Some inpatient rehab facilities offer a holiday furlough to patients who are doing particularly well in their program. If you are on a holiday furlough, there are things that you need to avoid in order to prevent relapse and to keep your standing as a successful rehab patient.
1. Try to Avoid Stress
Although according to the Mayo Clinic, the holidays are a time of stress for some people and that stress is difficult to avoid, do your best to avoid situations that cause you undue stress such as negative people.
2. Stay Away from Friends that Use
If you are new to being sober, try to stay away from your friends that you know use drugs. Although you might want to see some of them, if you suspect they will jeopardize your recovery it is best to stay away.
3. Avoid Alienating those Who You Have Hurt
Appreciate the time you get with your loved ones.
Remember that not everyone will be happy with you even though you are trying to recovery from drug use. Make a special effort to show your progress to the people whom you have harmed.
4. Parties where Drugs are Likely
Avoid holiday parties where drugs and alcohol are featured. Although alcohol is a holiday tradition, try to stay away from it if possible.
5. Clubs that are Conducive to Drug Use
Try to avoid clubbing in general. Although each club and bar is different, many contain a myriad of dealers and users. The temptation might be too much.
6. Family Members that Use Drugs
If your family members use drugs, attempt to avoid them. If they use drugs in the home you will be staying at during the furlough, you might want to reconsider the furlough.
7. Your Dealer
This one should be obvious but you also might want to avoid places where your dealer hangs out. If your dealer approaches you, know how to react. This can be something as simple as saying no thanks or if the dealer is pressuring you walk away. Remember that your dealer wants to sell you drugs, that is his goal. He is not your friend.
8. Places Where you Used to Use
Again this one seems obvious but there are some places that you are more likely to use than others. There are places that make using drugs easier such as crack houses, certain neighborhoods, private clubs, and other users homes.
9. People that will Cause Damage to your Self-esteem
If your cousin or a specific friend has a habit of making you feel bad by commenting on your weight or appearance, avoid them. It might not be polite but it will help you avoid backsliding.
10. Avoid Friends and Family Members that are Not supportive of your Recovery
This is probably one of the most important things to avoid. People that do not support your recovery are a negative influence on you. If you are simply furloughed for the holidays and not in complete recovery the things unsupportive people do and say can cause you to relapse.
Meth addiction is a very dangerous and damaging condition that affects thousands of individuals and their families each and every day. When you know that a loved one is addicted to crystal meth, getting them to go to rehab can save their life but how you will get them to accept help is another story. Many meth….
If you or a loved on is addicted to drugs and needs help you should be prepared to ask many questions when you are trying to choose between the various types of treatment for addiction that are available to you. Whether you are looking for inpatient drug rehab or a less invasive outpatient drug rehab….
Are you trying to figure out if you should seek treatment that’s close to home or far away? If you’ve wondered for some time now if there are benefits to seeking help that’s local or if you should choose a rehab center that offers treatment a distance away from your community and home—consider these benefits to….
Opiate addiction affects more than 1 million Americans and this number is steadily on the rise. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the reason for such an alarming number of people becoming addiction to opiates is likely a result of the high number of Americans who are being prescribed (and subsequently becoming addicted)….
According to the Institute of Medicine (US), “The length of time in treatment consistently has been found to be an important determinant of both short- and long-term improvement.” Recovery is a process of changes for the better and there is a grave importance of long-term rehab in recovery that many people just don’t get when….
Xanax belongs to a family of drugs known as benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines do a good job at relieving symptoms of anxiety and stress in general. Drugs in this class also carry a risk of addiction when not taken as prescribed or used for recreational purposes. According to American Family Physician, one to two percent of the….
Chronic alcohol consumption can have many negative effects on the body and dramatically impairs brain development. Long term alcohol abuse causes dementia, physical dependence and the shrinkage of the brain. While there is some evidence that suggests that alcohol consumption in a low to moderate manner can have some positive health benefits the literature to….
Many different types of rehab centers exist: some provide a more lax environment from which patients are able to come and go every day while others provide a more restrictive environment where patients stay at the facility and are very scheduled throughout the day. As such, it is sometimes difficult to know which individuals need….
Drug rehab is a program that helps individuals who are addicted to drugs to overcome their addiction and live sober lives. If you suffer from an addiction to drugs and are thinking about getting help at a drug rehabilitation center then chances are you are already wondering, “What happens during drug rehab?” Fear of the….
At first, it may be easy to overlook the signs of addiction in a loved one. Episodes of “unusual” behavior can be written off as ‘he’s having a bad day’ or ‘it’s just her time of the month.’” Over time, these episodes turn into half-day, whole day and eventual everyday moods and attitudes. After a….
