The Holidays, Reimagined: What It’s Like to Be in Treatment During Christmas & New Year’s
The Holidays, Reimagined: What It’s Like to Be in Treatment During Christmas & New Year’s
By: Michelle Madden, Executive Director, LPC, CADC II
For the paramedic who arrived just before New Year's, everything was new. 'My first full day was New Year's Eve,' he said. 'I had a lot of feelings.' Being unable to call his kids whenever he wanted was one of the hardest adjustments, especially compared to working holidays, where a quick call is usually possible. But the staff and peers didn't leave him alone with that discomfort.
'They kept me busy. Engaged. Comfortable,' he said. 'I can't say enough about how welcoming everyone was.' Despite only being here a few days, he described something we hear often from first responders in treatment: 'It feels like a home. You're not home, but you are at home.'
Honest Feedback Matters
I asked them directly what could be better, because no program grows without listening.
They spoke openly about movement and physical activity. Long days in group mean a lot of sitting, and they shared how helpful structured movement could be, not as punishment or obligation, but as a way to build healthy habits and accountability. 'Morning sets the tone,' one said. 'Even 30 to 45 minutes. Something we do together.' Not perfection. Not pressure. Just consistency and the reminder that healing involves the body as much as the mind.
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What Stayed With Me
No one pretended being away from family during the holidays was easy. It wasn't. But what stood out most was that none of them felt alone. They felt supported. Understood. Part of something. Even during one of the hardest times of year. And when asked if they would make the same decision again? Every one of them said yes. Because sometimes missing a holiday is what allows you to truly show up for the ones that follow
Michelle Madden, Executive Director, LPC, CADC II
'They kept me busy. Engaged. Comfortable,' he said. 'I can't say enough about how welcoming everyone was.' Despite only being here a few days, he described something we hear often from first responders in treatment: 'It feels like a home. You're not home, but you are at home.' Honest Feedback Matters
I asked them directly what could be better, because no program grows without listening.
They spoke openly about movement and physical activity. Long days in group mean a lot of sitting, and they shared how helpful structured movement could be, not as punishment or obligation, but as a way to build healthy habits and accountability. 'Morning sets the tone,' one said. 'Even 30 to 45 minutes. Something we do together.' Not perfection. Not pressure. Just consistency and the reminder that healing involves the body as much as the mind.
"
What Stayed With MeNo one pretended being away from family during the holidays was easy. It wasn't. But what stood out most was that none of them felt alone. They felt supported. Understood. Part of something. Even during one of the hardest times of year. And when asked if they would make the same decision again? Every one of them said yes. Because sometimes missing a holiday is what allows you to truly show up for the ones that follow
Michelle Madden, Executive Director, LPC, CADC II
Magnolia Meadows Residential Treatment Facility provides Treatment exclusive for First Responders & Veterans battling Trauma, Mental Health Conditions and Co-Occurring Disorders, creating a healing atmosphere for recovery, and instill a confident hope that better days are ahead.
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