5 Tips on Maintaining Work-Life Balance During Outpatient Treatment

Getting involved in an outpatient treatment program is courageous. It’s not easy to admit that you have a problem. It’s even more difficult sometimes to willingly seek treatment for it.

Outpatient treatment means you can seek help, but then you can go home and sleep in your own bed afterward. It works better for some people than inpatient programs.

Let’s talk about some tips for maintaining your work-life balance if you sign up for an outpatient program.

Be Open with Your Boss About What’s Happening

If you work for a company, that probably means you have a boss. Maybe that’s the company owner, the district manager, or anyone else who acts as your direct supervisor.

You should be open with them about being in an outpatient program if you sign up for one. You may feel that you can continue working while you’re in that program. If you do that, though, you might need to modify your hours. Make sure that your boss stays apprised of your treatment needs so you can do that.

Talk to Your Coworkers Only as Much as You Feel is Necessary

You may feel you have a great relationship with your coworkers. However, maybe you don’t get along so well with some of them.

This is natural. Nothing says you must be the best of friends with every one of your fellow employees. It’s best that you’re only as open about your treatment with your coworkers as you feel it makes sense to be, though. Maybe you’ll share some details with the other employees with whom you have close relationships, and you’ll avoid talking to others about it.

Know What Your Health Insurance Allows

Your health insurance probably has financial allowances that can help pay for your outpatient program. You should research those thoroughly. This way, you can make sure you’re paying as little as possible out of pocket for your treatment. Hopefully, your insurance can cover the bulk of it.

Communicate with Your Clients

You might be self-employed. More people than ever are these days. If so, then you won’t have a boss to report to when you start an outpatient program. You’ll presumably have clients, though.

You probably don’t need to let your clients know that you’re in an outpatient program since that’s overly familiar. You should let them know if you’re not going to be available as much, though. You can be vague about the details if you feel that’s best.

Know When You Should Take Time Off from Work

You can often continue working while you undergo an outpatient program. You should also watch for signs that indicate you’re not able to do both at the same time, though.

If what you’re going through as part of your program is too intense, it may be necessary to take some time off from work entirely. You should monitor your progress and mental state carefully. There’s no shame in taking time off from work during an outpatient program if you feel that’s warranted.