Christmas in Rehab – What can you expect?

Rehab may be the last place you expect to be on Christmas day and over the holiday season. Yet if you’re struggling to control your substance abuse habits and/or suffer from mental health issues, it will be the best place for you.

The holiday season is a highly vulnerable time for addicts and recovering addicts. Unhealthy, compulsive behaviours are accepted for the period, such as extreme spending, binge drinking and overindulgence.

To be around such energy, choices and pressures can trigger addictive behaviours, aggravate symptoms, or break the sobriety chain. Either situation can be damaging, disruptive and worrying for someone with an existing history of addiction.

Instead, removing yourself from any influences allows you to remain on track, stay clean and remain optimistic whilst enjoying the festivities.

If spending Christmas in rehab is a new idea for you, it’s understandable that you may have some questions or worry about how the period will pan out. Here’s some insight into Christmas in rehab – what can you expect? At Nova Recovery, we still celebrate Christmas day and the joyous times around it. Yet, we also commit to our client’s recovery journeys to benefit from Christmas in rehab.

Reach out to arrange your admission this December or support a loved one through rehabilitation.

What’s Christmas in rehab like?

Spending Christmas in rehab, at face value, can come across as an unpleasant, miserable, and dysfunctional way to experience the festivities. Yet, it’s far from such pre-conceived ideas.

Christmas in rehab is, in fact, an escape. It’s a safe place to focus on addiction recovery, distance oneself from stressful situations, keep triggers at arm’s length and experience a joyous holiday season.

Many addicts and recovering addicts believe that they will be able to manoeuvre around Christmas and then access new treatment/continue with support groups in the New Year. Some will manage this, yet Christmas is a triggering time for many reasons. Anything from the normalisation of heavy drug and alcohol abuse, financial pressures and stress, and loneliness can trigger a relapse. Not to mention the uncomfortable situations of being surrounded by others who do not understand or support you.

Instead, you can be fully supported by a dedicated team, have a controlled environment to visit/reside in and celebrate Christmas with like-minded peers. Some parts of a typical day in rehab will remain, such as addiction treatment sessions, as it’s essential to keep on track. Yet some of the expected traditions of Christmas day will also be experienced, such as family visits, social activities, relaxation, and a Christmas dinner.

At Nova Recovery, we aim to make Christmas and the festive period as upbeat, light, and normal as possible whilst prioritising addiction recovery. Mixing both can offer you, your family, and your friends many benefits.

Reach out for more information on Christmas in rehab.

Prioritising recovery over the Christmas period

The idea of ignoring symptoms, enjoying the festive period, and regrouping in the New Year will be easier said than done. For someone who’s yet to experience any form of treatment, fixations will be challenging to break alone, never mind across Christmas. Most routines, goals and intentions slip over the holiday season, making it a challenging time to withdraw and disengage from drugs and alcohol. Not to mention how alcohol-heavy the period is here in the UK.

For someone recovering from drug addiction or alcoholism, a pause in treatment/support groups may cause regress. Primarily through early recovery, risks of relapse are high, which can be influenced by a change in routine/commitments.

Christmas can be manoeuvred around for someone who has a strong support network, a relapse prevention plan in place, existing healthy lifestyle choices, and a complete understanding of personal triggers and how to control them. Yet most addicts will not be prepared, best to experience rehab at Christmas.

Prioritising addiction recovery is encouraged instead of enabling unhealthy habits that can intensify and aggravate the period. For the sake of a few days, celebrating, regressing, or relapsing isn’t worth it.

Sacrifices must be made to recover from addiction and mental health issues. Yet within those sacrifices, you can still enjoy and celebrate Christmas in rehab.

Benefits of visiting rehab this Christmas

Below are some of the benefits you can expect to experience by visiting our private recovery hospital over the Christmas period.

• A safe space: You’ll have a safe space to visit or reside in. Environments will be controlled to private rehab standards, ensuring that you’re comfortable and relaxed. A team of professionals will be available to assist you through both addiction recovery and the emotions which are expected through

• Distance: Alcohol and drug consumption are rife across the festive period. People who do not usually abuse such substances will justify their exposure, and those who do abuse them will be inclined to continue. It can be challenging for someone with an addiction to deal with greater exposure. Spending Christmas in rehab will provide enough distance from exposure and triggers to stay sober. Stress will be minimised, personal triggers will be considered, and all consumption will be cut off.

• Remain on track: Progress must be consistent whilst recovering from an addiction. Visiting or residing in rehab for Christmas will ensure that you are consistently working through treatments and recovery steps. There shouldn’t be any form of break in treatment, which can be avoided by experiencing both rehab and Christmas here at Nova Recovery.

• A community feel: Rehab has a natural community feel, especially over the holidays. You can celebrate Christmas with a group of like-minded peers, also experiencing the same process as you. Family and friend visits and calls can also be arranged. For some, Christmas can be a lonely, insolating, or uncomfortable time, by either spending it alone or with people who do not understand their circumstances. Compassion, care, unity, and understanding can instead be felt through

• Reassuring for loved ones: Although it may be challenging to watch a family member or friend spend Christmas in rehab, it’s also reassuring. Addiction and its journey is very worrying, and a rehab admission can provide peace of mind through one of the most triggering times.

• Prepare for future sober festive periods: By working through this Christmas as sober, you’ll be prepared for further sober festive periods. Achieving it once will show you that you have the determination, willpower, and tools to remain sober through the festive season.

You can experience the above benefits, and many more, by opting to recover over the festive period. For more information on what lies ahead, reach out to our team. We’re here to guide you, offering insight into ‘Christmas in rehab – what can you expect?’ and also facilitate your journey.

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John Gillen - Author - Last updated: September 8, 2023

John has travelled extensively around the world, culminating in 19 years’ experience looking at different models. He is the European pioneer of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) treatment to Europe in 2010; and recently back from the USA bringing state of the art Virtual Reality Relapse Prevention and stress reduction therapy. His passion extends to other metabolic disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases. The journey continues. In recent times, John has travelled to Russia to study and research into a new therapy photobiomudulation or systemic laser therapy working with NAD+ scientists and the very best of the medical professionals in the UK and the USA, together with Nadcell, Bionad Hospitals own select Doctors, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Johns’ passion continues to endeavour to bring to the UK and Europe new developments with NAD+ Therapy in preventive and restorative medicine and Wellness. In 2017 John Gillen was made a visiting Professor at the John Naisbitt university in Belgrade Serbia.