Regardless of how difficult the holidays may be, focus on the fact that you are alive and sober today. The holiday season is just one small part of your journey – there is so much more ahead. The holidays can be stressful, but stay as busy as possible. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen, go ice skating with friends, or start a new holiday tradition with your family. The more you keep your mind off drinking, the less likely you will relapse. Christmas is a time when family and friends get together.

To travel to the continent as a teenager was to step briefly into the future and visit a universe where, for one splendid week, I could order a beer and say ciao, before I went back for AS-levels. Drinking has emboldened me linguistically, helped forge new friendships and papered over the cracks in old ones. It wasn’t that I was an alcoholic, but I did think that being gregarious, and generally up for a good time and a pint in the sun, was part of the reason people wanted to go on holiday with me. At 32, I worried that I risked projecting Big Midlife Crisis Energy years before my time. Being under the influence can make you act and say things you would not normally say. It can cause you to act in ways you wouldn’t normally act.

Celebrate Thanksgiving and Give Thanks:

This means avoiding places or situations where you might be tempted to use drugs or alcohol. It also means being careful about taking care of yourself physically and emotionally. If you’re feeling stressed, seek support from a therapist or a sober friend.

There are lots of things you can do to maintain your sobriety during the holidays. Your support network will be able to offer their experiences and advice on navigating sober holidays. However, there are some tried-and-true techniques that can help you manage many different situations, no matter where you are in your recovery. You need to investigate and challenge the internal monologue about what you are owed and what you are lacking—some of which might be a carryover from addiction. Then you can break down those defensive walls and forgive other people, and you can approach the holiday season with a stronger sense of gratitude. Let our addiction specialists help you manage your addiction effectively.

Graduate School of Addiction Studies

Support is key in recovery, and if you’re surrounded by others who want to help you stay on track, you’re less likely to achieve long-term recovery. Perhaps those who know you’re in recovery would even help organize an entirely sober event. In this season of goodwill, allow others to show their love for you by allowing yourself to ask for help. It’s also okay not to drink at every event (or at all).

If you typically see old friends and acquaintances during the holidays over drinks, you may feel uncomfortable about changing venues or meeting them in a sober environment. Family celebrations may still include a bar or tray’s worth of alcoholic beverages. Coming into contact with alcohol is something you want to avoid as much as possible during those initial recovery months, but it’s not always possible. Stay involved with your sober community or support group.

How to Stay Sober During their Holidays

The best thing for a person in recovery to do is to tell family members about their recovery and sober lifestyle — even if they are worried about it not going over well. “A person in recovery should try focusing on how taking action to clearly communicate their recovery will ultimately empower their recovery. If they continue to focus on the potential problems, reactions, judgments, and misunderstandings from their family members, a person in recovery is going to get tripped up,” adds Guara.

Whatever your goals are, make sure they are realistic and achievable. Whether it’s a friend, family member, therapist, or recovery sponsor, talking about what you’re going through can help you process your feelings and develop a plan to get back on track. For some people, sobriety means abstaining from all drugs and alcohol. For others, it may mean avoiding certain substances or using them only in moderation.

If you must ride with others to an event, create a word that you can use to let another person you rode with know you are having a difficult time and may need to leave soon. Below, you’ll find all of our best tips and stories about staying sober for the holidays. Whether you’re looking for advice on what to do if you slip up, incorporating some self-care into your holiday season, or how to cope if you’re spending the holidays alone, we’ve got you covered.

Consider how these family dinners played out in the past. When you arrive at a party where people don’t know about your sobriety, one of the easiest ways to navigate disclosing your life story to strangers is to simply always have a drink in your hand. When you show up, just grab a non-alcoholic beverage; most people are not going to question what’s in your cup, and you’ll be able to easily avoid being offered or handed a drink. “A lot of people have made positive lifestyle changes,” Burnison says.

«You could say, ‘I’m going through a 30-day detox this month’ or ‘I like alcohol but it doesn’t like me’ or whatever is going on in your life,» Whitmore says. When you experience a relapse, taking more self-care can help you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Consider things like getting more sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly.

• This may seem obvious, but how often do we default to the bar or the happy hour?
• You need to investigate and challenge the internal monologue about what you are owed and what you are lacking—some of which might be a carryover from addiction.
• Family members expect holiday perfection, and they often demand every ounce of your time and energy—and patience.

How can someone moderate their drinking if it’s becoming a concern? As we celebrate, there are office parties with colleagues and ones with our friends and neighbors where drinks are flowing. There’s not just temptation, but the awkward feeling and pressure to join https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/8-tips-on-ow-to-spend-holidays-sober/ in. Family get togethers aren’t always like happy TV commercials and can be full of uncomfortable and stressful moments, and we turn to a drink to cope. Those cliche stories of the “Drunk Uncle” at the holiday dinner are based in an all too frequent reality.