Trying to live up to those expectations is impossible and will only produce feelings of guilt and depression. To reduce stress, consider making holiday travel plans in advance or opting out of last-minute plans that involve a lot of traveling. Although it can be difficult to be apart from loved ones during the holiday season, maintaining your sobriety is what’s most important right now. Major changes to your normal routine and schedule is a common trigger for relapse. Therefore, it’s important to attend as many recovery meetings as you can during this time and spend time with family and friends who are supportive of your recovery.
Loved ones in recovery learn that triggers are “people, places or things” that are linked to their patterns of use. Exposure or access to drugs or alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ that were previously used can ignite urges and cravings. Stress can intensify the need to self-medicate and escape from painful emotional states.
A Framework for Staying Sober Through the Holidays in Early Recovery
Those in early recovery are relatively new at learning to experience, process, and manage feelings and to function in social situations without the use of a substance. The social events of the holidays can be challenging in a number of ways for the individual who is new to recovery. The holiday season is known to bring about various emotional triggers pertaining to the areas of substance abuse and trauma. While the holidays can increase the availability of substances and bring about stressful social commitments, several other factors can make this time of the year particularly challenging for individuals in recovery. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) explains “[T]he holiday season is fraught with triggers such as songs, scents, and rituals. Increasing awareness of potential social or environmental triggers can help communication and planning.
- Staying in one night when you’re feeling overwhelmed or leaving that party early is ok.
- It helps to have a pre-planned exit strategy in place with someone in your circle.
- Even those who drink moderately throughout the year tend to drink a bit more during the holidays.
- Reminiscing about past holidays can dredge up intense emotions of loneliness, grief, and depression, particularly for those who have lost a loved one or are separated from family during the holiday season.
Understanding how relapse happens is one of the best ways to protect yourself. This is one of the many reasons that the risk of relapse during the holidays is high. Being around people who are drinking or doing drugs causes about 20% of relapse episodes. It’s hard to not want to participate when it feels like everyone around you is enjoying a drink. Yet the holidays, especially during early recovery, can be a time of great joy and celebration even as you struggle with your addiction. The following tips may help you make new holiday traditions as you work to build your new life in the New Year.
Come with activities in mind you’d like to do with your family.
These data suggest that most people know someone who is abstaining from alcohol and other drugs. In addition, chemical addiction is more prevalent reframing holidays in early recovery than many may think. Frequent travel can also disrupt your work and recovery meeting attendance, which can be a major source of stress.