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When I recommend Los Angeles as a perfect sober holiday destination, people are often surprised. While some people experience an uptick in social engagements around the holidays, others may feel especially isolated. You may find yourself missing loved ones you have lost or who live far away. Drinking triggers are unique to each individual and it can be hard to resist the urge to partake when they crop up. One thing that helps is thinking about the challenges of past holiday events so you can avoid the same pitfalls.
The collaboration can reveal insights that might have missed if you go it alone. Maintain focus on health and sobriety by scheduling self-care, just as you would any other critical appointment. Arriving early and leaving early circumvents many potential pitfalls. Being among the first to arrive allows me to connect with others before alcohol becomes the center of attention.
Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, and Spirit
If you are on a trip, and you want to start a meeting, you are free to do so. We just ask that it not conflict with any of our scheduled meetings. The majority of guests are members of a 12 step program, but it is not a requirement. Many spouses & partners are not members join us on our Sober Vacations and have a blast.
Changing internal narratives require creating traditions that resonate more authentically with being in recovery from alcohol or drug abuse. Alcohol has been the central focus of holiday celebrations since the medieval age – or before. The focus has to be on the Here and Now rather than past events or tomorrow.
Staying Sober over the Holidays
If Uncle Brian is going to mix you a stiff drink, stay away from him. If the office New Year’s party is really all about drinking or other drug use, make a brief appearance or don’t attend. It’s unrealistic in all of these scenarios to say, “I can soldier through it.” That’s what Step One of the Twelve Steps teaches us, right? So why put yourself in the position of having to “power through” an obstacle course of relapse triggers? At family gatherings and social events, tote around your favorite non-alcoholic drink. People won’t feel so inclined to offer you a drink, and they won’t get the chance to pester you about your sobriety.
- Staying sober during the holidays is a rewarding achievement that can strengthen your commitment to a healthier and happier life.
- Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., LMHC., LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor and author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic.
- Anticipation, on the other hand, is living with a loose grip and being willing to accept the gift that is the moment at hand.
- Family members expect holiday perfection, and they often demand every ounce of your time and energy—and patience.
- For those in early recovery, life is planned around maintaining freedom from addiction.
Local and state resources for substance abuse and addiction can vary according to where you live. Let this be an opportunity to grow and make better choices next time. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ 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.
What Are Common Triggers During The Holidays?
Some triggers can be more general, like being at a bar, while others can be very personal to your own experience, such as being with someone you used to drink heavily with. 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. Holiday parties often include alcohol and can be tricky to navigate for people who are in any stage of the recovery process. Many of the biggest holidays in the U.S. — Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve — take place relatively close together, bringing people together often to celebrate. Millions of Americans live with some form of drug or alcohol addiction, and many are in recovery. It is easy to let the holiday demands and activities disrupt our daily patterns and routines.
- People may feel a bit disappointed but your true friends will respect and even applaud your sobriety efforts.
- They may misunderstand you or forget that you don’t intend to drink alcohol.
- Your abstinence did not, in fact, teach you how to control your drinking, because abstinence didn’t rewire your brain to be non-addicted.
This can take a toll on our physical and emotional well-being. The bottom line is that a sober holiday is much more achievable when the added stress is brought down to a minimum. If those thoughts begin to creep in—those rationalizations about your eminent capability to now handle your liquor—shut them down immediately. Your abstinence did not, in fact, teach you how to control your drinking, because abstinence didn’t rewire your brain to be non-addicted. A mistake is not a relapse, and it’s not going to land you in rehab, but those secrets might. They may misunderstand you or forget that you don’t intend to drink alcohol.
Especially if your relationships were damaged from your drinking or drug use, spending every minute together this holiday season may not be in your best interest. Instead, make sure to separate yourself and take time alone when needed. If visiting relatives that live farther away, you may also want to consider getting a hotel, so you have your own space.
- Keeping in touch with your support system throughout the holidays doesn’t just make for a merrier season.
- Not everyone has a family or friends to be with during the holidays, a time of year when particular focus is put on socializing and spending time with loved ones.
- Some families might consider the holidays an inappropriate time to help a loved one get into addiction treatment when, in fact, it could be an ideal opportunity.
- To find a treatment program, browse the top-rated addiction treatment facilities in each state by visiting our homepage, or by viewing the SAMHSA Treatment Services Locator.
- 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.
JetBlue also serves Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer on all of its domestic flights. Animal scientist and activist Temple Grandin said, “Animals make us human.” 5 Door Recovery uses animal-assisted therapy to enhance the treatment experience and help residents reconnect with their own humanity. Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., LMHC., LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor and author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic.
