For recovering addicts, staying sober during the holidays can be difficult and stressful. Although the holiday season is meant to be a time for celebrating with loved ones, a person recovering from substance abuse has to be especially careful. The holidays may present many situations that can trigger addiction cravings. Alcoholic drinks, partying, family drama, and even loneliness can all contribute to relapse. However, you can prevent this from happening by learning how to help someone in recovery during the holidays.
At our drug rehab in Pennsylvania, we understand the stress that a person in addiction recovery may experience during the holiday season. If you have a loved one who has completed addiction treatment, we advise you to learn how to support them during the holidays and in every other season of life.
How to Support Someone in Recovery During the Holidays
Helping someone in recovery during the holiday season may be tricky at times, but it can have a positive impact on their journey. As a loved one of a recovering addict, you want to create an environment that’s safe and sober-friendly; however, this may not always be possible. Fortunately, Clearbrook Treatment Centers has a few tips on how to help someone in recovery during the holidays.
Consistently Check in on Them
With so many drug or alcohol addiction triggers that may present themselves at holiday festivities, the holiday season can be a difficult time of the year for a loved one in addiction recovery. That’s why it’s important to be supportive and vigilant. Try to set up a consistent schedule of communication so you can check in on them regularly without overwhelming them. By setting up this kind of routine, you can keep them accountable and be immediately alerted to any possible dangers or signs of relapse.
Don’t Be Pushy
It can be easy to overwhelm someone you’re trying to look out for. Being too pushy when supporting a recovering addict during the holidays may drive them back to their substance abuse. The road to recovery is a long and difficult one. It’s not uncommon for recovering addicts to experience a whole range of negative emotions during this process. The last thing you want to do is make that process more stressful.
Get Them Any Help They May Need
It’s common for some people who have received addiction treatment to relapse within their first year of sobriety. If your loved one has relapsed, the best thing you can do for them is to find them immediate help. At Clearbrook, we offer a relapse treatment and prevention program designed to help individuals who have relapsed or completed more than one substance abuse treatment get back on their feet again.
Offer Year-Round Support
Although supporting someone in recovery during the holidays is important, year-round support can help them achieve lasting sobriety. Sobriety is an everyday choice that a recovering addict must make. You can make that decision easier by continuing to help them long after the holidays have ended.
At Clearbrook, we know that the holiday season isn’t the only time of the year that may be challenging for people who are in addiction recovery. At our rehab center in Pennsylvania, we offer an alumni program that extends individual and group support to people who have completed an addiction treatment at our facility.
If you or a loved one are suffering from addiction, you are not alone. The team at our Pennsylvania treatment centers is here to help. Call us now at 570-536-9621 to learn more about our substance abuse programs.
