Tips for Staying Sober During the Holidays

Chat up those nearest and dearest who can cheerlead your journey. The Guest House Ocala shows how having backup helps keep you steady when everyone’s clinking glasses. Lots of folks have got your back with programs meant to keep you steady during recovery, especially when everyone else is jingling their bells. Check out places like Desert Parkway Behavioral Healthcare Hospital — they’ve got some thoughtful options for adults and youths tackling the ups and downs of mental health and substance use. Remember, the disease of addiction is as powerful the day after a holiday as it is the day of and the day before.

Managing Stress and Emotions

What’s more, we can help you recover a life of meaning, Alcoholics Anonymous purpose, and joy. Routines offer structure, keep you grounded, and help ensure you’re prioritizing yourself. You may need to leave a party early or decline an invitation if it conflicts with a self-care activity. Kitzinger et al. (2023) found that people in early recovery identified the consistency of structured routines to be a key factor in helping them maintain sobriety. If you’re in recovery, continue attending your meetings and staying connected with those who keep you accountable. Routines help reinforce your commitment to your health, especially during times that feel unpredictable.

Explore New Traditions

Holidays are portrayed as times of joy, gatherings, and celebration, but this portrayal often overlooks the complex emotions that many people feel. Loneliness during the holidays can stem from a range of experiences, such as estrangement from family or memories of difficult times. But it can also be a very stressful time, particularly for people in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction.

Don’t Forget About the Come Down

• It is also a fun night for many adults, who may celebrate by throwing a party that involves drinking alcohol or using drugs.
• Have your own transportation, ride-share apps installed, or a supportive friend ready to pick you up.
• Ignoring triggers leaves you more susceptible to their influence in recovery, and allows them to maintain power over you.
• If you’re looking for more life hacks on this front, check out stuff like how do family triggers relate to addiction or dive into tales like my story about Christmas party relapse.

People in early recovery who have spent a lot of time in treatment recently may be especially burdened by financial issues this time of year, causing added stress. Millions of Americans live with some form of drug or alcohol addiction, and many are in recovery. Starting an addiction treatment program for the first time can be intimidating, so we strive to provide an environment that is welcoming and comfortable for new patients. The holidays are an excellent time to reflect on how far you’ve come. Celebrate your milestones and treat yourself to something special, like a small gift or a trip to a favorite place. If you feel overwhelmed at a gathering, it’s okay to leave.

If you are new in recovery, you are likely creating new routines and daily habits for yourself. During this time, try to stick to as many of these new behaviors as you can. For example, we easily throw good sleep habits out the window when we are vacationing. Our sleep habits are foundational to most of our other habits. This means I may not have time to https://www.cuatroideashost.com/2022/08/31/chs-therapy-treating-cannabinoid-hyperemesis/ do my usual morning time ofconnecting with myself or my Higher Power or do my daily recovery readings. It’s possible that missing this time will mean I start my day off on the wrong foot, or that I’m a little more irritable than usual.

• Between family squabbles, old heartbreaks, and the push to keep everything jolly, feelings of anxiety or blue moments might spike.
• If certain people in your life tend to bring negativity, limit your interactions with them during the holidays.
• Fortunately, there are various ways to handle stressful situations and communicate openly with your loved ones.
• Winter holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve may involve stress, which for people in recovery, can be a trigger.
• Protecting your recovery and sobriety is worth it, even if its hard, inconvenient, or uncomfortable.

If you’ve slipped more than once, this might be a sign you need additional support, such as more frequent counseling sessions or an intensive outpatient program. If you have had one slip, or especially if you’ve had multiple slips, it’s important to recognize not only that this happened, but that you don’t have to face it alone. Relapse among people with substance use disorder is not uncommon. Addiction relapse may be identifiable by physical signs of substance use, changes in behavior, or other cognitive or emotional symptoms of intoxication. Turn off the TV, turn down the lights, read a reframing holidays in early recovery book, or drink a cup of calming noncaffeinated tea. One of the ways you can keep yourself on the right track is by forging or leaning on meaningful connections you have with loved ones in your life.

Preparing for Holiday Challenges to Addiction Recovery

Old friends or family members may bring up memories of past years, some of which may include substance use or other behaviors tied to addiction. For some, past holiday gatherings were filled with tension, conflict, or triggers. Being estranged from family or feeling disconnected from relatives can add to feelings of loneliness, which can make them feel isolated in a season focused on togetherness. Holidays and loneliness often go hand-in-hand, especially for those working hard to rebuild their lives and find a sense of belonging.

This can be helpful in times of stress, where you may find yourself struggling to think clearly or rationally about how to cope with urges to drink alcohol or use drugs. Instead of dreading the onset of a holiday, spend the time planning, thinking through possible outcomes, and what to do in response. Thanksgiving is known for being a holiday that features a lot of food, as well as drinking for those who don’t abstain from alcohol. If you’re new to sobriety, read more about how to stay sober for the Fourth of July. For many people, including those in recovery, the holidays stir up difficult memories.