How Can I Help a Loved One Maintain Recovery Over the Holidays?

The winter holidays are intended to be a time of togetherness, tenderness, and testaments of love. However, for many people, the winter holidays can be a time of stress and sorrow. This can be especially true for individuals in a tough place trying to maintain recovery over the holidays. The good news is there are many effective tips, tools, and techniques that can help an individual not only get through the holidays but enjoy them as well.

Helping a Loved One Heal at the Cellular Level

One of the most challenging things an individual may ever have to go through is getting a loved one help for their addiction. It can be a process filled with timidity and self-doubt. Many people ask themselves, “Will my loved one hold my help against me?” “Will I lose them as a family member or friend?” 

While these are understandable questions to ask, the truth is that they are unfounded. Many people who are struggling with addiction are secretly waiting for a loved one to step in and help them with their issues. They just can’t say it because the nature of addiction is isolation and quiet suffering.

It is important to remember that helping a loved one heal at the cellular level is often a life-or-death situation. So, getting them help is both essential and imperative. 

The Prevalence of Addiction in the U.S.

Many people don’t realize just how prevalent addiction currently is in the U.S. (and beyond). This is especially true of alcohol use disorder (AUD). According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), “28.9 million people ages 12 and older (10.2% in this age group) had AUD in the past year. This includes 16.8 million males ages 12 and older (12.1% in this age group) [and] 12.0 million females ages 12 and older (8.3% in this age group).”

It is also true that there remains an opioid epidemic in the U.S., with millions of people struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD) daily. One of the current primary contributing factors to this is the surge of fentanyl (a powerful synthetic opioid). Fentanyl is both highly addictive and deadly.

Also, many people don’t even realize that they are using fentanyl because it is now being added to most illicit substances, from cocaine to cannabis. This puts individuals in the crosshairs of addiction, overdose, and overdose death. It can also lead to co-occurring disorders.

The Prevalence of Co-Occurring Disorders in the U.S.

Co-occurring disorders of mental illness and addiction are also much more common than many people may think. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “7.7 million adults have co-occurring mental and substance use disorders…. Of the 20.3 million adults with substance use disorders, 37.9% also had mental illnesses. Among the 42.1 million adults with mental illness, 18.2% also had substance use disorders.”

These co-occurring disorders can make it very difficult for a loved one to maintain recovery because one issue often triggers the other. This is why it is so important to connect to a specialist that focuses on both issues of mental health and addiction. Seeking out these types of professionals can best ensure that one disorder doesn’t overshadow the other and lead to an underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis. 

Better Understanding the Disease of Addiction

Many people still have an antiquated misconception of addiction. This is often not their fault. It is merely because information on addiction is nearly readily available enough. 

Many people believe addiction to be some type of moral failing or “choice.” This is a fallacy. Ask anyone who truly struggles with addiction and they will inform you that the choice to drink or use left them a long time ago. Now the drink or the drug has become a “necessity.”

The reality is that addiction is a disease. It is a chronic disease that is more similar to other diseases like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. This is because, without some type of professional intervention, addiction is almost always going to get worse, never better.

It is also important to understand that addiction is a “family disease.” This means that its devastating effects don’t just affect the individual struggling, but also everyone that surrounds that individual. That is why it is critical that everyone in the family receive some type of care, not just the individual going into treatment. Of course, this process cannot begin until the signs and symptoms of addiction are detected.

The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

Now, of course, the signs and symptoms of addiction are going to vary depending on the individual. However, there are universal signs and symptoms that can be observed. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:

• Having physical ailments like headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
• Trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
• Isolating away from family and close friends
• Losing interest in activities and hobbies once enjoyed
• Loss of appetite
• Lack of care about one’s physical appearance and well-being
• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness (depression)
• Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
• Not being able to stop drinking or using once started
• Experiencing alcohol or drug-related trouble at work or school
• Harming oneself or others
• Having suicidal ideations

As one can see, these symptoms are much more significant than many people may have first thought. This is why if any, many, or all of these symptoms are present, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences like “institutions, prisons, and death” (as is often said in 12-Step recovery).

Recovery Means, Methods, and Modalities

The good news is that there are many effective means, methods, and modalities for recovery. This includes psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Other highly effective modalities include experiential therapies like nature-immersion therapy and surf therapy. One should also greatly consider using holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation.

Using all of these methods in tandem is one of the best ways to ensure that one heals at the cellular level. It takes a multi-angled approach that helps to address all aspects of the “Self,” the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Using multiple methods also best ensures that one gets to the underlying issues of addiction and/or mental illness. Many people don’t realize that it is not as much about the actual drink or the drug, but the thoughts and emotions associated with the use of that drink or the drug. Unfortunately, many recovery centers don’t take this critical factor into account.

The reality is that addiction recovery is a billion-dollar industry. Unfortunately, this has led to an influx of predatory treatment centers that put their bottom line above their client’s well-being. These are the types of recovery centers that only offer overarching “cookie-cutter” recovery plans that do not focus on the individual.

