For years, you led a double life, and no one knew about it. Not even your spouse. As a well-respected physician, you helped people, did your best to solve their health problems and guided them through their most challenging journeys. But you also had a substance abuse problem. It did not affect your job, or so you thought.
The signs were there, though. Irritability, changes in personality, difficulty with work-related matters, having trouble getting along with colleagues, and sloppiness in your work. It all came crashing down when a fellow physician uncovered an egregious error on your part, and quickly remedied it. You have been exposed as an alcoholic and prescription drug addict. Now, the Texas Medical Board intervenes, and you face disciplinary action and the loss of your professional license.
Understand you have a problem and act
Now, you need help resuscitating your career. After years of dedication, you are not ready to abandon your career or let someone take it away from you. However, now you understand that the work-related stress overcame you. Fearful that you colleagues would find out about your substance dependency, you attempted to deal with it yourself.
But now you are backed into a corner. Retaining your license or getting reinstated after you lose your license is a priority. You need to take the steps toward recovery and show that you are sincere in getting a second chance. But you must understand that this second chance really is your last chance.
Here are some of the options that you should consider:
- Enrolling in drug awareness courses.
- Seeking treatment and therapy for substance abuse issues by working with counselors and therapists.
- Volunteering in community service efforts by using your health care skills to help others or any other volunteer project.
These are among the necessary steps you need to take to restore you career, reputation and personal life. Regaining the trust of so many others is essential. By forging an essential path, you are on your way toward recovery, emerging like a phoenix in the next phase of your career.