Can I Go to Rehab and Keep Working? What to Expect in Rehab for Executives

Unique Executive Rehab Experiences

You can still have fun in recovery. Some rehab centers offer intriguing activities that you may already enjoy or want to try. As a busy professional, you may not have had time to engage in hobbies. Rehab might give you a chance to explore these other interests. And in fact, it’s important to incorporate hobbies into your healing process. Doing things you enjoy boosts your mood, and that happiness can promote recovery.²

“Recovery is hard,” says Bettina B. Hoeppner, a scientist and associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. “For the effort to be sustainable, positive experiences need to be attainable along the way.”

Rehab for Adventure Lovers

You can still get outside during the rehab process. Plenty of rehab centers offer adventure activities for patients. You’ll find All Points North Lodge in the mountains of Vail, Colorado. This rehab center takes full advantage of the outdoor playground in this adventurous destination. Patients can go skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and hiking in the warmer seasons.

Rehab for Golf Enthusiasts

Capo by the Sea has a Golf Drug Rehab program specifically for executives. During this 2-week accelerated detox treatment plan, patients can play golf at the following courses:

• Monarch Beach Golf Links, an oceanfront golf course
• Bella Colina, set amongst shimmering lakes and rolling hills
• Talega Golf Club, a golf course nestled in the San Clemente slopes

Rehab for People Interested in the Arts

You can explore your artistic side in rehab. Some programs offer art therapy or music therapy. This isn’t just for people who identify as artists and musicians. In fact, creativity in this context is much more about the process than the end result. Making art reduces stress and anxiety,³ and allows you to access parts of your heart, mind, and past experiences that may not be as responsive to talk therapy. Whether you’re painting a landscape, writing a story, or playing an instrument, creative expression can be a powerful tool for releasing stuck emotions.

Taking Time off to Attend Rehab

The best decision for you might be to press pause on work and focus on healing. If this is the case, you should talk to your employer. And if you need to discuss this with your boss, requesting time off work to go to rehab may be more feasible than you think.

If you are the boss, know that while feeling undeserving of time off is a typical trait of burnout, you can and should reclaim your right to a work-life balance. Taking days off of work is incredibly important. And it’s not just necessary for your health—people actually increase their productivity after returning from time off.⁴ This can set an example for your employees too. It’s just as important for them to take breaks. This allows them to avoid burnout, feel less exhaustion, and return to work with a more positive mood. So if you’re second-guessing your need for treatment, remind yourself that taking a step back doesn’t mean things will fall apart—and it can actually do more good than harm.

Rehab Can Benefit Your Mental Health

The pressure to be successful can be exhausting. Your passion for work can help you achieve your wildest dreams. But it can also undermine your mental health.

Stress is rampant in the executive world.⁵ This constant push to grow, produce, and get ahead can contribute to addiction and other co-occurring disorders. For example, depression is also common amongst executives.⁶ CEO depression rates are often twice the national average. There are many reasons why high achievers tend to get depressed,⁷ such as high competition, constant comparison, and less time for simple pleasures, just to name a few.

If you suspect that you have multiple mental health diagnoses, there is help. In rehab, health professionals will screen and treat you for your conditions. Many rehab centers even specialize in treating people with dual diagnoses. This allows you to address substance and mental health issues simultaneously, which is hugely important to recovery from this complex combination.

Recovery Doesn’t End When You Finish Rehab

Professionals often prioritize work over themselves. Because of this, they can benefit from attending a rehab center with a robust aftercare program.

Continuing care is necessary for people with a substance or alcohol use disorder.⁸ About 40-70% of people in this category relapse in the first 6 months after leaving residential rehab. Research suggests that aftercare is especially helpful for people at a greater risk of relapse.⁹ And, a longer duration of aftercare with more engaging activities is better than shorter, less involved programs. One study found, for example, that aftercare programs of at least 12 months with more frequent interventions were best. Any length of continuing care is better than nothing at all, but you may want to consider this when comparing programs.

Learn more about this in our article on continuing care after rehab.

Finding Balance for a Fulfilling Life

In rehab, you’ll have the opportunity to restructure your routine. Learning to take a more balanced approach to work and place the focus back on your personal life makes recovery more sustainable.

This is your chance to redefine what success means to you.

And moving forward, this means making time for your needs too.

To learn more about how to make recovery work for you, check out our executive rehab guide to compare facilities.

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