scared to disclose to my new internship that I'm on methadone maintenance

[PlurPsyed]

I started an internship yesterday for a position working with clients with treatment resistant mental health and substance abuse issues. the internship is required as part of my masters program and was found by my school which is a very prestigious university. also, one of my professors happens to be a higher up at this organization and he helped me get this position. he's been suspecting for a while that I struggle with addiction and my methadone clinic requires me to get a letter from the company with their letterhead and my hours that I work so I can come in to get medicated early. when I started asking for that letter, that rose a lot of questions but I told them it was just for personal records. I'm sick of living with this lie and I figure since many of the clients I will be dealing with struggle with the same issue, maybe it will be a good thing that I not only have been in their shoes but am quite knowledgeable on about substance use and abuse in general. on the other hand, I am scared to death of disclosing since I really don't want them to look at me differently neither at the organization nor at my school. I'm sick of people treating me like a junkie when I have so much more to offer. plus I'm terrified they will try to fire me. any advice guys?

 

[pharmacybandit]

Do you think you could talk honestly to your professor and see what his advice is? Basically tell him what you've told us, that you're stable now and have so much to offer that someone that hasn't been there can't possibly have. I don't think they can fire you, but I'm not really sure how that works with an internship-- they might be able to tell you not to come back since you're not technically employeed. I think you could be of great value to them but whether they are that or not is the problem. Good luck to you, but I think considering bringing it up to your professor and getting his advice is probably the best first step if you think you want to come out about it.

 

[mrsnowygrainius]

informing your colleagues that you are on methadone maintenance is a bad idea, yes they will look at you differently and judge you because unfortunately people are ignorant. Even telling one person could potentially be bad for you. Im just looking at this realistically, people, especially in the intern academic field know absolutely nothing about addiction because its something that is far away from their own lives...

 

[jabone99]

In this specific situation - I really see no benefit in exposing yourself. That being said, I have limited info - so don't fully understand the situation (as I am not you). It has been my experience that until a person is comfortable in their sobriety, and truly understands what got them to sobriety, they are of little use to a sobriety newbie. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. You seem like you may be the exception (given you are going for an MBA. That is rare). The way HIPPA works, you aren't required to give any info out. So, if your conscience is getting to you about being honest - I would simply say "I have a documented condition which requires my time from Y-Z" and leave it at that. It goes back to the old adage "better to have someone think you're a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt".

That's my 2 cents. Where is everyone else on this for this young lady?

 

[herbavore]

I'm going to disagree (with keeping the secret). I have found, over and over in both my personal and professional life that being honest and assertive with your honesty is truly the best policy. Surely people that work with addiction should be able to encompass this valid modality? And how does anything ever change from being in the closet so to speak? I understand people wanting to protect you personally by advocating staying in that closet but I think that holding your head high and stating without a shred of shame or secrecy that you are even more qualified to do this job as you are living the process yourself. Drug treatment is full of people that are in recovery--surely in 2017 (almost!) we are sufficiently past the stigma of maintenance to not have this affect your internship.

I acknowledge that I have never been in this position myself but I have been in the position to hire and fire people in a few different fields and I can say unequivocably that honesty at the outset trumped anything that the person may have been worried about me "discovering". Sure I looked at that employee differently: with more respect than I would have otherwise had!

The closest I can come to this is my own life is being honest about mental illness. I find that doors are opened rather than shut when I can calmly and articulately address the reality of this in my own life.

P.S. I think pharmacybandit's advice to talk to your professor first is very good advice.