Burnout and Substance Abuse in Executives

Stress, Job Burnout and Substance Abuse

Burnout and addiction can happen to anyone and in any field of work. It is defined as physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that is stemming from high executive stress and enormous burden within a workplace that has gone on for an extended period of time. While executive stress is often a natural part of any workplace or work commitment, there is a time for individuals when the stress becomes too unbearable to manage which leads to burnout. As you reach this point of complete exhaustion and begin to lose motivation and willpower to continue on with your responsibilities and commitments, it is common for individuals to look for ways to cope with the executive stress and exhaustion through methods of release including substance abuse. 

The lifestyle of an executive is one that is busy and demanding. There are protective factors that actually contribute to burnout. You have the enormous burden to have deadlines to adhere to, clients to appease, and a reputation to maintain. With the added pressure of having to uphold the company’s success through your executive position, it is easy to feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. The longer you feel the compounding pressure and stress from your high net worth, executive position, the more likely you are to feel significant burnout from your position and look for ways to manage your executive stress and release the tension and negativity through drugs or alcohol use. 

Signs of Executive Burnout

Executive or professionals experiencing burnout often displays itself through the following common signs and indicators: 

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How Burnout Leads to Substance Abuse and Addiction

When executives feel the stress and expectations placed upon them within their career, it can quickly become overwhelming trying to uphold a certain reputation that excels within your position. As the stress continues to build and expectations become higher the longer you are in your position, it leaves many looking for a way to manage the executive stress and unpleasant feelings through substance abuse. What starts off as an innocent way to mitigate stress can quickly lead executives down a path to substance use disorders.  Addiction treatment for executives often needs to include dual diagnosis treatment as many high profile individuals will turn to substance use as a way to self-medicate other co-occurring mental health issues. This allows patients the opportunity to learn new methods of coping with their co-occurring mental health issues that use healthy, natural methods of coping with stress and triggers while getting to the bottom of the underlying causes for your drug and alcohol addiction. 

Why Self Medicating With Drugs and Alcohol Doesn’t Work

While your intentions of self-medicating with drugs and alcohol are meant to be a temporary fix for a problem that has been happening for a long time, more often than not, individuals find themselves opening up the doors to other stressors as you develop substance use disorders. 

Self-medicating will create further barriers and challenges as the more your substance abuse develops and increases the more executives begin to notice a drastic shift in maintaining your lifestyle and upholding prior commitments. Executives engaging in alcohol or drug abuse often find themselves unable to follow through with responsibilities within the workplace and at home, decrease in productivity and motivation, and a loss of connection with those around them. In order to treat your executive burnout and drug and alcohol addiction, you will need the comprehensive addiction treatment methods offered within executive rehab. Through the various substance abuse treatment programs offered, patients are able to identify what is at the core of their addiction while gaining the skills for relapse prevention to move towards a life in sobriety with them and their loved ones.

Addiction Treatment for Executives 

Exclusive Hawaii Rehab provides the top tier for addiction treatment that is targeted to provide executive patients with an addiction recovery experience that honors your need for privacy and discretion. Our facility is located within the stunning location of Hawaii on a private 30-acre estate that overlooks the pacific ocean. Our addiction recovery center has been specifically designed to be paparazzi-proof to ensure that your substance use disorders program is kept confidential within our walls. Your addiction recovery journey is personal and our team honors your personal journey to recovery throughout your stay with us. Contact Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today to find out more about the individualized substance abuse treatment programs that are offered to executives to effectively and safely heal from the pains of addiction along with the symptoms of burnout to achieve a life that is satisfying and happy within sober living.