy, new exercises, diets, and receive professional help from home.
Unlike inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment allows for greater flexibility and the ability to maintain your current schedule. However, most professionals push for inpatient care because it is typically more effective for most addicts; nonetheless, this does not render outpatient care ineffective. Alternatively, there are also day treatment programs where you can schedule daytime for rehabilitation and return home in the evening. By scheduling your treatment around your routine, you can maintain your job and family life while also seeking help.
Despite the difficulty of seeking treatment and maintaining stability at the workplace and at home, there do exist several options. Each possibility has sacrifices, strengths, and weaknesses of their own. But by finding the best one for you, you can ensure the most effective and least stressful form of rehabilitation.
If you or a loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, contact a local Treatment & Rehab alternative in Tennessee. You might be interested in Discovery Place’s own treatment center alternatives, such as our 30 Day Residential Addiction Alternative Recovery Program or our Long Term Alternative Recovery Program in Burns, Tennessee. Call us for a free consultation at 1-800-725-0922.
