AHS Views

Merry Christmas!!! Time to visit friends and family, have some good meals, wrap and unwrap presents – overall a great time. But many people’s Christmas is marred by family members who drink or take drugs. If they’re drinkers, they’ll probably drink even more during Christmas because whatever pressures they feel that drive them to drinking in the first place are intensified by the holiday season. And the fact that others around them are usually also drinking doesn’t help.

For those who have a problem with drugs, whether or not they’ll take them on Christmas depends on how serious that problem is. As with alcohol, someone who really needs addiction help probably won’t be able to stop themselves for Christmas any more than they can during the rest of the year. So, if you’re expecting your son or daughter to show up drug-free, realize that the problem may be out of their control and don’t expect too much.

Am I bringing you down? Had you hoped to have a wonderful Christmas where you didn’t have to think about those problems? Sorry about that. But I’m not the one bringing you down – what’s weighing on you is not my words, it’s the fact that your son, daughter, husband, wife, other relative or friend, has an alcohol or drug problem that’s not being taken care of.

It’s not going to go away, even if I don’t talk about it.

However, you will feel better if you resolve to do something about it and actually take steps in that direction.

If you don’t want another Christmas like this one, like those you’ve had in the past, get that person addiction help services they need. Call us over Christmas and we’ll arrange something. Think what it would be like to not have this problem and be able to get back to living normally without that constant worry and frustration.