Tips for Thanksgiving with a Loved One in Early Recovery
Supporting a Loved One in Recovery at Thanksgiving
The holidays are usually a very special time for families throughout the country. Thanksgiving is a special time of year where families get together, have a wonderful meal, watch football, and generally enjoy time together. When you have a family member, friend, or loved one that has recently completed a recovery program, you may feel as though you want to go the extra mile to ensure that they feel comfortable during these times. If your loved one is currently in treatment, something that you may want to consider is taking advantage of family therapy. Any top-rated treatment facility will offer family therapy which is an excellent way for you to begin to take steps toward reconnecting with this special person in your life. During family therapy, you will have the opportunity to communicate with your loved one in a healthy way. You can begin to put together the foundation of your relationship and learn more about the struggles that your loved one may have faced during the time that they were in active addiction and early recovery.
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Something else that you may want to think about is taking an active role in the recovery plan of your loved one. There are several things that you can do to support them during this stretch of time. Here are some examples:
Be willing to listen
It’s possible that your loved ones, especially around the holidays, may feel as though they are at a loss with certain aspects of their life. Sometimes, all they need is to find someone to listen to what they are thinking and feeling in that moment so that they can get through it and refocus themselves.
Interaction with their treatment team
One of the best things that you can do to show your loved ones that you are committed to supporting them is to be an active participant in their recovery plan. When you work with a treatment team such as the staff Resurgence, you will have every opportunity to learn more about the disease of addiction which can help you to better your relationship with your loved one.
Attend your own support groups
Many people mistakenly believe that meetings are only for the person that is struggling with addiction. The reality is that there are many support groups that are specifically designed for the friends and family members of those that have dealt with addiction. When you attend these meetings, you have the opportunity to develop your own system of support which is something that can provide you with a sense of peace and understanding.
Celebrating Thanksgiving with a Family Member or Friend in Early Recovery
If your loved one is relatively early on in their recovery, you may find yourself worried or anxious when it comes to putting together plans for Thanksgiving. Here are a couple of tips that you should keep in mind when it comes to putting together this special family holiday:
Be conscious of your personal responsibility
While it’s true that there are several things that you can do to make the environment easier for your family member to manage, ultimately, they are responsible for their own choices. If you’re concerned about your loved one, you can always reach out to them ahead of your Thanksgiving event and ask if there is anything that you can do to make the environment more welcoming. If the answer is no, then it’s important that you accept that and move on with your planning.
Think about whether you’re ready for this step
While it’s true that bringing your family together for Thanksgiving can come with the opportunity to make an abundance of memories, having everyone get together before every person is ready can lead to disaster. If you have other family members that still have their misgivings, you may want to consider scaling back a large family event this year and opt to have a series of personalized interactions. Even if these smaller events aren’t on Thanksgiving, taking this course of action may help to keep everyone more comfortable.
Be wary of alcohol availability
If your loved one has struggled with an addiction to alcohol, you may want to check with that person if they would still feel comfortable coming to your event if you plan to serve alcohol. While it’s true that you can always make your event 100% alcohol-free, it’s possible that your friend or family member may not mind being around alcohol. A good recommendation is to do your due diligence and check with your guest ahead of time to ensure that they will not feel triggered by the presence of this substance.
Be aware of relapse warning signs
There are many people that fall back into the trap of addiction specifically around the holidays. It’s important to remember that there are a tremendous amount of people that relapse around the holiday season. While the holidays are a special time for many people, if a person is new to the premise of recovery they may feel overwhelmed by the myriad of emotions that they may be feeling during this time. If you’re hosting a Thanksgiving event, you may want to be on the lookout for odd or erratic behavior. If your loved one has relapsed, it’s important that you draw a clear line regarding unacceptable behavior. It may be beneficial for you to ask that person to leave for the night so that they don’t disrupt the events or you may want to encourage them to find a meeting as soon as possible so that they are able to refocus their attention.
Ask if they would like to invite a sober companion
It’s understandable that your loved one may still feel uncomfortable around friends or family, especially if there is alcohol present at the event. A thoughtful gesture would be to allow your loved one to invite a sober friend to attend Thanksgiving with them. This can provide your family member with the additional support that they may need if they feel uncomfortable at any point during the get-together. Also, taking the opportunity to get to know the sober friends of your family member is a wonderful way to learn more about the new life that your loved one is trying to develop.
Give them space
During the course of the party, it’s possible that your loved ones may feel as though they need time just to be on their own. Giving them that space is important. Whether that entails giving them the flexibility to have a room to themselves so that they can make a phone call to a sober friend or even go out for a walk so that they can refocus themselves, it’s important that you try not to overwhelm them with constant questions about whether they are okay or not. Hovering can often cause a person to pull further away.
Check-in with them about drinks and foods
Asking your family member if they have a specific type of drink or food that they would like to have at your Thanksgiving celebration is an excellent way to help them to feel comfortable. Taking this step can also help to ensure that you have everything that you need as the host of the event.
Addiction Treatment and Recovery Support at Resurgence Behavioral Health
The holidays can be a difficult time of year even if you are not struggling with an addiction. However, if you are ready to reach out for the help that you need, Resurgence Behavioral Health provides you with the best opportunity to learn how to live a life that is addiction-free. For some people, their recovery journey is something that will begin in detox. Detox gives you the chance to remove the influence of drugs or alcohol from your body in a safe and healthy manner. Clients that opt to take advantage of detox will have the peace of mind of knowing that they will be well cared for during this first week of your recovery journey.
When you’re ready to transition into a treatment program, our recovery team is ready to help. We offer inpatient and outpatient programs to suit the needs of any client. If you need to change the environment around you you may have a better opportunity to truly overcome your addiction once and for all. Attending an inpatient treatment program gives you this unique opportunity. There are many people that cannot make this type of commitment due to their work or school schedule. If you fall into this category, an outpatient treatment program would be the best option for you. An outpatient treatment program is the most flexible treatment program as it allows you to develop your recovery program around your own unique schedule.
The Resurgence Behavioral Health team is here to provide you with the care and reassurance that you need to get through these dark times in your life. For more information about our detox and recovery programs or about celebrating Thanksgiving with a family member in recovery, please reach out to us today at (855) 458-0050.
