Inclusion Frontiers: Recovery and Leadership

In my recent article, I introduced you to one of my favorite terms: “inclusion frontier.” An inclusion frontier is a significant opportunity for inclusion where it’s identified that inclusion is necessary, but the solution isn’t entirely clear yet. ?

In this article I want to dive into an inclusion frontier I am passionate about: recovery from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) – most commonly Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). You may be wondering, “Wait… that’s an inclusion thing?” If so, welcome to the frontier!

Both AUD and SUD are pervasive and widely misunderstood. Meanwhile, the solution of recovery has astonishing implications on leadership in the workplace.?

PERVASIVE: According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 5% of Americans over the age of 12 currently have active Alcohol Use Disorder (1), and one-third of Americans will meet the criteria for AUD at some point in their lifetimes (2). Now consider the impact on the immediate families and loved ones of the AUD sufferers. AUD is everywhere and impacts all races, ages, professions and salary grades from individual associates up to senior executives.

MISUNDERSTOOD: Many people dismiss AUD and SUD as a matter of choice or a lack of willpower, despite modern medicine recognizing it as a disability manifesting as a mental health condition beyond the control of the sufferer. In fact, willpower here can do more harm than good. It creates a sense of false confidence that a person can outwit what is really happening to them.

ASTONISHING UPSIDE: When treated as a mental health condition, the survival rate for AUD is 36% according to WebMD. Nine percent of all Americans are currently in successful recovery from a SUD (3). And treatment isn’t about saying, “no,” but about discovering and addressing the underlying challenges that cause fear and discomfort in the first place. Once properly addressed, the need to self-medicate fades. This is incredibly tough work across physiological, psychiatric, therapeutic and nutritional dimensions. But people often come through recovery more self-aware, more selfless and yes – with better leadership skills. Ongoing recovery maintenance involves daily practice of very specific principles for a fulsome life. To name a few: honesty, courage, integrity, humility, discipline, service and accountability, which are some of the hallmarks of transformational leadership.

Put another way, people who are in successful recovery tend to be honing their transformational leadership skills deliberately and daily. But nobody knows about it. Because we don’t talk about it. Because of the misunderstanding and the stigma of SUD. Are these not the circumstances for an inclusion frontier??

SUD is a disability manifesting as a mental health disorder and disability inclusion – especially in the case of invisible disabilities – is already a priority for most companies. There are intersectionality considerations as well. According to the Alcohol Rehab Guide (4), underserved communities can be disproportionately impacted. Up to 25% of the LGBTQ+ community has moderate alcohol dependency, compared to five to 10% of the general population. Black communities tend to drink less than White communities statistically, but like the LGBTQ+ population, are exposed to more minority stress (5) and social stigma or discrimination. The resulting anxiety and depression that results can be a breeding ground for self-medication and substance use disorder given the co-morbidity of those conditions. ?

So welcome to the frontier!??

For this National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM), perhaps this is a frontier that can be explored in your workplace. Do you agree? What other inclusion frontiers are on your radar? Please comment below.?

#FidelityAssociate #Inclusion #InclusionFrontier

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(1) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results From the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA; 2019. Accessed August 16, 2020.?

(2) Grant BF, Goldstein RB, Saha TD, et al. Epidemiology of DSM-5 alcohol use disorder: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72(8):757-766.

(3) 1 in 10 Americans report having resolved a significant substance use problem study, Recovery Research Institute, 2017. Accessed 9/23/22.?

(4) LGBTQ Alcoholism, Alcohol Rehab Guide, 8/12/22.

(5) What is Minority Stress?, Center for Community Practice, 2022.

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