Addiction in STEM Careers

Many people in high-tech careers struggle with substance use. Whether a person lives in Silicon Valley or works from home, no one is immune from the dangers of addiction.

Many people have misconceptions about the nature of addiction and who is vulnerable. In Silicon Valley, there is no greater illustration of the truth. While there are many homeless people who suffer from drug addiction on the street, an invisible population is also struggling with substance use.

Substance Abuse in High-Tech Careers

In 2014, a Google executive named Timothy Hayes shockingly overdosed on heroin. Addiction professionals began to sound the alarm; they were receiving clients from some of the top tech firms in the world, many of them executives. In recovery, these people were sharing about using Adderall, heroin, painkillers, and other drugs.

Some people in California think of drug use as something that proliferates in homeless camps and on the street. Those are the images you’ll see most often on new websites. The truth is that addiction actually everywhere, including places you don’t expect it; at tech companies, research centers and Ivy League schools.

Successful people often turn to drug use to help calm their stress or cope with working overtime. Just like anyone else, it can change your brain and cause you to develop a substance use disorder.

Many drugs abused by people in high-tech careers are quickly addictive. Your body needs more of a substance to feel the same effect. When you’re abusing cocaine, heroin and other narcotics, eventually this will lead to an overdose.

Whether you’re using drugs to “succeed” or “relax”, addiction takes its toll. Once you’ve lost control of your substance use, there are tough consequences. You could lose your job, damage relationships, or create dire financial consequences.

There is a better way to live, and we can help you reclaim your life.

Addiction is Not a High Quality of Life

If you or somebody you love has a problem with drugs or alcohol, there’s help available. You may need to start your journey to recovery by going to detox. Detox is a safe space with trained professionals that help you get through uncomfortable side effects when you rid you body of susbstances. In detox, you’ll also make a plan for treatment to help you stay on the path of recovery.

If you or somebody you love needs help with an addiction, please give us a 100% confidential phone call at 619-343-4767.