Holidays Away from Home

By Wesley Gallagher

The holidays are meant to be a time of togetherness and cheer, joy, and merriment. But the reality is that the holidays aren’t always merry for everyone. This is particularly true for families dealing with a child’s substance abuse or mental illness.

Enrolling a teen or adolescent in treatment is a big decision no matter the time of year, but it can be particularly difficult during the holiday season. As a parent, you might be hesitant for your child to spend the holidays away from home, thinking it better to wait until the new year. But it’s important to weigh the risks and benefits of this decision and to know what treatment during the holidays will look like for you and your child. 

What Are the Benefits of Treatment During the Holidays?

Your gut reaction to the idea of your adolescent or teen spending holidays away from family is probably (and rightfully), No way! But if your child is struggling, treatment might actually be the best place for them to be during this time. 

Here are some of the ways treatment during the holidays can benefit your child:

• Safe environment – The holidays offer many opportunities for teens to get into trouble — school is out, routines are off, holiday parties abound, and emotions can run high at family gatherings. Inpatient treatment offers a safe, controlled environment where your child can relax and focus on recovery.
• Peer support – Rather than being surrounded by friends or family members who may encourage or trigger substance abuse or mental health struggles during the holiday season, teens in treatment are surrounded by others with the same goal: healing and recovery. 
• Routine – One of the dangers of the holiday break is the lack of routine for children. Boredom, holiday sadness and stress, and isolation from friends can all be triggers for substance abuse or mental illness. In fact, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 64% of people with mental illness say the holidays make their condition worse. Inpatient treatment offers the comfort of a daily routine, removing many of the stressors that can lead to substance use or acting out.  

What Can Parents Expect?

Especially if this is your child’s first holiday away from family, you’ll probably have a lot of conflicting emotions about entering them into treatment during the holidays. Feelings can run the gamut from worry and guilt to relief and hope — all of which are OK. Seek support from family, friends, a counselor, or a support group to navigate tough emotions.

Communication with your child will probably be limited at first, and there will likely be specific communication protocols throughout treatment. As difficult as this may be, especially over the holidays, it’s important to trust the process and the guidelines set by the treatment center. 

Do your best to take care of yourself while your child is gone — you’ve likely been through a lot leading up to this decision, and you might even find yourself feeling less weighed down knowing your child is safe and cared for. Use this time to focus on self-care and make sure you are as healthy as you can be for your child when they come home.

And if you find yourself struggling in their absence, try to put things into perspective. You’ve made the best choice for your child; you have put them in a safe environment where they can get well, and one holiday away from home will be more than made up for with the years of holidays you will spend with them once they are on the road to recovery. 

What Can My Child Expect?

Your child may be concerned about spending the holidays away from home as well, but you can assure them that they will be in good hands during treatment. Here’s what they should expect at a place like The Meadows Adolescent Center:

• Therapeutic environment – Your teen will be in a safe, nonjudgmental space where they can address their substance abuse and mental health struggles. Individual and group therapy sessions are combined with experiential therapies and a range of activities to enhance the healing process. 
• Structured days – Days are filled with therapeutic and nontherapeutic activities, allowing your child the perfect balance of healing work, restorative rest, and beneficial exercise, indoors and outdoors. 
• Nurturing atmosphere – Your child will be cared for wholistically — body, mind, and spirit — with nutritious food, engaging activities, and support from dedicated staff as well as understanding peers. It may not be the holidays they are used to, but the loving environment will make them feel at home. 

Holidays at The Meadows Adolescent Center

Here at The Meadows Adolescent Center, we like to make the most of this time of year for our residents who are spending holidays away from family. We deck the halls with holiday cheer, and each child will have their own stocking with little gifts inside. No programming takes place on Christmas Day, and everyone will have a chance to talk to their loved ones.

If you are considering treatment for your teen or adolescent, for the holidays or any time of year, don’t hesitate to reach out to our admissions team to hear more about how we can help. We provide residential treatment for boys ages 13 to 17 suffering from substance abuse, mental health conditions, and trauma. Our time-tested, research-backed treatment program offers a range of proven therapy methods, including individual and group therapy, as well as complementary therapies like neurofeedback at our brain center. In-depth assessments allow us to get to the root causes of maladaptive behaviors and find the treatments best suited to each individual’s needs. We know that you want the best for your child, and we seek to provide it by setting them on the path to lifelong healing and recovery. Reach out to learn more today.