No matter how much you love your family and friends, it’s no secret that the holidays are a difficult time of year for a lot of people. Yes, it’s a time to celebrate, but it’s also hard to enjoy the holiday season when you’re struggling with a substance use disorder. Moreover, pressure to “perform” for loved ones can even make you feel an increased desire to drink or use drugs. For all of these reasons, it’s a good idea to enroll in a rehab before the holidays start.
Of course, a lot of people are afraid of going into treatment right before the holidays. So today, we’re going to give you a comprehensive look at why the period around Thanksgiving and Christmas is actually the perfect time to start drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
1. New Year’s Resolutions Are a Myth
There is a popular saying in addiction recovery: “The best time to start recovery is yesterday. The second best time is today.” Waiting for the “right time” to enter rehab is a trap that many people fall into. This is especially common around New Year’s, when people want to wait until January to start recovery. But the truth is that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail, so why wait to start a new chapter in your life?
It may seem like waiting to start recovery will make things easier, but starting addiction treatment will always be hard. It won’t get easier if you wait, and in fact, there are major disadvantages to not starting rehab before the holidays.
2. The Holidays Are Stressful
Even if you love your family and friends, it’s normal to get stressed around this time of year. You might experience financial troubles while trying to purchase gifts, feel stressed while you deal with complicated travel plans, or maybe get anxious about seeing people that you don’t want to. That’s a lot of pressure, and stress is a very common trigger for drug and alcohol abuse. This could lead to difficulties staying sober throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is why it’s a good idea to start rehab before the holidays.
3. You Could Get Sick
Trying to get sober on your own during the holidays is admirable. But unfortunately, it may not be safe. When you stop drinking alcohol or using drugs, you can start to go through withdrawal symptoms. Depending on what you’re detoxing from, this could present with symptoms ranging from headaches and anxiety to hallucinations and seizures. This is yet another good reason to start rehab before the holidays, so you can safely detox with professional supervision and medical support.
4. You’re Not at Your Best
The people in your life probably love you unconditionally. But the truth is that if you’re still drinking or new in your sobriety during the holidays, you might not be the best version of yourself. You could be stressed, agitated, angry, or a host of other powerful, negative emotions. This is especially true if your addiction is related to a mental health issue, since your mental health symptoms could also create trouble for you and those around you.
5. Relapsing During the Holidays Is Messy
If you’re not completely secure in your sobriety, the holidays can be a minefield. And if a relapse does happen during this time of year, it can be painful and uncomfortable for everyone. The holidays are already an emotional time, and a relapse only makes those negative emotions more intense. That’s why it’s best to start rehab before the holidays, so you don’t have to interrupt time with your loved ones with worries about your own sobriety.
6. Your Loved Ones Want You to Get Help
If you’ve been dealing with addiction for a long time, then your friends or family might have already asked you to get help. In lieu of gifts, the best thing you could give them would be to start rehab before the holidays. This way, they will know that you’re safe and taking your recovery seriously. Yes, of course they’ll miss you, but getting help now could open the door to countless more holidays that you get to spend with them when you’re happy and sober.
7. Now Is the Best Time to Use Insurance
Your healthcare coverage deductibles will reset with the new year, so it’s best to use those benefits before 2022. If you’ve already made payments to your deductible in 2021, starting rehab before the holidays could save you significant amounts of money. If you’re not sure if your insurance covers addiction treatment in Georgetown, Ohio, click here to verify your insurance.
8. You Won’t Be Lonely
There is a misconception that going to rehab during the holidays is lonely, but nothing could be further from the truth. Don’t forget that you can get visits from your family and enjoy support from mental health and addiction specialists, so it’s not as if spending the holidays in rehab means you’ll spend them alone. Moreover, you’ll be surrounded by other people who want to get sober, which can make for the supportive environment that you need during the holidays.
9. Celebrations Can Be Tempting
For many people in recovery, celebrations often involve drinking or drug use. And if you haven’t gone to rehab to learn alternative habits, the holidays can be a tempting time to turn to substance abuse. This is another reason why going to rehab before the holidays makes sense, since it can give you a space to develop better celebration habits.
10. Taking Time Off Is Easier
Getting time off of work or school is never easy. However, the holidays may be the best possible time. There is some expectation that people will need some amount of time off for the holidays, so people may be more understanding of your situation when you start rehab before the holidays. This is especially true if you’re in school, since the holidays likely coincide with your winter break.
Start Rehab Before the Holidays in Georgetown, Ohio
There will always be a reason not to start addiction treatment, and you will always find a reason to put it off for one more day. But if you want to get better for yourself and your loved ones, then the best thing you can do is start rehab before the holidays. It’s normal to be nervous about missing parts of the holidays, but this is truly the best thing to do during this time of year.
Would you like to learn more about our addiction treatment programming? Call our friendly admissions specialists at 937-483-4930 or submit your questions through our confidential contact form. Starting rehab before the holidays can be daunting, but you can take control of your life and your sobriety today, and that’s not an opportunity that you want to miss.
