By: Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS
Sobriety and Recovery During the Holiday Season Can Be a Challenge
Navigating the holidays can be tough while trying to maintain sobriety or lower levels of use. Triggers from the past, the stress of holiday travel, and navigating challenging personalities are just some pieces that can tip the scale. With some consideration, the holidays can also be a time of peace, reflection, and rejuvenation. Here are some tips to keep your goals around substances in check.
Things to Try to Manage Recovery During the Holidays
>Preparation: What’s the plan when you arrive at the holiday party and everyone is drinking? How can you support yourself if someone pressures you to drink? One tip is directly upon arrival, grab your nonalcoholic beverage of choice to prevent others from pressuring or getting you an alcoholic drink. Another idea is bringing a plus one who supports your recovery and running your goals by them before you enter the gathering for support as needed. Need more ideas? More options here: (https://integrativelifecenter.com/wellness-blog/tips-to-stay-sober-at-holiday-parties/).
>Space and Control: Recognize when you need space from family members. Talking a walk, running to the store for an “errand”, having your own vehicle, and/or staying at your own place can reduce stress. On top of these, maintaining routines and structure from your daily life (exercise, eating healthy, etc.) may also be helpful in maintaining sobriety and/or substance reduction goals.
>Attend a Support Group: There are numerous alcoholics anonymous ( https://daccaa.org/ ), narcotics anonymous ( https://na.org/ ), and co-dependents anonymous ( https://coda.org/ ) meetings all over the US. Whether traveling or staying local, looking into this ahead of time and planning on attending a meeting could offer extra support.
>Comfort and Connection: Last but certainly not least, spend time with folks who provide encouragement. If this doesn’t include family members, then re-evaluating plans may be a good idea. Alternative plans may include engaging in a healthy hobby with a friend, getting into nature, or even finding an event to volunteer at. Volunteering ideas here: (https://www.eventbrite.com/d/co–denver/volunteer-events/)