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Drug and Alcohol Course -- Supervisors
Alcoholism, drug addictions, and addictive disease are generally interchangeable terms. Many alcoholics have used other drugs, legally prescribed or not, that are addictive.

Addictive disease or chemical dependency are terms used to help the public understand that any mood altering substance is off bounds for those recovering from addictive disease.

Addiction is a disease process and it is primary. Patients are therefore taught to manage their disease in order to prevent relapse in the same way diabetics are taught to manage their illness.

Use of alcohol or drugs begins with experimentation or peer pressure for almost any drinker. Physiologic susceptibility determines from that point the progression of the disease. But other factors can influence severity and course of the disease.

Additional Drug and Alcohol Course Content

Alcoholism declared a disease in 1957 by the American Medical Association.
Alcoholism declared a disease in 1956 by the World Health Organization.
Research demonstrates most people believe alcoholism (addiction) to be a disease, however, this belief does not contribute easily to self-diagnosis because of denial. Most people attempt to define alcoholism by behaviors (how much one drinks, when, or what).

Some occupations are characterized by more frequent opportunity to use alcohol socially or without observation. This is why higher rates of alcoholism can be expected in workforces that are predominantly male, or positions such as traveling sale forces. The opportunity to tax one�s susceptibility increases risk and the speed of onset.

Impact of myths (from the Drug and Alcohol Course) - maintaining stigma; avoiding EAP referral; blame and anger at addict, believing an employee should be terminated rather than helped, belief that is too late to help an employee (i.e.. �I don�t want to refer this employee, I want him fired!�)

Moralistic views of addicts inhibit their self-referral and increase stigma. The most common misconceptions are "willpower shortcomings" and "psychological explanations." Both fuel denial in anyone with the disease.

Personal experience with alcoholism ...

Your personal experience with alcoholism or addiction in your family contributes to beliefs about the illness, its treat-ability, and its cause. (This is important drug and alcohol course--see full preview for alcohol and drug course DOT longer format here.) content because incr)

Supervisors should understand that it difficult to change, even in face of facts and overwhelming research.

Insurance pays for medical problems. That�s why company insurance policies pay for treatment. That's why state governments usually require insurance companies to pay for alcoholism and drug addiction treatment in order to be licensed.

Alcoholism is a disease caused by consuming alcohol when there exists an inherited brain and liver chemistry that is without resistance to ethanol tolerance and abnormal metabolizing of alcohol.

Addiction is a highly treatable illness. Success rates consistently approach 70-80% with good follow up by EAPs and providers. Employees general recover well, and frequently become better than well. Some drug addictions are tougher to treat, like cocaine addiction.

Early action by supervisors in response to job performance problems increases the rate by which addicts are helped due to earlier referral to employee assistance programs.

Symptoms of addiction that the average untrained individual may easily associate with a drinking or drug problem may not appear in the workplace until 15-20 years after the diagnosis exists.

A history of strong contributions to the organization by the alcoholic or drug addict inhibits referrals to the EAP when problems emerge.

Fear Is Helpful Leverage
The fear of job loss is a powerful motivator to consider treatment. This is why EAPs have worked so well in getting employees into treatment. This leverage is frequently more powerful than fear of family breakup for the alcoholic or addict.

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. Instead, denial becomes a survival tool to avoid the belief that abstinence or treatment is necessary. At this point alcohol or drugs work too well and feel too good.

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.
Beverage alcohol is ethanol (or ethyl alcohol). Found in beverages, foods, and medicinal products.

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, although some drinkers experience a stimulant effect.

Employees with alcohol problems use three times as much sick leave and have workers� compensation costs that are five times higher than employees without alcoholism. Alcoholism contributes to lower productivity, lower morale, increased insurance costs, and fringe benefits use and abuse. Drug addiction figures prominently into all these statistical figures.

About 70% of the average workforce drinks alcohol to some degree. 10-11% of these drinkers are, or will become alcoholic. This equates to about 7% of the average workforce, but this addiction occurrence rate can vary from industry to industry based on a number of factors.

Loss of control is a hallmark of addiction and addictive disease. It means much more than going to a party and being unable to stop drinking once you stop, which is rare for even most alcoholics.

Social drinkers can consistently predict their ability to control all the factors shown above, including their decision to over use alcohol, or get drunk. Getting drunk does not mean your an alcoholic it simply means you abused alcohol (and yourself.) Here's something to think about: Getting drunk is a choice for the social drinker. It is a symptom of the disease for the alcoholic.

As the disease progresses, most alcoholics will eventually discover maintenance drinking. This is an attempt by the alcoholic to consume alcohol at a rate and frequency capable of helping him or her maintain a certain blood alcohol level to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol or drug addicts with job problems who are in denial about their addiction are often convinced that other problems cause their job performance shortcomings. Such employees are able to convince the supervisor that these other problems are primary.

This is the first step toward prolonged toleration of performance problems by supervisors. They become convinced they understand the employee�s problems and begin to accommodate tolerate these problems as they grow worse. (Spouses of alcoholics do the same thing.)

Denial is a defense mechanism that works hand-in-hand with myths and misconceptions about addiction. Denial is used to avoid awareness and is reinforced by others who are willing to participate in it.

By the time an employee�s alcohol or drug problem affects the work situation, he or she usually knows there is a fuzzy relationship between life�s problems and the alcohol or drug use. This, however, does not mean the addict will talk about it or is self-diagnosed. Far from it. Still, this reality is what makes referral and treatment possible. An addict does not have to want help in order for it to work. Motivation to accept help comes in the treatment period as a result of re-education and self-diagnosis.

Sample: Drug and Alcohol Course: Reasonable Suspicion Training Education Module

Sample: Drug and Alcohol Course: Alcohol and Drug Course Education Module