NAPLES, Fla. — The holiday season is often known for being filled with joy and cheer, but for many in recovery, it can be a time of loneliness. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 67% of adults say they noticed a behavioral change heading into the winter season.
“We don't necessarily address the kind of stress that comes with holidays," said Mayra Cardenas-Flynn, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Addiction Program manager. "We sometimes return to what is familiar to us, which is to drinking or using any kind of drugs. Holidays are usually anxious times for everybody."
Cardenas-Flynn tells Fox 4, the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation of Naples sees an increase in admissions to its in-patient recovery program every year around the holiday season.
"We over-commit ourselves to social gatherings or social functions and then become easily overwhelmed," said Cardenas-Flynn. "Unhealthy eating is also part of what, you know, contributes to that. Grief, missing loved ones that are no longer with us during the holidays, and also financial strain.”
Cardenas-Flynn says her best piece of advice is to surround yourself with loved ones who will not add to the stress the season can already bring.
