You’re officially unemployed. It doesn’t feel great. In fact, it’s downright hopeless at times. Alcohol has been your best companion through the lows while you try to make sense of why you were let go. People are starting to worry about you and your change in behavior. You’re starting to worry about you too. Your solution: seek help to get yourself back on track. A mental health retreat after losing your job may be the best medicine for you.   Losing your job Coping with the stress of losing a job is a challenge. Many of us tie our careers to our identity so any set back can shake us to our cores. We may worry about what the future holds, how we’ll continue to afford our lifestyle, if we’re not good enough at our jobs, our purpose in the world, dealing with a change in routine, and many more worries. It can lead us to a state of depression and anxiety, inhibiting our ability to bounce back and get back into the employment pool. For workaholics, it can be particularly impactful as most of our time is dedicated to our jobs. When we don’t have time to create social circles outside of work, time to develop healthy coping skills through therapeutic means, or we simply lack participation in extracurricular and purposeful outlets outside of work, we become vulnerable to managing stress with substances. This can become especially problematic when we lose a job as we may only find solace in work. mental health retreat What is alcohol dependency? Alcohol abuse is a pattern of consuming excessive alcohol consistently, whether it be in one sitting or several times per week. Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease and mental illness that triggers people to compulsively consume alcohol to feel okay. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency can interfere with people’s everyday life, affect fulfilling daily responsibilities, impair judgment, leading to poor decision making, harm personal relationships, and impact performance.   To understand excessive drinking, and to determine if you’re on the spectrum of abusing alcohol, it’s important to note what is medically considered too much:  
  • One alcoholic drink defined as 12oz beer (usually at 4.5%-5% ALC)
  • One alcoholic drink defined as 5oz wine (usually at 11%-15% ALC)
  • One alcoholic drink defined as 1.5oz liquor (usually at 35%-50% ALC)
  • For women, alcohol abuse considered 7 drinks per week or 3 per sitting
  • For men, alcohol abuse considered 14 drinks per week or 4 per sitting
  Mental health retreat If you’ve found yourself uncontrollably consuming alcohol during this transitional period and are ready for a change, a mental health retreat can be rewarding. A mental health retreat is a holistic approach to substance abuse rehab. It is intended to focus on clients’ spiritual rebirth. In this kind of retreat, you will be treated with compassion while learning coping mechanisms such as meditation and movement. Additionally, you’ll be introduced to alternative healing practices like sound healing, and will have the chance to connect with others on a deep and vulnerable level. Embarking on a retreat for your mental health can recharge you so that you can get back into the workforce, feeling empowered and purpose-driven again.  For more information on mental health retreats after losing your job, call (844)663-4747.