Rehab for executives: How to balance treatment and work

May 16, 2025

9:30 am

Addiction is an equal opportunities disease: It doesn’t care what you do for a living. It doesn’t discriminate against anyone, especially when it comes to employment. You could be a dinner lady, factory worker, GP, middle manager or a CEO of a multibillion-pound conglomerate: All can be prone to addiction. However, while the impact on the individual can be the same, the devastation caused by someone in a senior position being in active addiction could be catastrophic for the business, as well as the individual.  

If you need to arrange home detox services UK, want to arrange alcohol and drug treatment or want to find an addiction recovery centre, call or email Find me a Rehab and speak to one of our clinicians.  

Leading a company, perhaps one you have built from nothing, is a hard slog. It is not uncommon for those in positions at the top of companies to be working 14-hour days, seven days a week. Couple this with the abundance of illegal drugs, and doorstep delivery of alcohol it is not illogical to see how addiction can rear its ugly head. Often, addiction is hidden from family and friends, as well as co-workers are staff.  

For a business owner, generating income, getting new leads, signing off on contracts, having staff relying on you for the next payroll is a huge burden. Alcohol and drugs can be a source of short-term relief, but that is all they are. Dependency will soon follow, and a destructive cycle becomes entrenched. Reaching out for help can feel as if you have been defeated by the disease. This is not the case: Asking for help is a demonstration of strength and the first move towards a life of abstinence.  

Path to addiction  

It is not uncommon for executives to party: and to party hard. It can be a way of trying to escape from the stresses and strains of the job, family life, etc. Sometimes, to win a new client or secure further contracts with an existing one, it is an expectation that you attend events and join in with the flowing alcohol and or the lines of cocaine. In time, this then becomes the norm. Additionally, using alcohol and drugs to self-medicate against the symptoms of stress, depression and burnout is also problematic and a major contributory factor in developing dependency. 

If productivity is maintained, profits are going up and all looks good on the outside, it can seem as if there are no issues. However, this veneer merely perpetuates the problem. While you may think that your productivity will continue at its current level it will start to decline. Dependence on drugs and alcohol will also start to affect relationships, both at work and at home. Addiction affects concentration, you will start to make mistakes and relationships with colleagues will become strained: Even toxic.  

Drug and alcohol addiction can also pose a very significant safety risk. Drink/drug driving is a common phenomenon among high flying executives just as someone working in a factory can be impaired when operating machinery. 

Road to recovery 

Often, those in high powered positions, even when they know that they need help and that their world is crumbling around them they feel that, by going into rehab, the company won’t be able to cope without them. They may think that no one else can take on the responsibility or be able to perform the necessary functions for the business to continue in their absence. Imagine if you were in this position and were run over by a bus: A catastrophic event necessitating hospital treatment, maybe for a period, but unavoidable. In this event, arrangements would have to be made for someone to take the reins. With rehab, admission is planned so arrangements can be made.  

Does my GP need to know?  

No. While we would always recommend that someone informs their GP of rehab treatment, it is possible to be admitted without their GP’s knowledge. A medical summary may be required, though you are entitled to a medical summary without disclosing as to why. A good GP will be able to spot the signs of addiction, and, in any event, there may be telltale signs in blood, and other tests, before asking for help. GPs are not there to judge but to help. However, we understand that, for some, they do not want their GP to know.  

What information is given to my GP by a rehab centre?  

Rehab centres will never communicate with your GP unless you give explicit consent, in writing. Staff are bound by very strict rules on confidentiality. They will not even confirm, to callers, if you are in treatment and will only convey information based on your written instructions. However, if you give consent, the rehab centre can convey information to your GP which could be useful if you are to continue with medication, post treatment.  

If you want to speak to a clinician in confidence for free and impartial advice, call or email Find me a Rehab. Apart from giving advice we can arrange home detox services UK as well as alcohol and drug treatment. Should you want to find an addiction recovery centre, we can help.  

Can I continue to work while in treatment?  

While there are centres that promote total abstention from work commitments, there are those who are more flexible. When it comes to phones and laptops, some centres will not allow them in, others will restrict their use whereas some allow clients to keep them on their person but on the strict understanding that they must be switched off during therapy sessions. While rehab is hard work, there are gaps in the day to allow clients to take time away from therapy which can give opportunities to catch up with emails and phone calls. All have Wi-fi and rooms have desks and chairs.  

Will my medical insurance cover me for rehab?  

Possibly. Some policies exclude drug and alcohol rehab treatment. Not all rehab centres accept insurance cases, and it may be necessary to travel a little further than you would if you were self-paying.  

One of my staff has come forward to say they are caught up in addiction and need help 

As above, it is possible that there is provision within workplace private medical insurance policies. In any event, being supportive, accepting and making provision while they take time off to get into recovery is not only the moral, legal, and ethical responsibility of a decent employer, it will also enable a valued colleague to recover. An employee in recovery can bring a newfound energy which can really benefit the business.  

Is there any option for an executive room in rehab?  

Some centres provide upgraded rooms, at an additional premium, rooms that executives are used to on business trips. These are fully serviced meaning that you can concentrate on your recovery as well as business commitments in an environment of luxury and privacy. At the top end of the sector, there are centres that are within acres of manicured grounds, that offer top level accommodation, catering and hotel services, as well as chauffeured transport to and from home (an additional fee may apply)   

Can I get treated as an outpatient?  

In most cases: yes. Outpatient treatment means being able to stay at home while you attend sessions on-line or locally. A clinician can be arranged to see you at home or at a local consulting room. Medication can be delivered to your home or office. There is a great deal of flexibility meaning that there is little disruption to work and home life. Where someone has a long-standing alcohol dependency and requires an extended detox, or is reliant on opioids/benzodiazepines, outpatient treatment may not be a viable option.  

Our clinicians at Find Me a Rehab are all very experienced in the field of addictions, both in residential treatment and outpatient services. We can arrange home detox services UK as well as help you find an addiction recovery centre. If you need alcohol and drug treatment, call or email. Our advice is free, confidential and impartial.