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we find that this type of treatment rarely works. This is why all of our recovery plans are individualized and comprehensive. They also greatly focus on relapse prevention.

Many people don’t realize just how prevalent relapse currently is in the U.S. (and abroad). According to the peer-reviewed thesis Addiction Relapse Prevention, by Doctors Guenzel and McChargue, “One primary concern in addiction treatment is the high rate of relapses within a short period after even the most intensive treatment. Many studies have shown relapse rates of approximately 50% within the first 12 weeks after completion of intensive inpatient programs that often last 4 to 12 weeks or more and can cost tens of thousands of dollars.” Psychotherapy can help to reduce these relapse rates.

Maintain Recovery With Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is the cornerstone of many recovery plans. There is a reason for this, not the least of which is that psychotherapy is considered “evidence-based.” So, what exactly does “evidence-based” recovery entail? This means that there have been enough studies for a long enough period of time to show efficacy related to the modality.

One of the most respected evidence-based psychotherapies is DBT. DBT is highly effective because it gets to the underlying issues of one’s addiction and helps to adjust the negatively skewed way in which one views oneself and the world around them. This therapy helps an individual adjust their negative cognitions (thoughts), emotions (feelings), and behaviors (actions) so they can best function in their sobriety and day-to-day lives. DBT works under the concept of “five functions of treatment.” 

The primary three involve enhancing and generalizing capabilities and improving motivation. Regarding the function of “improving motivation,” according to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “This function primarily is accomplished in individual therapy. Each week, the therapist has the patient complete a self-monitoring form (called a “diary card”) on which he or she tracks various treatment targets (e.g., self-harm, suicide attempts, emotional misery). The therapist uses this diary card to prioritize session time, giving behaviors that threaten the patient’s life (e.g., suicidal or self-injurious behaviors) highest priority, followed by behaviors that interfere with therapy (e.g., absence, lateness, noncollaborative behavior), and behaviors that interfere with the patient’s quality of life (e.g., severe problems in living, unemployment, or severe problems related to Axis I disorders).”

Many of these tools are also used in other types of psychotherapy. This includes KAT.

Maintain Recovery With Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

KAT has long been stigmatized in the public eye. This skewed concept of KAT is primarily because people think of ketamine as solely an illicit substance. However, when utilized properly under professional medical supervision, ketamine can be a highly effective tool for combatting addiction and mental illness.

Because the effects of ketamine can be short-lived, the key is to utilize both the pharmacology of ketamine and the science of psychotherapy. According to the Journal of Pain Research, “One possible aid in prolonging ketamine’s effects is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy describes the treatment of psychological disorders or symptoms through the promotion of personal growth, symptom management, and well-being and is based on therapeutic structures, principles, and techniques. Separately, both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy have shown equal efficacy, while the combination of both approaches has been found to be more effective in the treatment of psychological disorders than psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy alone; specifically, in certain populations including older adults and patients with comorbid medical disorders.”

How Can I Help a Loved One Maintain Recovery Over the Holidays?

Helping a loved one maintain recovery over the holidays starts by connecting them to the right recovery center, but it continues by offering them support throughout that treatment and beyond. Often, this includes getting help for the entire family.

Family therapy can be a critical part of overall recovery and long-term sobriety. This is because it teaches the entire family that they have the right to be well and express how their loved one’s addiction makes them feel. It is also important to understand that this connection is crucial over the holidays because these are often times when the family is heavily engaged.

The holidays are also a great time to utilize the help of other people in recovery, both for the individual and for families. For the individual, working with others is a crucial part of long-term sobriety. There is even a chapter about it in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book). The chapter states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail…. You can help when no one else can.” Connection also gives individuals in recovery an essential sense of purpose (especially around the holidays).

For family and close friends, there are also many support groups to help heal from a loved one’s addictions. Two popular groups are Al-Anon and Alateen. The key is to connect with a group that fits one’s values and needs. These groups are ideal scaffolds to help someone maintain recovery around the holidays.

Maintain Recovery With Holistic Healing Methods

Holistic healing methods are also ideal ways to recover and maintain recovery in the long term. This is because these methods focus on all aspects of the “Self.” They help one physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. There is perhaps no better holistic healing method than mindfulness meditation.

Meditation has been used for thousands of years to help people find balance and serenity in their lives. In recent years, it has become a cornerstone of many recovery and treatment plans. This is due to its all-around efficacy.

The benefits of meditation are vast and varied. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “During the process of meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall. Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency.” Additionally, “A study on the effect of meditation on the executive attentional network found that meditators were faster on all tasks.”

Maintaining Recovery at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why all of our recovery plans are individualized, comprehensive, and focused on the future. 

We are also here to help the loved ones of those in recovery recover themselves. Addiction is a family disease, and when one comes to stay with us at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, they become part of the family. We are in this together. With hope, there is help.

Addiction is undoubtedly a family disease. This can feel especially true around the holidays. The good news is that there are many ways to help loved ones struggling with addiction maintain recovery over the holidays. Helping a loved one over the holidays can also help to prevent a potential relapse. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about how to help a loved one over the holidays, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.