“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” so goes the song.
But not so much for those recovering from addiction. During this time of year, it can be really hard to maintain sobriety. Why is that?
Well, there’s the general, overall stress of the holidays. There’s the financial frustrations. The family drama. The constant temptation to indulge in excess during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. It’s a difficult time of abstaining while seemingly everyone else is imbibing.
Keep these things in mind as you navigate the holidays with your addiction.
- Plan out what you’ll do: First things first, determine that you won’t drink. Our minds set the stage for what our bodies do. Consider that some parties you don’t need to (and shouldn’t) go to. You can say no, it’s ok. For the parties you attend, bring your own non-alcoholic drinks in case there are few good options. Also bring a sober friend for extra support. And drive your own vehicle so you control how and when to get home.
- Plan out what you’ll say: You’ll likely be offered alcohol at some point during the holidays. Plan out your initial response, along with how you’d answer follow-up questions. Expect that conversations may feel a bit uncomfortable, and that’s ok.
- Watch out for triggers: There’s the usual HALT triggers—hungry, angry, lonely, tired. But the holidays bring its own set of triggers. You may feel sadness because of a missing loved one. Or you may feel extra stress from relationships damaged on account of your addiction.
- Help others: For those working through the 12 steps, the 12th step is about “carry[ing] this message to alcoholics.” Now is a great time to not only provide extra support to your sober companions, but also it’s a chance to look outside yourself and serve others in your community. As you move in the direction of helping others, you move away from guilt, self-pity, and shame.
- Boost your support: You may need to attend extra AA meetings. Or call your sponsor a few more times. Just expect that the holidays may require a little more support from those who are on the same road of recovery.
- Start new traditions: As you venture out each holiday on your journey of sobriety, you may need to create new holiday traditions. You could create delicious non-alcoholic drinks. You could host a sober gathering with friends in recovery. Or you could volunteer together in the community.
The pull of addiction can be as strong the day after Christmas as the day of Christmas. Keep that in mind as you take each day one at a time.
It can be difficult sometimes to make it through the holidays alone, so surround yourself with supportive loved ones and safeguard your recovery at all costs.
