Are Remote Workers Becoming More Addicted?
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Covid-19 pandemic flipped the world upside down. Things changed immensely, and companies introduced remote-working options to prevent the world from being completely shut down. Remote working has had a lot of benefits now since people now have a more flexible routine, can relax more, and can attend meetings and conferences from their homes.
However, concerns are being raised regarding the worsening of addictions in remote workers. Since the pandemic, more people have been seeking addiction treatment. New Jersey has highly reliable treatment centers that have attested to this fact.
While more people calling for treatment and getting help is a great thing, it is also alarming since it does mean that more people have been using drugs as well.
This begs the question: Is chemical dependency increasing in people who work from home? Let’s look at some of the reasons.
Easier to Hide Problems at Home
People are at their comfiest at their home. Whatever problems someone faces, they will find it easier to hide it at home than bring it up in front of friends and co-workers. This is also true for substance abuse.
Whether the addiction is alcohol or amphetamines, people usually hide their substances of choice at home. When they spend more time at home, they are closer to those substances than when they’re in the office. Naturally, many people cave in to their desires and often end up over-indulging.
When people are in a social environment such as their offices, amongst co-workers, and office friends, one might notice changes in a person’s behavior and attribute it to addiction. They may even get the user to confide in them which could enable them to get the help they want.
This factor is not present at home and people often don’t even realize when they are getting addicted to something.
Isolation and Loneliness Harbors Addiction
Remote work has increased loneliness in people too. They get to look at a computer screen and work all day instead of being around co-workers and chatting them up during lunch break. This is especially true for people who live alone or have a tense environment at home. This way, home can often become a triggering environment, and the stress of working in the same environment can worsen the addiction issues.
Therefore, many people often turn to drugs and alcohol to soothe their nerves, which can cause them to become addicts or worsen their addiction. Substance abuse can affect their performance at work as well.
More Opportunities at Home
People addicted to different substances will find many opportunities to indulge in their substance of choice when they are at home. They will be in closer proximity to drugs and alcohol if they keep them at home, and their cravings might cause them to give in at any point of the day.
Other than that, no matter how badly you are craving something, it isn’t easy to find time and opportunities to indulge when you are at work. If nothing, the fear of the consequences will be enough for you to wait for the right time for doing it. After all, the boss can fire someone who has been seen drinking at work.
At home, these barriers are lifted, and you have opportunities all day long. Many people take advantage of these opportunities and continue with their habits.
Work-Life Balance is Thrown Out
When remote work was not common, people had fixed timings for work and home. Studies have shown that people have been attending more meetings and conferences ever since remote work was normalized than they were before. Therefore, people are finding it hard to maintain a balance in their lives.
This imbalance often negatively impacts people’s mental health, and they find it hard to cope with it normally. Therefore, they often turn to substance abuse and addictions to help them get through the day.
Conclusion
Remote work gives people more opportunities and reason to turn to their addictions. While this might not always be the case, remote workers find it hard to cope with addictions. Find help with addiction treatment, New Jersey, today by calling us at 1 (888)-825-8689[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]