Holidays have a way of reminding us about the long-term cost of substance abuse. As the itch to use occupies our minds through holiday gatherings, we lose focus and memories with family and friends quietly evanesce. At first, the distraction doesn’t feel like a big deal… after all, what’s one or two forgotten Thanksgiving dinners? But as we get older, we realize that sober Thanksgiving holidays with family and friends enrich and build our lives in a way that our drug of choice never could. So why not bite the bullet and go cold turkey?
Well, simply put, no one likes cold turkey, either for Thanksgiving dinner or when you’re shaking off a drug habit. Whether it’s dinner fowl or withdrawals, both forms of cold turkey are uncomfortable, gross, and totally unnecessary.
Treat Your Body Kindly
We fully support the idea that you want to embrace a sober lifestyle. It may be tempting to use family holiday gatherings as a form of resolution. “This year, I’m going to Thanksgiving clean and sober!” It sounds really good until you’re at grandma’s or a friend’s house getting sick. And then getting rushed to the ER for seizures. Unfortunately, our bodies are not designed to drop serious chemical habits quickly, and doing so throws our physiology into chaos. In some cases, it’s lethal.
Detox is not safe outside of a sub-acute treatment clinic. High tolerance means the body has grown accustomed to a certain amount of drug/alcohol in your system. While your mind may want to get sober right away, your body has other ideas, and vitals require professional monitoring.
It’s a very noble effort to try getting sober for loved ones. But the best gift you can give them is to detox safely, which needs to happen under clinical supervision. Call a New Start addiction counselor any time, we are always available to answer your questions or arrange a detox bed: 714-455-3409
Tapering Saves Lives
The phrase “cold turkey” connotes some form of strength and resolve. But there is nothing heroic about quitting substances cold turkey—that is, without a taper. In fact, people literally die from withdrawal symptoms, and unsupervised alcohol and benzo withdrawals are particularly lethal.
“Tapering” refers to the detoxification process of reducing dependence slowly over several days (sometimes longer in the case of Suboxone and methadone). New Start performs this taper with the help of detox medications like buprenorphine, Lorazepam, phenobarbital, and gabapentin. This ensures comfort and safety while your body withdraws from your drug of choice. If you’d like more information about the detox process, call our New Start counselors any time: 714-455-3409
Sober Thanksgiving: Be Smart, Don’t Go Cold Turkey
So please be safe this Thanksgiving and don’t try to go cold turkey. It’s not doing your family and friends any favors. It may be more realistic to plan for a sober Thanksgiving next year, and use the time you have now to go through detox and treatment. For more information, talk to a New Start counselor today: 714-455-3409