For years, I was that ghost.

​To the outside world, I was showing up. I was meeting targets. A top seller.

I was the reliable one. But behind closed doors, I was trapped in the secretive, exhausting cycle of gambling harm.

​When you are trapped in addiction, presenteeism becomes your primary survival tactic.

You can't afford to take a sick day. Why? Because sitting at home alone with your thoughts hurts.

Taking a sick day invites questions. Taking time off creates a gap where someone might look too closely at your life, your finances, or your mood. ​So what do you do? You overcompensate.

​You arrive early. You stay late. You volunteer for extra projects. You wear the mask of the hyper-productive employee.

​You sit at your desk with your screen open, but half your brain is frantically calculating how to cover a direct debit, or you're scared to look at your phone incase your partner has finally got access to bank statements.

​You are physically present because the office is your camouflage. But internally, you are completely checked out.

You are a ghost.

Now, as someone in recovery I share the signs to look out for and how to help eliminate presenteeism.