Rather than going to a party or a bar, see a movie, participate in sports. This may also mean that the old friends that are still using or are participating in trigger activities will need to be avoided. We say process, because it is best done in a series of steps. Once rehab has taken place, the addict will enter the same world that caused them to be an addict in the first place. The best way to avoid a relapse is to gently acclimate them back to the real world.
Stay Connected To Your Recovery Community
They also might involve drinking, which people in recovery from alcohol addiction often find to be another trigger. Winter holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve may involve stress, which for people in recovery, can be a trigger. The winter holidays can be difficult if you are new to sobriety, or if you tend to have a more difficult time with mental health during the winter months.
Revealed: The secret to securing the perfect plane seat
Make sure you have your own transportation so that you can leave quickly if you feel uncomfortable. Call your sponsor before the party and walk through the plan. And, bring the address of the nearest AA meeting, just in case.
- It’s important to take a moment and reflect on the consequences of relapse during the holiday season.
- Remember, it’s okay to retreat to an earlier Recovery Zone for a few weeks.
- We are not the alcohol police, and have not yet had an instance where someone’s drinking caused a problem for the group.
- This presents the opportunity to slowly adjust to the freedoms of the real world.
- Remember, old friends and family members may not understand your commitment to sobriety, so it’s important to prioritize your well-being and make choices that align with your recovery journey.
- The family menu is a constant carb-load, and traveling puts a strain on your wallet.
- Often, we feel the consequences once the merriment subsides, and swear we’ll do things differently next year—but it’s harder than we expect.
Recovery Advocacy
- Here are some tips and resources for preventing or responding to addiction relapse during the holiday season.
- When you take the opportunity to connect with others—to see, value and honor their experience—you exercise empathy.
- From counseling and therapy to group support and medication-assisted interventions, evidence-based treatment protocols run the gamut of all that modern medicine offers.
Odds are, it’ll get you in the spirit of the season, and bring back fond memories. Don’t worry about facing this holiday season in recovery alone. If you’ve had a slip, or have relapsed over the holidays, be kind to yourself. Consider looking for additional support during the holidays through a recovery support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Patient Care Network
Early signs of a relapse or slip may be identified by family members, friends, or other loved ones, such as a spouse. Turn off the TV, turn down the lights, read a book, or drink a cup of calming noncaffeinated tea. All these things can be part of a healthy bedtime routine. Ignoring triggers leaves you more susceptible to their influence in recovery, and allows them to maintain power over you. 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.
Addiction and Mental Health Resources
Here are some tips and resources for preventing or responding to addiction relapse during the holiday season. Seeing family, visiting old friends, having unfulfilled expectations, maybe missing a loved one you lost this year — it can all lead to tension and sadness, as well as thoughts of using. Plus, temptation seems to be everywhere…given all the holiday parties you might be expected to attend. For those in early recovery, life is planned around maintaining freedom from addiction.
When attending Sanctuary at Cherry Hill, our clients will establish life skills, implement daily routines for lifestyle recovery, and ignite a purpose for achieving better their lives. Through accomplishing these tasks, our clients will achieve sustainable recovery. Lake Ariel Recovery Center, like all of the Sanctuary Health Group sober holidays facilities, is a medically proven recovery facility that provides comprehensive treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders. When attending Lake Ariel Recovery Center, our clients will establish life skills, implement daily routines for lifestyle recovery, and ignite a purpose for achieving better their lives.