Requests for Addiction Treatment Spike over Holiday Period

Substance abuse treatment workers in the UK say they’re expecting an increase in the number of calls for treatment in the coming days and weeks of the holiday and post holiday period.

Explaining why the holidays always lead to a surge in calls for assistance, Clive Wolfendale, who runs the largest treatment center in Wales, explained that relapse is a big problem during the festive season, saying, “Christmas can be difficult for people with serious drug and alcohol problems. It's a time when people are expected to be enjoying themselves and that often means lots of drinking going on. Trying to avoid that when it's the most damaging thing in the world is difficult when you are surrounded by it.”

He also cites difficult or absent familial relationships and general feelings of regret and failure that can become amplified over the holidays as other leading causes of relapse during the period.