The holidays are officially here, which means you may be experiencing holiday-related stress already. Even though this time of year has the illusion of being joyful and merry, it can be everything but. The financial stress of buying presents, the physical stress of hosting holidays and the mental stress of dealing with extended family can be enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed and out of sorts. 

However, if your go-to source of relief is drugs and alcohol, you may want to reassess things. Without healthy coping skills, it’s easy for substance use to spiral out of control during the holidays. The last thing you want is to self-medicate all holiday season and then enter the new year with even greater problems. 

Fortunately, you can start an Arizona rehab program prior to the holidays. You will need time to recover from a severe addiction, so don’t expect to be ‘healed’ by the time Santa arrives. That being said, you need to start somewhere, and there is no benefit in delaying treatment. If your addiction is mild to moderate, a few weeks in recovery can make a huge difference in your holiday season. 

Below are five reasons to start rehab before the holidays. Keep in mind that there is no ‘right’ time to seek treatment. These are merely benefits of choosing to start your recovery in December. 

1. The holidays are triggering and can cause your substance use to worsen. 

The holidays involve a myriad of triggers. Some of the main triggers unique to this season include: 

• More drinking. Between holiday parties, more time off work and getting together with friends and family, it can feel like drinking is everyone’s favorite hobby. 
• Family drama. Whether it’s unearthing past trauma or simply dealing with holiday stress, family drama can increase twofold during the holidays. 
• Financial stress. Holiday shopping can drain your finances. And, if you can’t afford to buy presents, you may feel insecure around others. 
• More to-do, less time. Your calendar may be filled with festive outings, Christmas parties and more, making you feel obligated to attend events you aren’t comfortable with. 

If you commit to an Arizona rehab, your holidays will certainly look different. Instead of taking part in all of the holiday festivities, you’ll be spending time in therapy, working on your recovery. 

However, this also means that you don’t have to be weighed down by holiday commitments. You can use this time to focus on yourself and getting healthy. Furthermore, if you seek therapy from an outpatient program, you’ll be able to put your skills into action right away. 

2. You’re likely to have more time to complete Arizona rehab.  

Even though people’s schedules are busier over the holidays, they are usually working less. Depending on your job, now could be a good time to take off. You may have vacation days to use up or the office may be slow in December. 

Typical paid holidays include Christmas and New Year’s Day, though many people have time off or shortened days in between as well, such as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. This can make it easier to start an outpatient program and establish a foundation for your recovery. 

3. You can maximize your health insurance benefits. 

Another practical reason to start outpatient Arizona rehab before the holidays is to maximize your health insurance benefits. Once the new year begins, your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum will reset. To ensure you use the benefits that you have earned and paid for, you’ll want to start treatment before the new year. 

The best way to find out what benefits you have is by calling your insurance provider or calling the treatment center directly. Wolf Creek Recovery will verify your benefits right over the phone and help you understand what your specific plan covers. We accept many forms of insurance, though be aware that you will still be responsible for any deductibles, coinsurance and/or copays. 

4. Get a fresh start for the new year.

The New Year is associated with new beginnings, and what better way to give yourself a clean slate than by starting treatment? You do not have to wait until January 1st to start your sobriety. By entering a drug rehab before the holidays, you can tackle some of the more challenging parts of recovery, such as detox. 

By the time the new year rolls around, you’ll already be building a new life and feel more prepared to take on the challenges that happen in recovery. Plus, the momentum that the new year brings in terms of positive change can inspire you to keep moving forward in your recovery. Other people will be working on other positive changes, but you’ll already have a foothold in sobriety. 

5. Enjoy the holiday season and all it has to offer. 

If you think back to previous holidays, you may find that you don’t remember much of them. Or perhaps they are always filled with turmoil as you say and do things you don’t mean (hangxiety). Unfortunately, this is the ugly face of addiction. It causes you to miss out on what’s really important, as all your attention is focused on obtaining substances, using substances and then recovering from substances.

Imagine not having to rely on substances – you would have much more time to participate in enjoyable holiday-related activities like making gingerbread houses, baking cookies and hanging ornaments on the tree. By taking one day at a time, you can capture the true spirit of the holiday and push drugs and alcohol out of your life. Your family will also appreciate having the real you back. 

Enter Arizona Rehab Before the Holidays and Make REAL Change! 

We know that the addiction recovery process isn’t as easy as completing a treatment program and moving on with your life. Recovery is a long and tiresome journey with many ups and downs – and it certainly doesn’t end in a few weeks. However, you need to start somewhere, and there are clear benefits to entering drug rehab before the holidays. 

If you want to learn more about the support you can receive over the holidays, contact Wolf Creek Recovery. We have flexible programs that make it easy to remain with family, maintain your normal routine and enjoy the holidays with loved ones while also receiving professional help.