Ready to Get Sober? 5 Reasons Not to Wait Until After the Holidays
Last Updated on October 3, 2023
- You can still enjoy the holiday season sober.
First and foremost, enrolling in an addiction treatment program during the holidays doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the season. Somewhere along the line, someone decided that in order to be “festive” or to have fun during the holidays, you have to drink. This is a lie that many people have bought into. In fact, during the holidays, U.S. alcohol consumption increases dramatically every year, and one survey even found that Americans drink twice as much alcohol during the holidays compared to the rest of the year.1 Despite what our culture may convey, overindulging in alcohol is not a necessary part of celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve, and you can still have a great time celebrating the holidays in rehab while you work to achieve a better and healthier version of yourself.
- It’s too easy to talk yourself out of going to rehab.
How many times have you put something off only to rethink it later and forego it entirely? You may tell yourself or your loved ones that you’ll take care of your drug addiction after the holidays, but when that time comes around, it’s far too easy to convince yourself that you don’t need treatment after all. Deciding to enroll in drug rehab and get help for your addiction is a difficult choice to make in the first place, but putting it off is a surefire way to make sure it never happens. One of the best ways to make good on a commitment is to get to work right away, so why should your addiction treatment be any different?
- Time is never guaranteed.
As someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, you may have had your own personal experiences with overdose or, at the very least, be well aware of the risks involved with long-term drug and alcohol abuse. Drug abuse and addiction have severe, life-threatening consequences that shouldn’t be ignored. If you’re binging on cocaine daily, injecting heroin regularly, or always blackout drunk, your life is no longer your own; it’s controlled by your addiction and the side effects of that lifestyle can be devastating. Unfortunately, time is never guaranteed but we can always make the most of the time we have now.
- Procrastinating is, in essence, denying the problem.
Continually putting off a decision to get help for your addiction is a form of denial. Denial is a common problem for people who are suffering from addiction and it often displays itself in many different ways. Thinking that you’re in control of your drinking, believing you’re a victim to your life circumstances, or underestimating the impact your substance abuse has on others are all common forms of denial.2 Many of these thoughts are rooted in an unwillingness to admit the problem and get help for it and denial is one of the main roadblocks that keep people from enrolling in drug rehab. You may have the desire to get sober, but being willing to admit the problem, accept help, and give up your old addictive habits are all important aspects of long-term sobriety.
- Going to rehab now also has its benefits.
Waiting to go to rehab may seem ideal, but enrolling now also has its benefits. The busyness and responsibilities of life will always be present but putting your physical and mental health on the backburner could have severe consequences. In addition, enrolling in rehab before Christmas and New Year’s Eve gives you a free pass to avoid all those crazy holiday parties and New Year’s Eve parties that often involve alcohol and drug abuse. The thought of socializing sober may seem daunting, but in rehab, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded people who also want to pursue a life in recovery, so you don’t have to face the temptation to drink or feel socially isolated. Instead, you can spend your holiday season building healthy relationships and working hard to ensure that next year’s holidays are sober, meaningful, and better than ever.
The truth is, no one can force you to enroll in rehab. The choice to go and the timing of it all is up to you. However, you don’t have to wait until the holidays are over to make a change that may transform your life. It is possible to fully recover from addiction and you can start today.
If you’re ready to take hold of a fresh start, or you recently relapsed and need help getting back on track, the friendly and knowledgeable admissions team at Nova is ready to help you. We can help you determine what type of rehab program will meet your needs, verify your insurance over the phone, and begin the enrollment process if you decide to pursue treatment. Call (888) 857-0557 to speak with a Nova admissions representative today.
References:
- https://nypost.com/2018/12/04/people-drink-twice-as-much-alcohol-over-the-holidays/
- https://www.verywellmind.com/definition-of-denial-22200