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.” This is especially true for individuals in recovery. However, many people avoid getting the help they need because they don’t feel it’s “the right time.” Many people also worry about handling day treatment over the holidays. The good news is that, with the right recovery center, this worry is unfounded. There are many effective ways to recover from addiction, even during the holidays.
The Prevalence of Addiction in the U.S.
Many people don’t realize just how prevalent addiction is in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “In 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.”
Now, while these statistics can seem overwhelming, the important thing is not to get discouraged. Recovery is possible; it’s just a matter of reaching out for the right help. Unfortunately, many people are unable to do this. This may be for many reasons, but one of the primary ones is that people don’t realize that they have a problem. This is why it is so important to be able to detect and understand the signs and symptoms of addiction when they manifest.
The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction
Of course, the signs and symptoms of addiction are going to vary based on the individual. However, there are many universal signs that there may be a problem. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Isolating away from family and close friends
- Losing interest in activities and hobbies once enjoyed
- Experiencing otherwise unexplained physical symptoms like headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
- Trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
- Feeling an overwhelming sense of dread
- Not being able to stop using or drinking once started
- Feeling overly anxious, nervous, or “stressed out”
- Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness (depression)
- Experiencing alcohol or substance-related trouble at work or school
- Committing self-harm
- Having suicidal ideations
As one can see, these are significant issues, which is why if any, many, or all of the symptoms manifest, it is important to seek help sooner rather than later. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences.
The Prevalence of Trauma and PTSD
Many people who struggle with addiction also struggle with mental illness. 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.” Many of these people also struggle with issues of trauma and/or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).
Trauma is highly prevalent around the world, affecting millions of people daily. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine, “General population studies have shown that a large proportion of people in developed countries have been exposed to at least one TE in their lifetime (estimates from 28 to 90%), with the most common events being the unexpected death of a loved one, motor vehicle accidents and being mugged.”
The same is true with PTSD. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Center for PTSD, “About 6 out of every 100 people (or 6% of the U.S. population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives.” Also, “About 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5%) in the U.S. has PTSD in any given year. In 2020, about 13 million Americans had PTSD.” Yet, many of these people don’t get the proper addiction care that they need because they are not properly dual-diagnosed. This is where the importance of individualized care comes in.
The Importance of Individualized and Comprehensive Addiction Care
The treatment and recovery industry is now worth multi-billions of dollars. Unfortunately, this means that there are many predatory recovery centers out there that put their bottom line above their client’s care. These are the types of recovery centers that only offer broad over-arching “cookie-cutter” recovery plans that don’t take the individual into account.
No two people’s recovery journey is the same. This means that their recovery plan shouldn’t be the same either. Yet, across the board, this seems to be what is happening. This is not the case at NorthStar Recovery Center. We find that “one-size-fits-all” recovery rarely works.
Individualized treatment plans that focus on the individual rather than the diagnosis are key. As the father of modern medicine Hippocrates famously said, “It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.” These individual plans must also be comprehensive, using modalities from multiple areas of recovery. This includes psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and art therapy, and holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation.
How to Get the Help One Needs
The key to getting help is “willingness.” The reality is that if one thinks they may have a problem with addiction, they most likely do. People who don’t have an issue with addiction most likely are not asking the question, “Do I have a problem.”
However, asking the question is the first step toward a better and more fulfilling life. When that willingness exists it is important to reach out for help right away. The window when one is willing can close very quickly. The best way to reach out for help is to tell a loved one. This will ensure that there is someone to advocate for recovery. The next step is to reach out to recovery centers. Any reputable recovery center will be able to either help (with insurance, for example) or find an individual the right place for them. This is how we operate at NorthStar Recovery Center, including over the holidays.
What Exactly Is Day Treatment?
Many people are under the misconception that day treatment is less intense than residential treatment. This is simply untrue. Day treatment offers all of the means, methods, and modalities of residential addiction care, but it also offers the freedom to keep one foot in everyday life.
Day treatment usually entails eight-hour days, five days a week. It will include therapy, recovery meetings, and other exciting types of treatments like nature-based therapies. It will also include some accountability like requiring one to attend outside recovery meetings and alcohol and substance testing. This can be worrisome to some who wonder about handling day treatment over the holidays. The good news is that with the right recovery plan, there need be no worries.
