Mental Health and Thanksgiving

When it comes to mental health and Thanksgiving, you may be worried. For many people, addiction and mental health disorders can make holidays like this very challenging. People come together to talk and share, but they can also be hurtful. You may be unsure you can handle it. Our team at Serenity Light Recovery offers the stress management support you need to get through it all.

What Makes Mental Health and Thanksgiving Such a Challenge?

You may have spent some time working on your mental health challenges this year. You feel good about where you are right now, but the thought of the holidays worries you because you know mental health and Thanksgiving do not always go well for you. Why is that? There could be many reasons:

• Bad family relationships
• Misunderstandings about your illness
• Fear of being misunderstood
• Revisiting past trauma
• Presence of alcohol or drugs

These are just a few examples. What you may know from the time you’ve worked on your mental health is that you have the tools you need to manage these situations. Stress management techniques can help you.

What Type of Stress Management Can You Use to Get Things Under Control?

Here’s the good news. You get to control the outcome when you use the tools and strategies you’ve used during addiction therapy. Our team is here to help make that possible. Consider these tips to help support you through your challenges with mental health and Thanksgiving.

Say No If You Need To

If you know drugs or alcohol are going to be present or you are dealing with trauma from someone at Thanksgiving, don’t go to that home. You have the right to say no and to protect your health and wellbeing. You may even feel relieved to know that your health should come first.

Learn to Focus on Just What’s at Hand

In some situations, you may need to employ stress management in the moment. That is, you need to tell people that you would rather not interact. You may want to ask those who support you to help respect your wishes. You may also need to excuse yourself if things get hard to manage.

Turn to Your Support Team

If you are struggling with what’s happening at Thanksgiving, you’ll need to be able to get some immediate help. This may mean calling your sponsor or talking to your mentor. Try to do this before your Thanksgiving meal or events where you are surrounded by people. A bit of a talk to open up about the way you are feeling can help you.

Seek Out Additional Help

Sometimes, when it comes to mental health and Thanksgiving, we need more support. You may be struggling with your anxiety or depression. You may be feeling overwhelmed by post-traumatic stress disorder. When you feel like everything is a challenge, reach out for help. We offer a range of therapy solutions that can help you through the holidays. You do not have to go through this on your own.

Learn more about our therapies, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• EMDR therapy programs
• Biofeedback therapy programs
• Individual therapy support

It is a combination of these factors that can make a big difference in your health and long-term stability. Don’t put your mental health on the line. Let our team help support you through these challenges.

Find Your Support at Serenity Light Recovery

Going through challenges with mental health and Thanksgiving is not easy to do. Many people will not understand what you’re facing. That’s okay. You can learn to overcome your struggles with stress management tools and our support services. If you need help, contact Serenity Light Recovery for one-on-one guidance. Our compassionate counselors are available to you at (281) 431-6700.