The “Other” Addictions: Sometimes Invisible, But Still Impactful

When people think of addictive behaviors, they almost always think of drug or alcohol abuse, or tobacco usage. For employers, there are clear reasons to make sure employees and their family members get the help they need for these addictions, due to the increased medical costs and associated health and work issues these addictions bring, including impacts on attendance and productivity.

However, there are many other forms of addictive behavior which can be just as costly, both directly and indirectly, to employers and employees, alike. These include:

• Excessive Gambling
• Internet & Online Gaming Addiction
• Binge Eating
• Compulsive Shopping or Spending
• Obsessive Exercise
• Sex Addiction

The problem with these addictions is that, unlike drug, alcohol or tobacco, which tend to be easier to detect, especially when the level of usage becomes problematic, some of these other addictions can be almost invisible until they've spun out of control.

Far-Reaching Impacts—and Costs

People struggling with these addictions often go to great pains to prevent others from knowing the cause or extent of their problems, until the consequences become evident.

• A compulsive gambler's wife may see distracted behavior, ATM withdrawals and long absences from home and jump to the conclusion that her husband is having an affair—rather than spending every minute and dime he has at the casino.
• An online game-addicted teen may seem like a super diligent student until the bad grades or teacher notes start coming home.
• Binge eaters often eat in private and explain their weight gain as hormonal or genetic—or, if bulimic, purge the excess food so no weight is gained.

Family and friends of the addicted person may experience confusion, anger and self doubt as they try to figure out what's going on.

At work, the consequences might be more subtle—but, sometimes not:

• Eating disorders can affect mood, energy level—and have significant health consequences resulting in multiple medical issues and sometimes lengthy in-patient hospitalizations. Binge eating is associated with obesity which, in turn, is being linked to increasing numbers of acute and chronic medical conditions.
• Gambling—whether in casinos or online—and shopping addictions can result in enormous levels of financial distress which, in turn can have impacts on productivity and even a greater temptation to embezzle or steal, as several cases in the news have demonstrated.
• Many of these activities can be engaged in online—and at work, which not only eats into employee productivity, but may compromise a company's security vulnerabilities depending on the sites that are visited.

Even if the addict is not the employee, themselves, these types of addictions can still create enormous suffering, stress and anxiety. Data around online gaming and gambling, alone, show that a growing number of teens are engaging in these behaviors—and becoming hooked, with often disastrous consequences.

We Can Help

Our work with addiction does not stop at drugs and alcohol. Our counselors can help employees and their family members in many ways:

• Assess whether or not a behavior has become addictive
• Provide one-on-one counseling, by phone or in person
• Recommend various treatment options
• Refer employees and family members to appropriate support groups
• Provide support to family members

Where there is addictive behavior, there are almost always emotional, financial, social and health issues to deal with, and as your EAP, we're uniquely qualified and able to help with all of them. If you suspect that an employee is struggling with a problem themselves, or within their family, encourage them to call us, any time of the day or night.

Use Your Employee Newsletter to Raise Awareness

Last week, we sent out the employee newsletter on this topic. It contained lots of helpful information—and talked about ways we can help. Please be sure to send the newsletter, or use the content in a manner that works best in your organization, to ensure that employees can get the help they need. In addition, our summer promotional materials focus on this topic. Just click on the buttons to the left to access PDF files of the flyer and poster, in English and Spanish.

Members: access your EAP resources through your VITAL WorkLife App or by calling 800.383.1908