There’s always a reason to put off alcohol rehab. Work is too busy. No one can run the household while you’re gone. Family obligations pile up. And when the holidays approach, it can be tempting to wait until January to get help.
But what if the holidays were an opportunity to begin recovery rather than a reason to delay it?
For someone struggling with alcohol addiction, rehab offers a chance to step away from seasonal pressures, reconnect with what matters, and start the new year with a fresh perspective.
For loved ones who want to help, the question is: How do you get someone to go to rehab?
Here’s how to approach the conversation to help someone you care about consider treatment before another year passes.
Why the Holidays Can Be a Good Time to Go to Rehab
The idea of spending the holidays in a rehab facility can seem lonely or unappealing at first. But if you’re wondering how to get someone into alcohol rehab, there are some real advantages to seeking help around this time of year.
Extra Support During a Difficult Time
The holidays can bring added stress, family obligations, and grief, especially for those who feel pressure to be happy. For someone struggling with alcohol addiction, these challenges can make the season even harder.
Treatment provides support during a difficult time and helps people develop healthier ways to cope with stress and triggers. Stepping away from familiar pressures can create space to focus on recovery and prepare for future challenges.
A Chance to Reset and Recover
The holidays are a time for family, reflection, and new beginnings. But for someone struggling with alcohol addiction, they can also highlight what’s at stake. Drinking may have strained relationships, affected their health or taken the joy out of once-meaningful traditions.
Rather than struggling through the season and making another New Year’s resolution to quit drinking, someone can begin recovery with professional support.
It may not be the holiday they imagined, but it could be the one that changes the direction of their life.
A Gift to Yourself and Your Family
The idea of giving someone the gift of recovery might sound sentimental, but there’s something meaningful about it.
Alcohol addiction affects more than the person drinking. Loved ones experience worry, disappointment, broken trust, and uncertainty about what each holiday will bring.
Choosing treatment is an opportunity to begin addressing those effects. Recovery takes time, and treatment doesn’t guarantee that every relationship will heal or every problem will disappear. But taking that first step can open the door to a healthier future.
A Convenient Time to Take a Break From Work
Practical considerations can also influence the timing of treatment. Some workplaces have reduced activity or a flexible schedule around the holidays. This can make time away easier to coordinate and less stressful for your loved one. Workplaces may offer leave options, employee assistance programs, or other benefits that can make taking time off a little easier.
Insurance is another consideration at the end of a calendar year. Depending on the plan, someone who has already met their annual deductible or out-of-pocket maximum may have lower remaining costs for covered care before the plan year resets. This can make the end of the year a useful time to review treatment benefits. Coverage varies, so it’s important to confirm benefits, potential costs, and any authorization requirements with the insurer and treatment provider.
While work and insurance shouldn’t be the only reasons to pursue treatment, considering these two factors can help make the logistics of recovery a little easier.
Sana at Stowe During the Holidays
Spending the holidays in rehab doesn’t mean missing out on the traditions that make this time of year special. At Sana at Stowe, holidays include a balance of treatment, shared meals, and opportunities to connect with others.
On Thanksgiving and Christmas, clients have the opportunity to participate in morning and early-afternoon group sessions before gathering for a special meal. Thanksgiving might feature a traditional spread of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie, with clients and staff sharing the meal together.
The rest of the day offers time to relax and build connections within the community–while also sticking to common traditions, like watching the Thanksgiving Day parade or a football game. During a stay at Sana–including over the holidays–clients can connect with family by phone or other technology. For those who celebrate Christmas, we offer festive activities such as decorating gingerbread houses.
Treatment also continues to address the challenges clients may face beyond the facility. Holiday groups may explore what it means to celebrate sober, how to navigate family gatherings without alcohol, and how to prepare for situations that could threaten recovery.
These traditions help make the holidays meaningful while giving clients space to focus on their health, strengthen connections and practice skills they can carry into future celebrations.
How to Get Someone to Rehab
Discussing someone else’s rehabilitation needs is less about winning an argument and more about helping them recognize that getting help now may be the best way to protect their health, relationships, and future. There’s always a reason to do it later, but the holidays might actually be one of the best times to get someone to alcohol rehab.
If you are wondering how to get someone into alcohol rehab over the holidays, consider these tips during discussion:
- Choose the right time and place. If your loved one is intoxicated, in the middle of an argument, or in a public place, avoid starting the discussion. Instead wait for a private moment when they are sober.
- Talk about your own experiences. Rather than discussing someone’s behavior or shortcomings, focus on your experience with their addiction. For example, you might say, “I’m worried about you, and I want you to know I’m here to help. The holidays have been difficult for us lately, and I’m concerned about what another year of drinking could mean for you.”
- Connect the conversation with past experiences. For many families, drinking can lead to arguments, missed events, health scares, or other painful situations. If previous holidays have been particularly difficult, it may be helpful to gently talk about those experiences.
- Lend your support. Offer to help research treatment programs, contact admissions teams, review insurance coverage, or arrange an assessment. Let your loved one know they don’t have to figure everything out alone.
If a private conversation isn’t effective, a structured family intervention with guidance from an addiction professional may be worth considering. An intervention doesn’t have to involve confrontation or an unexpected gathering of relatives. A professional can help loved ones communicate concerns, establish boundaries and encourage treatment in a more constructive way.
Ultimately, you can’t always make another adult choose rehab. You can, however, make your concerns clear, offer practical help, and support steps toward recovery.
Recovery Is Possible at Sana at Stowe
If you’re looking into alcohol addiction treatment for a loved one, we can help. Our holistic treatment center in Vermont provides comprehensive, trauma-informed drug and alcohol addiction treatment and a compassionate, safe place to heal.
Call us today with any questions about treatment or visit our admissions page to get started. Not sure if alcohol rehab is the right fit for your loved one? Have them take the Alcohol Use Screening Test to get a clearer picture of the help they need.
