How Can I Manage My Sobriety Over the Holidays?
There is a traditional Hawaiin maxim that goes, “Aloha Aku No, Aloha Mai No.” This means that when one offers their love to others, others will return the love of their own. There is perhaps no time when this saying is more true than around the holidays. However, the holidays can be difficult for many people, especially those in recovery. These are the individuals who often ask themselves, “How can I manage my sobriety over the holidays?”
Healing at the Cellular Level
What does it mean to heal at the cellular level? It means that one must heal every aspect of the “Self” – the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Healing at the cellular level also has much to do with getting to the underlying issues that are often present when someone is struggling with addiction.
These are often underlying issues that are related to trauma and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). Some of these traumas can also be related to the holidays, which makes these times of year even more stressful.
Healing at the cellular level also has to do with addressing all issues, such as co-occurring mental illnesses. Many people who struggle with addiction also struggle with mental illness. The key is to treat all issues at the same time. If all issues are not treated, the full recovery chances become very difficult. It can also be helpful to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of addiction (and addiction with co-occurring disorders).
The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction
Now, of course, the signs and symptoms of addiction are going to vary based on the individual. However, there are some universal signs and symptoms of addiction. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Isolating away from family and close friends
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
- Loss of appetite
- Not being able to stop drinking or using once started
- Feeling overly anxious, nervous, or “stressed out”
- Having otherwise unexplained physical issues, such as body aches and gastrointestinal problems
- Being depressed with feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and worthlessness
- Excessive mood swings
- Having feelings of self-harm
- Experiencing suicidal ideations
As one can see, these can be very significant and serious symptoms. This is why it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible if any or all of these symptoms are present. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences.
The Importance of Individualized Addiction Care
As the treatment industry is a billion-dollar industry, many recovery centers focus more on their financial bottom line than on their actual clients. Most of these recovery centers only offer overarching “cookie-cutter” recovery plans that do not focus on individual needs.
Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe that this type of approach rarely works. This is because everyone’s recovery journey is different, and thus, so, too, should be their recovery plan.
An individualized recovery plan should always start with a proper intake that factors in more details than simply what type of addiction an individual is struggling with. It should take in background information, including family dynamics, career situations, biology, and genetics. From there, some of the best addiction professionals working today can create a recovery plan that is tailored just for them. It will be a plan that uses multiple types of recovery means, methods, and modalities: the multi-angled approach.
The Multi-Angled Approach: Comprehensive Addiction Care
It is critical that a recovery plan pulls from all avenues of the recovery realm. This includes psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and surf therapy, and holistic healing methods like yoga and meditation.
The multi-angled approach also best focuses on the previously mentioned concept of cellular healing. For example, it may use yoga as a means of physical and spiritual healing, nature immersion therapy as a means of emotional healing, and CBT to focus on mental health. Combined, this may be a highly effective approach for the individual’s specific recovery needs. This is true regardless of what time of year it takes place.
Finding My Sobriety: Getting Treatment Over the Holidays
Many people avoid going to treatment because they believe it is “not the right time.” This is especially true when it comes to getting treatment over the holidays. Many people say, “My sobriety can wait until the holidays are over.” This is a dangerous path to take because addiction can be life or death, and the sooner help is sought, the better.
Also, the holidays can be a dangerous time for someone with an active addiction. This is because more drinking and use tends to occur around the holidays. Plus, many people have emotional triggers around the holidays, which can lead to excessive alcohol and/or substance use.
It is important to say, “My sobriety matters, no matter what time of year it is.” Of course, if “my sobriety matters,” then it matters what type of recovery an individual chooses. As previously mentioned, it should be one that has many options for treatment modalities. This includes psychotherapies like CBT, DBT, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR).
My Sobriety and Psychotherapy
CBT is a particularly effective therapy because it helps individuals get to the underlying issues of why they are struggling with addiction. Addiction is rarely just about the act of drinking and using. This is why many people in recovery often say, “My sobriety has more to do with my thinking than my drinking.” CBT can also be particularly effective because it gets to the underlying way in which one negatively views oneself and the world around them.
This type of psychotherapy can also be highly beneficial because it makes the individual an “active participant” in the process. It also focuses on the present. According to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), “CBT is much more concerned with dealing with problems in the here and now. The most important thing is helping people to help themselves: They should be able to cope with their lives again without therapy as soon as possible. This doesn’t mean that cognitive behavioral therapy completely ignores the influence of past events.” CBT can also be highly effective when used in tandem with EMDR.
Many people have heard of EMDR but do not know exactly what it is. According to the Permanente Journal, “Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an empirically validated psychotherapy approach that medical personnel can employ to treat the sequelae of psychological trauma and other negative life experiences. Its ability to rapidly treat unprocessed memories of these adverse experiences has important implications for the medical community, as they appear to be the foundation for an array of clinical symptoms.” Both of these psychotherapies also greatly benefit from the use of experiential therapies like nature immersion and surf therapy.
