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Dec. 5, 2025 – The holidays are often portrayed as joyful, warm, and filled with togetherness — but for those in addiction recovery or struggling with mental health challenges, the season can look very different. Many experience a spike in loneliness, grief, and emotional triggers. Dr. David Campbell, Clinic and Program Director at Recover Together Bend Treatment Center, says the “holiday ideal” doesn’t match reality for many families.
“The holidays can certainly be a wonderful time for warmth, happiness, togetherness,” Dr. Campbell said Thursday. “But this idealized fantasy of the holidays can actually amplify vulnerabilities and those struggling with mental health and be triggering for people in substance abuse.”
Studies show that up to 50% of people relapse within the first three months of sobriety — and those rates can more than double during the holidays.
