LYNN — While the holiday season can be tough on anyone, this time of year can present additional challenges for people recovering from addiction.
Daniel Buhay, community outreach manager for BrightView Lynn Addiction Treatment Center, said that there are a variety of challenges the holidays can present to people in recovery.
“For starters, there’s times when you’ll be around your family more often, and that can present some issues,” Buhay said. “People can care about each other but have trouble getting along. Other times, there are old conflicts simmering around the surface. Stuff like that can trigger you to make you want to revisit, whether it be opioid addiction or alcohol.”
Other triggers can be financial stress and holiday parties where there are more opportunities to be around alcohol.
For some people, the holidays can bring up times of loneliness, loss, or sadness.
“It’s common for people to have mixed feelings during the holidays,” Buhay said. “For those in recovery, those feelings can present a bigger challenge.”
There are ways, though, for people in recovery to meet those challenges.
Buhay stressed that it is important for people in recovery to stay connected to their support system of friends and loved ones.
“Even during the holiday season when you’re traveling and really can’t be with that someone physically at all times, it’s important to really make plans with these people that you trust,” he said. “Either call, text, or just be able to check in frequently just to have that support system there.”
He added that it can help people in recovery to be open with friends and family.
Buhay said that having an emergency plan ahead of time is crucial.
“Get in touch with a substance-abuse counselor or someone else who can help you if you need to talk to someone immediately,” he said. “The thing about our industry is that we’re all in this together. We’ll do anything to support the patients we have who are in recovery. A phone call on Christmas, if it’s something as little as that, is a big deal to a patient in need. We’re all happy to help out in any way that we can.”
He added that friends and family can help their loved ones in recovery by being supportive in any way they can.
“If you have a friend or loved one in recovery, a lot of time you don’t know how to help,” Buhay said. “For starters, educate yourself on addiction and recovery, especially if you have a loved one who’s suffering from it. Be there to support them and listen to any kind of issues they may be struggling with.”
The most important thing a loved one can do to help someone in recover, Buhay said, is listen.
“If you’re talking to someone who is suffering some sort of addiction and they’re in recovery, a lot of times they need to talk it through with someone,” Buhay said.
He emphasized that there is no “one-size-fits-all” way for a person in recovery or their support system to deal with triggers.
“The thing about addiction is that each person who is suffering from addiction is suffering from their own unique issue,” Buhay said. “Everyone who suffers from it deals with it in a different way. The best thing you can do is just to be as supportive as possible.”
While the holiday season can present challenges to people in recovery, Buhay said that every day is already a battle.
“You never know which day will be harder than the next,” he said. “It’s important to have people in your life who can guide you through the recovery phase. It’s not something you wake up and deal with, then it’s over with. It’s something that’s going to stay with you throughout your life.”