Handling Day Treatment Over the Holidays
The key to handling day treatment over the holidays is to stay connected to one’s recovery plan and to focus on both “one day at a time,” as well as healthy goals for the future. It is also important to stay close to other people in recovery.
Connecting with other people in recovery who have shared experiences can be highly beneficial. This is even discussed in length in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book). The chapter is entitled “Working With Others,” and it 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.”
Staying connected to sober people in recovery can also make the holidays more enjoyable and help to avoid a potential relapse. Many people don’t realize just how prevalent relapse can be. According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment.” Also, “For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.”
Handling Day Treatment: Better Understanding Means, Methods, and Modalities
The key to effective long-term recovery is to utilize a multi-angled approach that uses many means, methods, and modalities for treatment. This is also how one gets the essential underlying issues that one must address if they are to fully recover at the cellular level.
It is often said in recovery rooms and 12-Step meetings, “We come for our drinking, and we stay for our thinking.” This is because addiction recovery is about much more than simply putting down the drink or the drug. It is about addressing what caused one to pick up that drink or drug in the first place. This is where psychotherapies like DBT and CBT can be so helpful and effective.
Handling Day Treatment: Psychotherapies
CBT is particularly effective at treating addiction because it gets to the underlying issues and negative ways in which one views oneself and the world around them. It also helps to address essential negative cognitions (thoughts) and emotions (feelings) to best address and modify negative behaviors (actions).
CBT is also highly effective because it offers autonomy and makes the individual part of the recovery process. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns…. Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.”
CBT is also highly effective when used with other psychotherapies like DBT and trauma-informed therapy. It is also benefitted by the use of experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and art therapy.
Handling Day Treatment: Experiential Therapies
As its name suggests, experiential therapy is more about having experiences –rather than merely having discussions in “talk therapy.” Often these experiences are either adventure-based or involve creative output. This is the case with art therapy.
Art therapy is particularly effective for people who struggle with addiction and co-occurring mental illness. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cureus, “Art therapy is used most commonly to treat mental illnesses and can aid in controlling manifestations correlated with psychosocially challenging behaviors, slowing cognitive decline, and enhancing the quality of life. [It] can help people express themselves more freely, improve their mental health, and improve interpersonal relationships. The basis of art therapy is established on the idea that people can recover and feel better via artistic expression.”
Nature is also highly effective when engaging in experiential therapy. This is because nature offers a myriad of benefits. 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%.” Also, many holistic healing methods like yoga can be utilized outdoors.
Handling Day Treatment: Holistic Healing Methods
The iconic yogi and spiritual leader B.K.S. Iyengar famously said, “Yoga is like music: the rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years. Originally it was solely a religious and/or spiritual practice, but it has since moved into the recovery realm.
The benefits of yoga therapy are vast and varied. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions. Yoga therapy involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional, and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations. Yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.” It can also help manage stress over the holidays.
Handling Day Treatment Over the Holidays: Setting Healthy Goals for Long-Term Recovery
Setting goals in recovery can be pivotal. This is because it gives an individual purpose and drive.
There is perhaps no better time to set healthy recovery goals than around the holidays and the new year. As is often said, “New year, new you.” This is what handling the holidays in recovery is all about: positive forward momentum. As previously mentioned, it can also help to reduce the chances of a potential relapse.
Healing Over the Holidays With NorthStar Recovery Center
Here at NorthStar Recovery Center, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” We also believe in handling the holidays in healthy ways like celebrating milestones and safe and sober gift-giving.
Joseph Campbell also famously said, “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” Yes, handling the holidays in recovery can be challenging. However, it is also a time to show us that the choices we have made will forever make our lives more fulfilled and beyond our wildest dreams.
Entering addiction treatment can be difficult at any time, but this can be especially true over the winter holidays. The good news is there are many effective ways to navigate being in day treatment over the holidays, as well as some effective modalities that can help with recovery in the long term. 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 positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about handling day treatment over the holidays, please reach out to NorthStar Recovery Center today at (888) 311-0911.