When a spouse or family member is suffering from addiction, it can color life in some dismal shades of blue and gray. Yet treatment offers solace and hope to families who are suffering from the effects of addiction. The holidays are a wonderful time to remember life’s essentials and to be grateful for life itself as well as the love of family. If your family has been bogged down with concern over a suffering loved one, it can be incredibly therapeutic to express gratitude for everything that’s going right and to stay focused on those wonderful things in life to be thankful for.
Spotlight on Addiction
Drug detox centers are able to help thousands of people, but did you know that thousands upon thousands of others are suffering from addiction alone and have not yet sought treatment? If your loved one’s addiction is out in the open, it can be dealt with like any life challenge. You may feel sometimes that your loved one’s addiction is too often in the spotlight of your family, but it’s actually there that it can be combated through treatment and with positive family support.
Family and Friends
Christmas is a cherished time for remembering the love of family and friends. Just as your suffering loved one looks to you for support, remember that you can rely on others in your life for encouragement and comfort when times get hard. You can show your family and friends gratitude on Christmas by enjoying life’s simple pleasures with them–a cup of hot cocoa strewn with heaps of whipped cream.
Life Itself
If your loved one has been suffering from a chronic addiction, but their health is still intact and they are alive to sit and converse at your Christmas dinner table, you certainly have something precious to be thankful for. As the saying goes, where there is life, there is hope and Christmas is a wonderful time to cherish that hope together as a family.
Empathy and Understanding
One thing that many family members come to be grateful for is a heightened sense of empathy for their loved one and understanding of the issues that led them to abuse drugs or alcohol and the type of support that’s required during their recovery process. Many families untap new stores of love and compassion as they struggle through the recovery process together. Naturally, there are pitfalls, but the bonds of family can nurture the healing process–and that’s something unmistakable and worth giving thanks for!
Effective Treatment
Addiction to drugs and alcohol is an old problem–an ancient problem actually. Unlike the past, today we have highly effective addiction treatment options available at recovery centers. Once your loved one understands how drugs and alcohol abuse may be destroying their life, they can seek viable outpatient addiction treatment or inpatient rehab where they can begin their path toward long-term recovery. Treatment is most certainly something grand to be thankful for.
The holidays are a time of joy, so be sure you invite joy to your table during the holidays even if there has been a decided lack of joy in your family for some time. Moreover, joy and gratitude can be highly contagious. You might find that your positive spirit sets the tone for the celebration and gives everyone the chance to enjoy the day with positive hopes for a future free from addiction.
If you or someone you love needs help with their addiction or recovery during the holidays, our compassionate recovery addiction specialists are here to help. Call us today (818) 452-1676 to take the next step toward a meaningful sober life.