Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | October 20, 2021
he numbers are startling. As Part One of the DCN-JOC Special Series Cracks in the Foundation: Mental Health, Substance Use and Construction highlighted, substance use continues to plague the construction industry across the country.
But it’s the stories behind the numbers that truly hit home, illustrating how addiction impacts the workers who push through those long, hard days onsite, often coping with the pain and stress by turning to substance use.
As Trevor Botkin, a carpenter living in recovery puts it: “In the trades we celebrate the suffering. We are proud that we are physically working hard. We are proud of working in the rain, up to your waist in it pouring concrete. But what’s the end? How far do you take it?”
In Part Two of this series, the DCN-JOC gives a voice to those courageous enough to tell their story with one prominent theme emerging: it’s OK to seek help.
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