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It's meant to be a special time of the year when loved ones come together to celebrate, relax and create precious memories. But for many families, alcohol is a wrecking ball that smashes Christmas to bits.
Alcohol is ingrained in our culture and is absolutely everywhere around Christmas and the summer holidays. For people struggling with substances, it's hard to say no to a drink and it's hard to know when to stop, especially when day drinking is the norm, or even expected.
At Ocean Hills, we see the carnage that alcohol causes in the lives of drinkers and their families all throughout the year but Christmas is when people are particularly stressed and tired after a busy year, trying to get everything finished in time for summer holidays. Then there's an expectation that everyone should be loving and have a good time, which can build pressure. Add a lot of alcohol into that scenario and you have a potential explosive that blows up families. For these people, Christmas memories are filled with tears, resentments and cracks in relationships that leave scars. Sometime the damage feels irreversible.
What to do when alcohol has wrecked your Christmas
It might take a particularly nasty drama – which can often come to a head at Christmas – to bring attention to a family member's drinking problem. Their behaviour may have been so disturbing for so long that their loved ones can no longer ignore it, prompting confrontation, ultimatums and interventions.
Loving someone with an alcohol problem takes a heavy toll
Promises to change might have been made over and over again. People lose faith in their loved one and often the drinker no longer believes in themselves. It feels like the end of the road and the alcohol problem – which affects everyone in the family – is completely unmanageable.
That's when professional help is essential. Families who have approached Ocean Hills to help their loved ones are usually at the end of the road in trying to deal with this pervasive, destructive problem that has destroyed their lives. They have exhausted themselves, time and time again. They feel like they have tried everything to help their loved one and have run out of ideas and tolerance. Loving someone with an alcohol problem takes a heavy toll.
However, there is a way through. Professional, qualified clinicians with years of experience in helping people recover from substance abuse can help families navigate the process of getting sober. A stay in a residential rehab like Ocean Hills Detox & Rehab in Napier gives everyone the time and space to start to heal and put in place the tools to build a life of sustainable sobriety.
Intense support, comfort and nurturing at this time is what everyone needs and that's what you get when you bring in a professional team to help you pick up the pieces of lives that have been destroyed by alcohol at Christmas, or any time of the year.
So if you feel like alcohol has taken yet another happy Christmas away from you, take action to get help and make a new start for everyone.
Top tips to help someone with an alcohol problem
Here are three top tips to look after yourself while you are helping a loved one with an alcohol problem:
Don't overreact – that just feeds drama and makes everyone feel worse.
Clearly outline your boundaries and stick to them.
Offer the person a way to get the help they need from professionals.
If you're looking for support to get sober for yourself or someone you love, give Elaine a call on 027 573 7744 for a confidential chat. Private, premium seaside rehab – fees apply.
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