Sponsor Content

Treating Your Addiction While Staying Connected to Your Career

Photo Credit: Getty Images

For working professionals suffering from addiction, it might seem impossible to seek help without disengaging from your daily life. But thanks to the Executive Program at Caron Treatment Centers, you can receive individualized treatment and get the help you need without halting your career.

The Executive Program at Caron’s Pennsylvania campus offers addiction rehabilitation and behavioral health treatment for executives who need to maintain some connection to the outside world.

“This program really tailors to a smaller community,” says Samantha Smith, Clinical Supervisor for the Executive Program at Caron. “It works for business owners with a lot of people reporting to them, or someone working on Wall Street or an attorney that is unable to completely leave their work environment.”

Smith says most of the clientele have “high bottoms,” meaning they didn’t have to fall far before seeking treatment.

“They’re not facing things like losing a job or financial ruin,” says Smith. “They are fortunate to have a lot of options. They have the opportunity to shop around for treatment.”

However, Smith says that doesn’t discredit their disease, but instead creates more of a need for a program that suits their lives and meets them where they are.

“Many alumni have said if this program didn’t exist, they wouldn’t be able to come to treatment,” says Smith. “They really appreciate being in a community with like-minded people with similar circumstances. If they were in a unit with a 20-year-old opiate addict that was homeless living on the street, it’s harder for them to relate. For their recovery, they can’t compare themselves to other situations. They need that sense of camaraderie within their group.”

In aiding clients with facing temptation outside of the program, Smith says the group will go on sober outings in familiar environments, like eating dinner at a steakhouse or hitting the golf course, all without drinking.

“For a lot of these individuals, life, leisure and work are all very much mixed together and alcohol is a large part of entertaining clientele,” says Smith. “It really saturates what they do for a living. We like to immerse them in experiences that they’ll be exposed to once they’re out of treatment.”

Located in a historic mansion in Wernersville, Pa., the core of the Executive Program uses comprehensive and personalized behavioral healthcare solutions to transform clients lives from a medical, psychological and spiritual perspective.

“We want to treat the person in their entirety,” says Smith. “They’ll have massage and yoga while they’re here. They’re also encouraged to see a nutritionist and use the gym.”

Clients are allowed to utilize cell phones and bring laptops and tablets during their stay; instead of a hindrance, Smith says, technology acts as a helpful tool in working towards recovery.

“By allowing them access to technology, we can assess how much work they’re doing and start a conversation about possible stress factors and how they can manage their workload around their addiction,” says Smith.

Smith says clients are still asked to hand over their electronic devices during therapeutic activities, which can help them realize their dependency on staying connected.

“We can analyze the habitual anxiety associated with technology during these times,” says Smith. “They’ll reach for their pocket without thinking or imagine a vibration from the missing phone. We’re able to show them in those moments how much they rely on their devices.”

Smith says being able to connect with family members and friends is also essential. Clients can seek support outside the group or reach out to loved ones to make amends during crucial steps in their recovery. This can open a discussion about family issues and relationships related to an individual’s addiction.

Clients have full discretion for the program; they can decide how much information they want to divulge to their employer or employees. Smith recommends having at least one or two people that are aware of the recovery process so they can aid clients in the transition back to daily life, but Caron doesn’t make any related requirements for disclosure.

“We want them to at least have somebody that knows and can help them during the reentry period so they can take a lunch break or cut a meeting short to get to an A.A. meeting,” says Smith. “But they know their organizations and who they can trust and speak to with open honesty. We just want to advocate forming those relationships by choice.”

A key component in treatment is targeting the traits that have both boosted careers and fostered addiction.

“There seems to be a pervasive personality style prevalent in this particular clientele. It helped them become successful, but also fueled the disease,” says Smith. “This specific population has created an accountability that helps sustain them in active addiction. They have a lot of people they can delegate work to or they could be traveling or working from home often. They’re able to pretend that everything is fine without a lot of eyes on them. We have them identify specific personality traits that may become pitfalls in long-term sobriety so they’re mindful of them.”

Because of the amount of human interaction in their jobs, Smith says the Executive Program clients are more capable of detecting when people are being disingenuous. They’re grateful for the services at Caron because of the individualized attention, caring personnel and the opportunity to bond with like-minded people.

“Our clients connect with us and appreciate our ability to deliver what we say we’re going to deliver,” says Smith. “Addiction is really non-discriminatory. It impacts every walk of life, age, demographic and profession. These people, just like everybody else, have their own demons they need to confront. If we can get them to understand that they can’t do this alone, that’s a great first step.”

The Executive Program at Caron Treatment Centers will give you the comprehensive care you deserve and the privacy you require. For more information about this program and to take that next crucial step, click here. For information on other specialized services offered at Caron, visit caron.org.