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Supporting Your Loved One with a Substance Use Disorder During the Holiday Season

During the holidays, families come together to share meals and make new memories that can last a lifetime. However, for those with a substance use disorder (SUD), this can be both a blessing and a challenge. Supporting a loved one with SUDs may mean changing up the routine to help everyone feel included. Individuals with SUDs will do their best to meet holiday traditions, but friends and family can do their part to be accommodating as well.

Why the Holidays Sometimes Trigger Substance Use Disorders

Between shopping, planning, and traveling, there is typically a lot going on during this time of year. For those with SUDs, walking past the wine rack might be even more difficult than usual. However, by focusing on healthy coping mechanisms, your loved one with substance abuse disorders can get through the holidays with their sanity and sobriety intact. Stress is amplified by reminders of loneliness, family conflict, and financial trouble for those with addiction.

How to Support a Loved One with SUDs During the Holidays

You can help your loved one with SUD stay true to their recovery during the holidays and beyond. Here are some simple tips for doing that.

Don’t Build Parties Around Alcohol

Put the alcohol away, or better yet, don’t buy it at all if you have a loved one with SUD. Watching others drink makes family gatherings and social events awkward and difficult for those with SUDs. Even if they have been in recovery for a long time, they can stumble and relapse during or after a holiday party with alcohol or illicit substances.

Tune into Behaviors

If you attend a holiday event with a friend who has SUDs, keep an eye on them to determine whether they feel comfortable or overwhelmed. You can do this without policing them. Support them with your presence and hold off on grabbing an alcoholic beverage to celebrate the holidays. Most importantly, don’t challenge or put them on the defensive, which may trigger anxiety or relapse.

Suggest an Early Evening

Before leaving for the event, discuss an early exit strategy. As parties drag on, inhibitions may wear down, and your loved one may feel the pressure of their SUD more. Attending for an hour or so and then leaving can alleviate the pressure to stay sober while everyone else is having a drink for the holidays. Prepare to serve as the designated driver. If all goes well, you and your loved one will both be in great condition to drive home. However, it’s better to cover your bases.

Plan Productive and Sober Activities

Healthy activities promote physical and mental well-being — gift your loved one with yoga classes or a gym membership. Skiing and hiking make great holiday activities that boost your endorphins without triggering a relapse in those with SUDs. In any case, staying active is one of the best ways you can support your loved one in recovery.

Help Is Always Available for Substance Use Disorders

When it comes to supporting your loved one with a SUD, keep it simple and don’t forget to enjoy the holidays yourself. By staying relaxed and showing you care, you already provide more support than you know. Keep your loved ones plugged into Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), which often sponsor special events during the holidays. If necessary, recommend family therapy focused on dealing with substance use disorders during the holidays.

Education and awareness can prevent triggering events and help everyone enjoy the most beautiful time of the year. Additionally, reaching out your hand to a loved one with SUD reminds them that they are not alone. That may be the best gift you can give them this year. If someone you love is exhibiting the signs of a substance abuse disorder, it’s time to reach out for help. Using the Addiction Treatment Needs Assessment on the Treatment Connection website, you can determine what type of treatment you or your loved one most likely needs.

DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG POST DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material (collectively, “Information”) contained on this blog post are for informational purposes only. None of the Information is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog post.

Substance Use Disorder In Indigenous Communities

Indigenous communities are at high risk of substance use disorder due to a variety of reasons. The outreach to indigenous populations is often poor in quality, and many indigenous youths do not get exposure to the available substance use disorder treatment. Many indigenous communities are denied the basic technology that others rely on heavily for information and education. Thus, substance use disorder in indigenous communities is often not addressed adequately. This leads many to begin misusing substances at a young age, and without any guidance about how to avoid or recover from drug or alcohol misuse, many develop an addiction. Developing drug and alcohol intervention programs for indigenous communities would improve the overall health and wellness of not just those struggling with dependency but all of those who care for and interact with them.

