The model of a successful entrepreneur is all about working hard, building a business and putting in long hours to make it go. Addictions, however, can become part of the mix due to the culture of entrepreneurship which includes long hours, stress and coping with how to keep a business going. Entrepreneurship is both emotionally and physically exhausting, so it is not surprising entrepreneurs have challenges with addiction.
Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis is hitting everyone hard. If you are an entrepreneur, you may have seen friends and colleagues struggle. It hits white collar business men and women especially hard as well as entrepreneurs and people who have start up businesses. The government is investigating the opioid crisis as it relates to opioid prescriptions across the United States. Trying to stem the tide of the opioid crisis will take many resources to ensure success for the long term.
Why Entrepreneurs Are Vulnerable
Entrepreneurs are particularly susceptible to the ravages of opioid addiction for many reasons. Opioid abuse reduces productivity and disability along with costing insurance companies millions of dollars. Entrepreneurs are vulnerable because of the prevalence of long work hours and stress which can lend itself to using drugs to maintain the pace. Some entrepreneurs do hands on work which can cause lots of pain including construction workers, flooring installers and others who struggle with knee and joint pain. Addiction can take hold rather quickly when opioids are prescribed. Once tolerance builds, addiction is not far behind and it can take a toll on the entrepreneur, the family, colleagues and the business. Everything can be at risk of falling apart when opioid addiction comes into the picture. Doctors and medical professionals are particularly susceptible as their jobs are highly physical with extremely long shifts and stressful circumstances. When pain hits, it can be tempting to write oneself a prescription for painkillers, steal from an employer or seek out more drugs any way possible once addiction kicks in. Some pharmacies do not pay attention to how much someone is buying so it can be easy to avoid detection-until a person gets caught. This can result in prosecution, bankruptcy, and losing everything the entrepreneur worked hard to build.
Beating Addiction
True entrepreneurial success is a matter of enriching the soul and doing what a person loves while making money doing it. An entrepreneur is at a higher risk of abusing opioids due to the nature of owning a business, but there is hope that if people struggle under the weight of addiction, there is still a way out. Seeking help from loved ones and friends can help propel a person to get help before everything falls apart.
Prescription drug abuse is at an all time high across the US, especially due to the high number of pills being prescribed. Clinicians at Oceanfront focus on bringing causes of addiction to the surface and work to support recovery in a safe, healing environment. Call us at 877-279-1777 to learn about our programs for opioid and prescription drug addiction.
