Should I Seek Addiction Treatment Over The Holidays?

Addiction, the most severe form of substance use disorder (SUD), is a complex illness—one that can have serious effects on a person’s health, relationships, and their ability to provide and care for themselves and others. 

Anyone can develop an SUD under the right circumstances. If this happens to you or someone you love, you’ll soon learn that SUD doesn’t take a day off, and it doesn’t go away during the holidays. In fact, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and other holidays can be especially high-risk periods for people struggling with drug or alcohol abuse and addiction. 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 89% of adults experience holiday-related stress each year, with 58% worrying about finances, 25% experiencing serious issues related to food or alcohol, 22% expecting serious family conflict, and 20% feeling alone or excluded. In the midst of this stress, substance use may offer a tempting escape. 

But you don’t have to face these challenges alone. A wide variety of professional and other resources are available to help meet your needs for recovery 24/7, 365 days a year. And there are other potential reasons why some people intentionally choose to seek addiction treatment over the holidays. 

Why Some People Choose To Go To Rehab During The Holidays

Residential rehab programs are considered the gold standard for addiction recovery, providing their clients with round-the-clock care in a comfortable and secure recovery environment. With treatment programs usually lasting between 15 and 60 days, residential programs give clients close, intensive, and continuous care, helping to address moderate to severe forms of SUD as well as co-occurring mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, and more. 

Residential programs are also open 365 days a year and ready to help new clients at any time. Some of the reasons people cite for choosing to attend addiction treatment over the holidays include the following.

Waiting Doesn’t Make Sense

Sometimes going to a rehab program is less a choice and more of a necessity. A person may be threatened with termination from their job unless they seek treatment, or there may be a sudden falling out in their family. Or they may hit their personal “rock bottom” in any number of other ways. 

When this happens, getting treatment right away can make a big difference in supporting the person’s mental, emotional, behavioral, and even physical health, as many people who do suddenly seek help are experiencing a crisis, which may include a range of physical and mental health symptoms such as depression, emotional trauma, skin infections, malnutrition, liver damage, eating disorders, or suicidal thoughts. 

Emotional And Mental Health Factors

Other people dealing with addiction or another mental health disorder may see the holiday season coming and realize that they are not up for it on their own. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 64% of surveyed people with a mental illness reported that the holidays and the pressure to be joyful this time of year resulted in a significant worsening of their mental health, often known as the holiday blues. 

The holidays can also sharpen the pain of a personal loss and grief for many people, stir up old memories and half-healed wounds, or simply put too much pressure on a person who has come to use drugs or alcohol to cope. 

By choosing to seek treatment over the holiday season, people facing addiction can not only work towards recovery and develop healthier coping skills, but also get through a difficult season in a safe and substance-free environment supported by compassionate staff and peers who understand exactly what they are going through. 

Health Insurance 

With the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, all ACA-qualifying health insurance plans are required to cover substance abuse treatment services in the same way that they cover other standard medical care. For many people with SUD, this has been a game changer and made addiction treatment services suddenly affordable. 

Accordingly, some Americans opt to go to addiction treatment at the end of the year, taking advantage of their deductible or out-of-pocket maximum being met, allowing them to access addiction treatment services far more affordably before their plans reset on January 1. 

Availability

Many employers in the U.S. offer a winter break to their employees, allowing them to go home and spend time with their loved ones before the new year begins. If this is the case for you, it may provide an additional window of time to seek treatment. However, keep in mind that getting treated for addiction, even through a residential program, doesn’t have to mean risking your job. Ark Behavioral Health’s rehab centers employ case managers who are trained in legal protections afforded to employees and can help you keep your job while you receive treatment. Our union members’ programs also make treatment more accessible for union members in similar ways.

Also, some treatment centers have more beds available than usual at the end of the year, so even rehab centers that usually have waiting lists may be able to accommodate you immediately.

What Is Addiction Treatment Like During The Holidays?

Just because addiction treatment centers are focused on recovery doesn’t mean that they don’t take time to recognize the holiday season. In fact, most addiction treatment centers are warm, decorated, and festive places to be between November and January, with a variety of seasonal activities and events like:

• art therapy classes making holiday cards or gifts
• music therapy sessions with caroling
• special holiday meals bringing together clients and staff
• holiday movie nights and games
• special family visits
• faith-based holiday services

Managing Recovery During The Holidays

The stress of the holiday season can affect anyone, including people who have already gone through rehab and been in recovery for some time. And this elevated risk for relapse or other unhealthy choices during this joyful yet difficult time should not be ignored. 

During your time in rehab and in follow-up services, a variety of different coping strategies and techniques may be recommended to help you navigate these stressors and get through difficult periods without relying on substance use. These include:

• learning to set healthy boundaries for yourself (e.g., choosing which events to attend, maintaining your own personal space, etc.)
• spending time with supportive people in your life, not alone or with people still using drugs or alcohol
• reaching out for help from a peer support group like AA, NA, or SMART Recovery
• scheduling therapy sessions or other treatment for conditions like seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
• attending alumni events hosted by your recovery center
• building new, healthy, and joyful holiday traditions with your loved ones
• taking time to practice gratitude and remember how far you’ve come
• practicing self-care

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your support system if you are struggling with stress, grief, or cravings during the holidays. And even if relapse does happen, remember that recovery is a lifelong journey and you aren’t starting over from square one. 

Seek Treatment At Ark Behavioral Health

You can recover from drug or alcohol addiction, and we can help. 

At Ark Behavioral Health, we are proud to support our friends and neighbors in recovery by providing addiction treatment during the holidays, and every other day of the year as well. 

With three comfortable and modern treatment centers staffed by kind and experienced medical professionals, Ark Behavioral Health can provide you with a personalized treatment plan and expert care and attention as you navigate every stage of your recovery, from withdrawal and medical detoxification to cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, peer support, dual diagnosis care for co-occurring mental health disorders, medication-assisted treatment options, long-term aftercare support, and more. 

To learn more about our treatment services and how they can help support your recovery during the holiday season, please reach out today.