Alcohol Misuse Leading to Other Substance Misuse

Indigenous communities see a higher prevalence of alcohol misuse among teens when compared to communities of Caucasian youth in the United States. Indigenous communities show alcohol misuse among teenage boys grades 9-12 at 49% and girls the same age at 35.7%. For non-indigenous communities, the rate of alcohol misuse was 38.6% for males and 21.9% for females. Regarding marijuana misuse, the rates for indigenous communities were higher than those in non-Indigenous communities at comparable rates. Early alcohol misuse can lead to several issues, including:

Turning to more powerful drugs because of a lack of understanding
Difficulty in early adulthood trying to work or go to school
Poor interpersonal relationships because of the addiction
Trouble recognizing the issues of addiction because of limited education and resources

Early intervention is essential to a positive outcome when it comes to teenagers and substance use disorder. Indigenous populations must develop a more comprehensive strategy to address inequities in the delivery of valuable resources. For populations at risk of substance use disorder, we need to provide substance use disorder treatment that is accessible.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Addiction

Although indigenous communities struggle with addiction treatment resources, there are opportunities for treatment once you identify an addiction exists. A lack of understanding plays a big role in addiction throughout the indigenous community, and many become addicted to substances because of this. In areas of substantial poverty, the use of substances grows. Indigenous communities experience poverty at higher levels than others, and it’s important to deal with these inequalities to begin dealing with systemic substance use disorder. Studies have shown that when substance use disorder programs are designed alongside indigenous groups there are significant benefits.

The Addiction Treatment Process

Addiction treatment begins with time in a detox facility. For people addicted to alcohol, detox is an important component of recovery. Detox allows you to go through the withdrawal process with the right support in place. If you are an indigenous community member, you can still find substance use disorder treatment in the United States. To locate treatment, you can:

Contact area detox facilities to see what is available
Look for a national helpline to find substance use disorder treatment
Speak to your doctor about finding substance use disorder treatment
Do your research online to find the right program

Once you complete detox, you can move on to a short-term rehab program for addiction. After you determine that you need help for an addiction, look into finding a program that is right for you. Heal your life when you take control of your addiction.

Find Substance Use Disorder Treatment Today

Substance use disorder in indigenous communities continues to spread, so it’s important to reach out for help when you need it. Even though indigenous populations are at a greater risk of substance use disorder due to a lack of resources, poverty, and education, there is support available. When you know that you have a problem with addiction but aren’t sure what to do, calling for help is a good first step. You can find the support you need with the Treatment Connection website.

What is Telehealth for Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment?

Due to social distancing and stay at home orders, telehealth has become a go-to strategy for health care providers wishing to keep up with their clients. You can attend a telehealth appointment via phone, video, or email. Typically, telehealth services for substance use disorder take place via phone or video conferencing. Additionally, you can reach out to your therapist or medical provider regarding concerns you have about your mental health.

You may not find an immediate opening at a recovery program after detox due to COVID-19-related closures. Therefore, telehealth services can help you receive the care you need in an emergency. After taking our addiction treatment needs assessment, you can explore Treatment Connections to find the right telehealth provider for you. Once you have scheduled an appointment, the tips below can help prepare you.

Document Withdrawal Symptoms

Write down your main fears and concerns regarding obstacles to your long-term recovery. Treat the telehealth program just as seriously as you would an in-person group therapy or individual therapy session. Additionally, include any physical symptoms that you have concerning withdrawal or other health conditions.

Symptoms to write down include the following:

Pain
Headaches
Confusion
Nausea
Depression
Anxiety

Write Down Any Mental Health Concerns

Let your doctor or therapist know about any previously diagnosed mental health disorders. If you experience new symptoms, write them down in your Journal. This will help keep it fresh in your mind if you don’t get to talk to your care provider right away.

If you currently take any medications for substance use disorder or mental health concerns, let your telehealth consultant know. Come to the first session prepared to provide detailed information about your past health conditions, including substance use disorders.

Write Down Your Questions

You may do a lot of writing before a telehealth appointment. However, this helps you remember questions that come up while they’re still fresh in your mind. If you already keep a journal, add your questions in a designated section to have them handy for your virtual appointment.

Find a Quiet Place for the Telehealth Appointment

If you live with your family, pets, or roommates, you may have difficulty finding a quiet place for your telehealth appointment. Look for a calm spot where you can speak freely without getting frustrated or anxious. Turning on the TV and using headphones or earbuds can help you hear the doctor or therapist better.

