[quote=moneymaker]Don’t know if I know any drugs addicts that work a full time job, I suspect the only ones that do successfully are drug dealers, until they are caught. . .[/quote]You would be surprised, MM. Some addicts can pick up their work clothes at the cleaners and shirt laundry weekly and arrive to work mostly “on-time” and looking good. This can go on for years as long as they are “functional” and don’t have any physical or emotional setbacks which cause them to double up on their “pain” meds for a “crutch.” They are careful to keep their (pill) habit hidden from public view and not use as much while at work. It’s the binging weekends and vacations that often cause this group not to come back into work on Monday or the agreed upon date. And people who have been on the job with the same employer for years … even decades can likely perform their duties with their eyes closed or even a little bit high without being suspected. The telltale signs would be falling asleep at their desk or disappearing with no explanation in the middle of the biz day or calling in “sick” frequently with various lame excuses. These people are insidiously sliding into an abyss that they will never be able to climb out of without lengthy one-on-one professional help. Meanwhile, some of their physical function that you and I take for granted is slipping away from them, little by little. If you notice this and try to talk to them about it, they’ll claim the reason is because of something OTHER than their pain med, perhaps a side effect of another (non-narcotic or SSRI) med they’re taking and they can’t stop taking that or this will happen, blah, blah.
This whole downhill course is much shorter for the addict who is able to procure and sustain a 8-12 pill per day habit. This group usually becomes too disabled to hold down a job within a matter of weeks/months (as opposed to the employed addict who just binges 1 – 2 times per month or several times per year).
