Addiction is an isolating disease – and this is never more evident than during the holiday season. Friends and family members come together in high spirits, while you feel abandoned in your own personal misery. But what if you took a different approach this holiday season?
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For addicts and even people in addiction recovery, the holiday season can be a time of dread rather than joy. Watching the people around you come together and connect in meaningful ways has a way of intensifying your own emotional isolation. It can aggravate feelings of estrangement, disengagement and misunderstanding.
If you’re already feeling pangs of loneliness leading into the holidays, it’s time to get help. Don’t wait until the season is already in full swing and everyone has transitioned to full holiday cheer without you. Instead, why not get proactive and take steps toward feeling better?
This could end up being the first year in many that you actually enjoy the holidays and end up with memories worth sharing and cherishing.
Addiction and Loneliness go Hand-in-Hand
It’s worth noting that loneliness is more than an inevitable emotional state that we have to learn to tolerate. Studies have shown alarming links between feelings of loneliness and cardiovascular problems, chronic depression, immune system functioning and even Alzheimer’s disease. If a person’s lonely on a constant and ongoing basis, there are even correlations between loneliness and shorter lifespan.
And if addiction is a part of your life, then it’s important to know that – no matter how lonely you feel – you definitely aren’t alone. Many addicts experience loneliness this time of year. Even the families and loved ones of addicts are prone to feeling isolated during the holidays.
Rather than giving in to this crushing sense of isolation, take a moment to remind yourself that the holiday season is fleeting. It’s temporary, and you’ll be through the ordeal before you know it. Everyone will go back to their daily lives in no time.
But if your loneliness stems from an ongoing addiction, maybe it’s time to ask yourself if hunkering down and doing your best to simply survive the season is really what’s best for you. Why not get serious about dealing with this addiction once and for all?
This could be a breakthrough year for you – one where you finally get clean and sober and start forging new human connections and relationships. It could be the first holiday season you’ve actually enjoyed in recent memory.
Holidays Can Trigger Addiction Relapse
Relapse triggers can occur any time of year, but the holidays are a particularly triggering time in this regard. There are several reasons that this might occur:
- The holidays involve a change in the routine, and this can disrupt your daily recovery practice.
- Extra financial pressure can work to erode your discipline and sense of resolve.
- Depression and isolation can make it feel like there’s nothing better to do than drink or use.
- Drugs and alcohol are often readily available at holiday and family gatherings.
While it’s true that this is supposed to be a joyful time of year, it can also be an extremely stressful and triggering time for those in recovery or struggling with addiction. For those already trapped in the cycle of addiction, this can be an especially difficult and dangerous time. But even people in recovery are wise to be mindful of the their mental health at this time of year.
How Staying at The Cabin over the Holidays Can Help
The holidays are a perfect time to check into rehab, and there’s no better place to enrol than The Cabin Chiang Mai. Instead of languishing in your own loneliness at home, you’ll find yourself in idyllic surrounds alongside a community of recovery peers who’ve gone through similar experiences. You’ll quickly realise that you’re far from alone. Your new friends are here – and they’re joining you in actively learning how to be happy again.
At The Cabin, we have a great line-up of holiday events planned this year, making this a particularly fun and rewarding time to work on your recovery. We’re planning themed dinner parties, complete with extravagant and nutritious feasts planned by our in-house chef. And there are plenty of special activities on the schedule.
There’s no better time of year to find yourself in Northern Thailand. The skies are clear; the rains have passed; and the daily temperatures have settled into a delightfully comfortable range. You can expect daytime highs of about 30°C, with evening temperatures calling for a light jacket or sweatshirt.
You can spend your days sitting by the pool on our tropical resort grounds, practicing yoga in our garden pavilion or even joining excursions into Chiang Mai city or into the jungle-clad countryside.
A Change of Scenery Could Be Just What You Need
Travelling to Thailand to get sober or even to simply work on your recovery has multiple advantages. For starters, you’re creating distance between yourself and the problems you’ve been experiencing at home. This leaves you with plenty of breathing room and privacy, and it’s likely to help you develop a healthier perspective on your current problems.
Beyond that, travelling to Southeast Asia allows you to capitalise on favourable exchange rates. For the price of a typical holiday excursion, you can take advantage of the best care currently available in an idyllic resort environment. You’ll be surrounded by people who – much like you – can’t help but be delighted to be where they are at this moment in time. That air of positivity works to everyone’s advantage and strengthens your recovery in the process.
If you’re ready to retake control of your life and turn this holiday season into a cause for celebration, get in touch with The Cabin. We have limited spaces available over the holiday season, which will be here before we know it. Contact us through the website and reserve yours.