My Sobriety and Experiential Therapy
Many people don’t realize just how important connecting to nature can be when it comes to recovery. Some people ask, “What does nature have to do with my sobriety?” The answer is that being in nature greatly and positively affects one’s mood.
According to the U.S. National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression while promoting a sense of wellbeing and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.” There are also many other benefits that nature can have for an individual looking to recover from addiction. These benefits can be garnered via surf therapy.
The Hamkua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island has some of the best surfing in the world. Also, a mere 15-minute journey from Exclusive Hawaii Rehab’s luxury 30-acre property sits one of the best surf breaks on the island. Here, individuals can catch some of the best waves in the world and get all of the benefits of surf therapy, of which there are many.
Surf therapy offers a myriad of benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research of Public Health, “Carefully planned water activities tailored to the needs of the individual can contribute to correct psychosocial and cognitive development. The International Surf Therapy Organization summarizes the benefits of adequately indicated surf therapy as follows: improved physical health and mobility; improved mental health, including reduction of specific symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress and depression; improved well-being (strengthening of trust and confidence, encouragement of independence, resilience and protective coping strategies) and improved social skills.” This type of therapy also works well with a holistic healing plan.
My Sobriety and Holistic Healing Methods
There are many effective holistic healing methods that can be utilized to help an individual recover. This includes methods like yoga and meditation.
Yoga and meditation have been practiced for thousands of years. Originally, they were practiced for solely religious or spiritual purposes, but they have since moved into many other areas. This includes the area of recovery.
Yoga can be highly effective because it focuses on all of the aspects of the “Self” that were previously mentioned – the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Practicing yoga also offers many other benefits, like helping an individual get centered and finding balance in their lives. Meditation offers similar benefits.
Practicing meditation can be particularly helpful because it can travel anywhere. This makes it particularly useful around the holidays.
In Recovery: How Can I Manage My Sobriety Over the Holidays?
Many people get nervous about the various “people, places, and things” they will be around after leaving the treatment center. This can be heightened when it comes to the holidays. However, these concerns can be lessened when one realizes they have all the tools they need for a successful recovery.
One of the best tools an individual has for their recovery is others. Connecting with other people in recovery is essential if one wants to heal at the cellular level. These connections remind individuals that they are not alone and that they can accomplish anything. Connecting to other people also gives people in recovery a sense of purpose.
Working with others is so important in recovery that an entire chapter is dedicated to it in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book). Aptly entitled, “Working With Others,” the chapter states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure 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.”
Connecting with others in recovery is also a great way to make the holidays richer and more meaningful. This can occur by connecting to other people who are sober and throwing sober holiday events and holiday parties. It can take the stress out of potentially being around alcohol or other substances at a holiday event. Plus, it allows individuals to continue to build up their “sober network,” which can be crucial for long-term recovery, and long-term recovery is the ultimate goal.
Making Resolutions: Maintaining My Sobriety in the Long Term
Many people may be familiar with the phrase, “My sobriety is one day at a time.” This is critical to understand and remember because it ensures that people stay in the moment and don’t get overly stressed out about their “misdeeds” of the past or what might happen in the future. It can keep an individual balanced.
However, just because an individual keeps their recovery “one day at a time” does not mean they should not create healthy goals to reach for in the future. There is perhaps no better time to establish these healthy goals than around the holidays (especially New Year’s Eve).
These goals may include making more connections in recovery. They may also include a renewed focus on one’s treatment plan, including multiple modalities. It may also include adding another modality to the plan, such as adding something like horticulture therapy.
When one comes onto Exclusive Hawaii Rehab’s luxury 30-acre property, they will see some of the most amazing citrus trees, guava bushes, and vegetation on the island. Many of these have been cultivated directly by clients in the process of their recovery.
Horticulture therapy also offers a myriad of other benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research of Public Health, “People’s interactions with plants, through goal-orientated horticultural activities in the form of active gardening, as well as the passive appreciation of nature, could be therapeutic to people with mental disorders in many ways. First, horticulture could have emotional benefits, such as reducing stress, reducing psychiatric symptoms, stabilizing mood, and increasing the sense of tranquility, spirituality, and enjoyment. Second, it could help people to reduce fatigue and restore attention and cognitive ability.”
By engaging in these activities, one can help ensure that they have the best holidays and avoid a potential relapse, which is more common than many people may think. It’s also important to remember that as time goes on, navigating the holidays in recovery will become easier and easier. This is because it allows an individual to build up “sober reference” when it comes to getting through the holidays.
Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab
Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” We believe in healing at the cellular level. This is why all of our recovery plans are individualized with a focus on the future.
The iconic American author and philosopher Joseph Campbell famously said, “We must let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” A new life is waiting over the horizon here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab. The key is to go out there and get it.
The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for those in recovery. The good news is there are many ways to stay happy, healthy, and sober over the holiday season. This includes staying engaged with a recovery plan that focuses on psychotherapy, experiential therapy, and holistic healing methods. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the right road to long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. There is help, and there is hope. For more information about staying sober over the holidays, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.