Finding Rehab During the Holiday Season
Each year as the holidays approach, families may postpone their efforts to get a loved one to rehab. It may be that families are so desperate to see a loved one who was lost to addiction that they don’t even want to think about sending him (or her) away. After all, it may be the only time they see this person this year. Moms and dads may want to have just a few moments of family togetherness with this person they’re worried about night and day.
This feeling is completely understandable. Of course, they want to have a nice holiday celebration with everyone together again.
Comments from several addicted people who did show up for their holiday dinners after being away shows that no one got what they wanted from these celebrations.
We’ve heard stories like these:
“I doped off during dinner.”
“My mom cried the whole time I was home.”
“I sneaked off to smoke heroin during dinner.”
“My mom took me in the bedroom and begged me to quit using drugs.”
These holidays usually wind up being miserable and unpleasant for everyone. The addicted very often just decide to stay away in the future.
Then they are really out of reach of the family’s help.
A Better Way to Help
It may go against the grain, but a much better way to proceed is to locate an effective rehab service before the holidays. If you foresee needing an interventionist (because you know the person will reject the idea of recovery) then line this person up as well. It’s not the perfect time to spring the idea of rehab on an addicted person when he arrives for the holiday but this may be the only time you see him (or her). Therefore, it may be your only chance to save his life.
One woman told the story of arriving at rehab just before Christmas and being sad about not being able to give her teenage children gifts that year. She called her kids to apologize. “That’s okay, mom,” one of her kids replied. “Your being there is the best present you could give us.”
An addicted person may go on for years, finding and using drugs. Or it could all end tonight with a potent bag of heroin, a synthetic drug that kills after one hit, or an arrest for dealing drugs or some other crime. The right time to help an addict find rehab is now, today. There might be another chance and there might not. The best way to avoid tragedy is to get the person into the best drug rehab program you can find, right now.
If you need help, call Narconon today. We can help you work out the best way to get this person to arrive. Do it now. So everyone can have a safer and healthier holiday.