We’ve been talking about quite a few occupations lately that run higher risks for substance abuse issues. This week, we’re going to take a look into the world of Sales. This is a popular career choice in America, but it can also come with a high price. It is one of the most stressful jobs someone can have.
There are endless reasons that a person may begin to abuse drugs or alcohol: family problems, poor upbringing, mental illness, etc. However, one of the most noted causes for a person to seek drug treatment is stress from the job. Many careers are stressful, and can cause anxiety or even lead to depression over time. However, some careers can have more of a mental or emotional impact on the employee. Careers in sales are the fourth most common type of employment seen among those who seek assistance through a drug rehabilitation center for substance abuse.
A career in sales involves many factors that could affect an employee in a negative way, leading to the desire to overindulge in a chosen substance. Many salespeople spend a great deal of time traveling, away from family and friends, in a place unfamiliar to them. This might lead a person to attend a bar or restaurant in their off hours, looking for some type of social interaction to curb the loneliness they may feel. Because alcohol is a social drug, it might allow the person to become more friendly, feeling more comfortable in an environment where they do not know anyone else. They may also indulge in drugs to make themselves more comfortable in a foreign environment. Over time, they may become dependent on these substances in order to maintain any sort of social interaction with others, often leading the person to need drug treatment to manage the problem. In severe cases, they may even necessitate treatment at a drug rehabilitation center in order to help them relearn how to interact socially without the aid of a substance.
Social drinking as part of the job is also a large component leading to necessary drug treatment among those in the sales career. Clearly, much of sales entails ‘wining and dining’ potential clients or investors. Many feel that the better the time that is had, i.e. the more alcohol or drugs that are consumed, the better their chances of landing a successful business deal. Unfortunately, this if often correct, as alcohol and drugs tend to numb the logical centers of the brain, leaving room for impulsive, and often reckless, decisions. Some of these reckless behaviors can even include sexual escapades, which opens up entirely new avenues of self destruction. Interestingly, much of the social drinking that occurs as part of the sales career is done during the day at lunch, reportedly as much as 80%. Thus, excessive drinking is often seen as just another part of a normal workday to a person in a sales career. Over time, the employee may need to seek drug treatment after developing dependence to the alcohol or other drugs. Often, because of factors such as embarrassment, fear of losing their position or even denial of their dependence, the employee will avoid seeking help from a drug rehabilitation center, leading to a longer, more severe addiction to their chosen substance.
Possibly the largest cause of overindulgence in alcohol or drugs among those in the sales career is pure stress from their position. Depending on what type of sales the person is employed in, things like pressure to meet sales goals, competition among coworkers, and the eventual pressure of working in a high-energy, number-driven environment may lead a person to seek drug treatment due to substance addiction. Because sales is such a competitive career, the employee may opt to not attend a drug rehabilitation center because it would cause them to lose headway at their job, leaving an opening for another person to come in and overshadow them. This fear of losing traction at work can lead to an even more serious addiction problem, furthering the necessity for drug treatment. Prolonged exposure to stress can have a severe effect on a person’s emotional and mental state, making them more susceptible to the negative consequences of stress on the job. This lessened immunity to stress may cause the person to search for ways to combat or deal with their feelings, or even to avoid acknowledging the feelings altogether. This is often when the face of initial drug or alcohol addiction makes itself known to those in the sales career – as an easy, although unhealthy, way to deal with the emotions related to their job.
There are so many options available to help a person in a sales career, or any person suffering from an addiction to alcohol or drugs, to effectively deal with the steps necessary to minimize the outcomes of their illness. Vista Taos Renewal Center, located in Taos, just north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, can offer you or your loved one seeking drug treatment the support, education, and treatment to reclaim a healthy lifestyle. Contact Vista Taos today to discover the ways in which a drug rehabilitation center can change your life for the better.
