Drug and Alcohol Awareness: The Impact of Drug Screenings

Have you ever seriously wondered if an employee possibly has a drinking problem or are an alcoholic? This is one question that will help supervisors decide whether an employee needs a more complete evaluation to examine their alcohol use and to rule out the diagnosis. Even if the answer to the question is yes or no, supervisors should encourage employees to consider getting a screening to rule the diagnosis of alcoholism. The response to this question from social drinkers, those who drink but do not have alcoholism, may vary because they usually do not seriously consider this question.During the alcohol screening the employee  should expect to be interviewed and screened by  professional counselors to help them more closely examine their drinking experiences.Since denial is a roadblock to treatment, those who drink should participate in screenings to detect alcoholism like other chronic diseases.

Drug and Alcohol Awareness: Understanding Alcoholism

Alcoholism is not a “will power” problem. It is not a character issue and it is not learned. Alcoholism is a recognized medical illness acquired by those susceptible to it, who begin drinking for the same reasons as most people do. Alcohol is a drug, and susceptibility to alcohol addiction has strong hereditary factors that have been extensively researched. Alcoholism is not an “equal opportunity” illness. Some people who drink will never experience problems with alcohol, while others will drink alcoholically almost immediately.

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.