There's hope: If you feel your career is destroyed because you've battled with addiction or mental-health problems, one career expert has some positive suggestions for you.

"I am a vocational counselor for people with mental-health and substance-abuse issues, and they need to know that all is not lost and that they can start their lives over again," said Lee Heller, coordinator of rehabilitation services for Birmingham Group Health Services, a nonprofit agency in Ansonia, Conn.

"If they want to re-enter the job market, they need to increase their confidence as well as their reputation. What better way to give back to their community than to do some volunteer work? It's an excellent way to network and open doors for yourself."

If you want to start with a paying job, Heller said to check out "the human services field, They always are looking for success stories and will hire people who are in recovery to outreach to others."

That sounds like a good place to start.