When Employees Become Aware of Addiction

Learning how to address job performance with an employee that may be struggling with addiction is key in alcohol and drug awareness training. Most employees, by the time job performance is affected, have some unspoken awareness that alcohol or drugs plays some role in their personal problems. However, they are not self-diagnosed as addicts by this awareness and denial will become a survival tool to avoid the belief that abstinence or treatment is necessary. When the employee becomes aware of the addiction, dependency to relieve withdrawal symptoms (frequently mistaken as "stress and anxiety") is so strong that the thought of treatment creates enormous anxiety and fear for the addict.