Prepare Your Device Well in Advance

You will need a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to talk to your telehealth providers. Make sure that your device of choice has enough power to get through the session. You may also want to keep a backup handy, such as a smartphone that can act as a hot spot if the internet goes down. Usually, the telehealth provider sends easy to use instructions before the appointment. Be sure to review the instructions before the meeting.

Check Your Schedule for a Follow Up Appointment

A telehealth program gives you access to medical and psychological care during a shutdown. While technology is a great substitute during an emergency, your health care professional or mental health therapist will want to see you in person at some point. In the meantime, you will still have access to help via convenient telehealth services.

Preparing for the appointment in advance gives you time to think of all the things you want to ask your doctor or therapist. It may help to calm you down for a more productive session.

Treatment Connection provides an online directory of mental health and substance use disorder telehealth providers to help you find a treatment center in your area that fits your needs. You don’t have to feel alone during your recovery. If you feel that your sobriety or mental health hangs in the balance, reach out to a treatment center for an emergency telehealth appointment today.

What to Expect in Drug Rehab

If you’re affected by signs of drug addiction, it’s time to seek a diagnosis from a trained professional. Your doctor or an addiction specialist will determine if you fit the criteria for addiction or misuse. If you do, they will also recommend options for appropriate treatment. What should you expect during your time in substance use treatment? The course of care varies somewhat from person to person. However, this general overview will explain the milestones typically experienced in a recovery program to give you or a loved one a sense of what to expect.

What to Expect in Drug Treatment

Help Detoxing From the Source of Your Addiction

A person with substance use disorder may face withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop using drugs. As you enter a treatment program, you may face physical symptoms as you halt your drug use. Some opioid-specific recovery programs encourage use of opioid agonist medications to help prevent intense withdrawal symptoms, while others encourage no drugs at all. If you are looking for a treatment program, you may want to consider medication-assisted programs or abstinence-only programs depending on what may work best for you.

If you choose an abstinence-only approach, dealing with withdrawal on your own can be extremely difficult. In drug treatment, you don’t go through withdrawal on your own. Instead, you receive support from supervised detox or detoxification professionals. This supervised approach:

Helps make your withdrawal symptoms easier to tolerate
Keeps you safe as the stages of withdrawal proceed
Provides any needed assistance for withdrawal complications

The exact steps used to meet these goals depend on the specific substance in your system.

Treatment That Supports Long-Term Recovery

Stopping use of substances is just one part of your addiction recovery. However, by itself, it may not be enough to help you stay on the path to recovery. You may need continued support from a drug treatment plan.

This plan has both short- and long-term goals. Your treatment plan will help you avoid relapse in the short term. In the long term, it provides you with the skills and abilities you need to stay in recovery when acute treatment ends.

There are two main options for drug treatment. The first of these options, psychotherapy, plays a part in most recovery plans. The second, medication, may be used to help people affected by certain forms of addiction. When used, medication typically helps support your short-term recovery. Therapy provides longer-term support by showing you how to do things such as:

Identify the things in everyday life that make you more likely to return to substance use.
Learn how to avoid or cope with those influences while maintaining your recovery
Develop new behaviors, emotional responses in the short term, and thoughts that help you stay in recovery

Medication and therapy options differ for specific forms of addiction.

Drug Treatment Help After Primary Treatment

As a rule, you still need professional support when primary drug treatment ends. For this reason, many high-quality programs feature aftercare services. These services help you stay in touch with important professional resources. They may also provide support from recovery peers who have gone through the treatment process.

Turn to Treatment Connection for Top Recovery Providers in Your Area

The quality of the drug treatment you receive has a major impact on your recovery. At Treatment Connection, we provide you with a 24/7 resource for finding the top mental health and substance use treatment facilities in your area. Whenever you want, you can access our pre-screened directory of addiction specialists.

Search for a particular provider or conduct a zip code search. Whichever option you choose, you’ll only see qualified professionals in your search findings. What’s more, all searches are anonymous to help preserve your privacy. To begin the process of recovery, start using Treatment Connection today.

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