Addiction Recovery and Jobs That Require Travel

Addiction recovery starts with intensive therapy and continues for months, years or even a lifetime in the form of ongoing counseling, support and accountability. Individuals in recovery who have jobs that require travel will face extra temptations and challenges to their sobriety, but with the proper strategic preparation they can maintain their recovery on the road.

The Ongoing Power of Psychological Addiction

Addiction changes the psychological function of the brain in substantial and often permanent ways. In order to recover from their addiction people must find new ways to cope with anxiety, temptations and other stressors. Then they must repeatedly choose to use these new behaviors and thought patterns instead of those related to addiction.
Part of the brain always remembers addiction. One of the psychological effects of addiction is that the addict may remember only the good times and fun from their substance abuse days and not the pain, loneliness, fear and shame. Thus another aspect of recovery is never allowing the mind to obsess over faulty or incomplete memories. Strong aftercare programs help recovering addicts stay clean by reminding them of the truth of their disease. It only takes one drink or one hit for that addiction to reappear in force. For some people this struggle to maintain sobriety lasts the rest of their lives, but their ability to resist the temptations becomes increasingly strong as time goes by.

Addiction Relapse Risks of the Road

The challenges for recovering addicts who must travel include the following:

• Removal from people who will hold them accountable for their time and actions
• Relatively anonymous access to substances
• Loneliness and isolation are strong relapse triggers
• The idea that one drink or one hit won’t hurt and that no one will ever know

Relapse is an unfortunately common part of recovery, but in a home environment, surrounded by friends and loved ones who know about your addiction and recovery, any stumbles can be quickly noticed and corrected. On the road, away from caring eyes, an addict can move from one small error into a full relapse.

Protecting Addiction Recovery While Traveling

The following are strategic and tactical actions a recovering addict can take to prevent relapse on the road:

• Maintain regular contact with your sponsor, sobriety coach and sober friends back home
• Find 12-step and other group recovery programs in the area to which you are travelling
• Fill idle time with healthy activities such as exercise, reading and meaningful conversations
• Practice sobriety skills such as meditation, relaxation and spiritual exercises
• Avoid triggering locations such as bars, clubs and lounges

Recovery Support as Close as Your Phone

If you are struggling with your recovery while traveling, please call our toll-free helpline. A live person will talk with you, encourage you and connect you with recovery resources. The call is confidential and free, so you have nothing to lose. Call now.