Need help/advice (quitting drugs/job/collecting unemployment?)

[Shockra]

Question: Has anyone (or someone you know) ever had to take time off from a job to detox, ended up quitting or getting fired b/c of it, and then tried to collect unemployment? What was the result? My situation's below if you have time to read it, or you could just chime in if you (or someone you know) has any experience w/this. I'm in the states, BTW, Thanks.

Background: daily iv H user (3yrs on this run) who has weened himself down from 3gr/day to .5gr-1gr/day (ave stuff) over the past month b/c funding for said habit will soon no longer be an option. I will be forced to quit within the next couple of days and there is a strong possibility that this will interfere with my job. With no vacation time left, the most time I can take off to detox is my 2 reg. days off and then maybe a day or two calling in sick after that. This place is a small retail business, and dealing w/public and some moderately heavy lifting are involved, so I just really doubt I'll be able to mentally and physically handle working without at least a week to get over the worst of the w/d. I've got a few subs (don't want a script) but even on a sub taper I still have mad issues w/eating and sleeping, etc. and eventually I'll have to come off them, so works still gonna be a bitch, and cuz the place is so small, if I'm even slightly off my game it shows big time (and I feel very uncomfortable). And "talking to them about it" isn't really an option either.

I really don't want to lose this job, I've been there 4yrs and actually like it a lot. But if worse comes to worse, and I can't handle working, what's the best way to end it (if there is one) so I'd be able to collect unemployment? (at least for a little while to pay bills and shit). Do I have any shot at all here? Would it be better to quit, or like not show up and try to get fired? I live in NH and have done some research but everything I read is "very" vague and confusing (if's/and's/but's). I know eligibility varies from state to state and I included the all the background for this reason. Any suggestions/advice? (ps - I really can't afford rehab and plan on doing this at home)
Thanks.

 

[izzy66]

afaik, if you quit or are fired you pretty much have no chance of collecting unemployment. however, you can appeal any decision but be prepared to go a few months w/out any check while you're waiting for an appeal hearing. even when you're immediately approved for benefits it takes about four weeks before you get a check.
i'm in a diff state and i only collected unemployment once a long time ago but i think the basics are pretty much the same. fwiw, the one time i did collect i actually challenged a neg decision and won an appeal but it took 4 months to see my first check.
best of luck to you. i hope you find a way to work everything out.
-izzy

 

[NotQuiteAnonymous]

Please see a doctor who has experience treating addictions.

You can work out a treatment plan, possibly including prescribed drugs, detox, therapy etc. A doctor can write your employer a note if you need to take a medical leave of absence (the note doesn't have to disclose the condition treated...just that you need time off.) in the US employees are allowed to miss a few weeks of work due to a medical LOA. terminating the employee for taking a medical LOA is illegal.

 

[Shockra]

Please see a doctor who has experience treating addictions.

You can work out a treatment plan, possibly including prescribed drugs, detox, therapy etc. A doctor can write your employer a note if you need to take a medical leave of absence (the note doesn't have to disclose the condition treated...just that you need time off.) in the US employees are allowed to miss a few weeks of work due to a medical LOA. terminating the employee for taking a medical LOA is illegal.

Thanks to both of you for the responding. Yeah NQA, I think what your referring to is the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act). I guess if I really want to keep the job, I'll either have to tough it out somehow (maybe at least try to do a suboxone and/or loperamide taper while continuing to work, arrgghh!, who knows) or I'll need to see a doc for written justification to take some time off, but are you sure you don't have to disclose the reason for leaving? I thought you did. Anyway, thanks again.

 

[SececaRD]

Hey buddy,

Well It sounds like youve got a couple good things on your hand. First being the subs that you got. How many MGs of suboxone you working with>

What I would do Is Break it up into 2 MG piececs. I would use the last of my stuff thursday morning the absolute minimal amount you can do to make it thru your work day. When you wake up Friday I would do 2 Mgs of Sub. depending on your tollarance that should make it thru yoru day, or at least thru your work day. When you get off I would do 2 more MGs just enougb to make it tollerable. I would repeat this until the subs are gone doing it no more than 3 days. After that just though it out.


Thruout this drink lots of green tea and stay away from all other substances unless you can get some benzos use them for sleep. This should work, but I dont know how many MGs of Sub you got, Hope it all works out.

Sean

 

[Shockra]

Hey sean,
I've got plenty of sub's (5-8mg) and a few xanny bars too, but i'm one of those that find no matter how short a time I'm on sub's or how low I taper off them, it's still a bitch those first few days without it. And like I had said, I work at a small place, so when I'm not all together man it really shows. I've managed to buy myself a little time for now (still using), but I'll probably end up going with either a sub or lope taper and just see what happens. I was more or less asking about unemployment in case it's worse than I expect, and I say "fuck it, I need to do this with some time off" and quit or get fired (you know how w/d tends to just break you down after a while, especially when you have to work thru it, and you know there's nothing waiting for you afterwards).
Thanks for replying.