Overcoming workplace addiction is a collective responsibility for all staff

Overcoming workplace addiction: Helping colleagues struggling with substance abuse

When it comes to helping a colleague struggling with substance abuse, you may be mistaken for trying to fix your coworker for your own selfish reasons. This is highly possible because in many institutions drug abuse is a violation of rules and summary dismissal is the ultimate remedy. Because of this many may choose just to watch their colleague sink into destruction. Nonetheless, is this really the best you can do as your contribution to overcoming workplace addiction? According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD there are better ways of approaching issues of this magnitude. And to help us in addressing this, we are going to be engaging the services of doctor Akoury as we progress into the discussion.

Overcoming workplace addiction: Identifying drug addiction in workstation

Ideally, anyone who knows what drug missus is will only need to make a simple observation to notice that a colleague is struggling with drugs use. This is so because this will be manifested in certain behaviors at the workplace that indicate the existence of a looming problem. The signs may be diverse and many including consistent absenteeism at work or being late, not getting work done, being belligerent or a wide range of other behavioral issues. Having the knowledge of some of these behaviors is very important if you were to impact positively in the life of your colleague. Such behaviors may include hyperactive or manic activity, slurring speech, neglect of personal hygiene, acting paranoid, overreacting to correction or suggestions, ignoring others and confusion.

Besides these issues, if you have a coworker who is a drug addict, there is a great danger not just for himself or herself but also to the fellow colleagues at the workstation. This is because such colleagues are up to five times more likely to cause an accident at workstation than one who is not using any drug. From the available statistics experts at AWAREmed Health Center are in agreement that many effects of drug abuse on society and drugs play a role in an estimated 40% of all on-the-job worker fatalities. What these statistics communicates is that it is very important to recognize potential co-worker drug abuse to protect the safety of everyone who works with him or her.

It, therefore, means that the fear of keeping quiet on account of your friend being sacked because their drug use at workstation is a violation of the organization’s policies can be very disastrous because the consequences may be very fatal. In the line of that, let’s get to some specific action points if you have a coworker who is a drug addict. The question you should first address would be how should you respond in such circumstances? And what are some of the options you have when you believe co-worker drug abuse is occurring? Stay tuned and invite a friend on the link as we explore on these facts in our next posting together so that we can deliver safety in all our workstations and beyond. In the meantime, for all your concerns over this matter, you may want to call doctor Akoury for quick professional assistance.