This will make people much less likely to offer you a drink, and you’ll find that you have full control over the situation. Sometimes, the hardest thing about sober celebrations is feeling like you’re alone. It can be difficult to spend time with family or friends when you can’t celebrate in the same ways, so it’s important to take the time to find people you can support.

If you or a loved one is in this critical situation, please know that help is available today. Contact Anaheim Lighthouse to learn more about our specialized modes of treatment that can help. To avoid this, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be a holiday super Santa, instead, just chill. For instance, if you were not able to find time for holiday shopping, stay home and order online to avoid the rush.

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Make a list of your holiday plans and rank them – Opening presents with your parents may be a low-trigger situation. However, a large dinner with extended family can be a high-trigger situation. A scale of 1 to 10 works for some people, or you can simply rank situations as low, medium, or high triggers. We use 12-step programs at Stonegate Center because they offer powerful support, accountability, and a sense of community.

• The holiday season is also a good time to give back to your community.
• Being idle during your free time is just more time for you to think about not having a drink.
• Because most often, this sitting around can involve or lead to drinking.

If everyone starts talking about the “good old days,” leave the room. You don’t want to start thinking about your drinking or using days. That can lead to preoccupation and obsession, and then to cravings. Keep your focus on your life right now, your life in recovery. If you’re following the Recovery Zone System, remember where you are in recovery. If you’re in early recovery, the Red Zone, you are bound to be a bit shaky.

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Plant that thought in your mind right now, and think about it every morning. Stick a note on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself to think about itevery sober holidays day. If you steer the conversation in the direction you want it to go in, you won’t ever have to worry about people asking about the drink in your hand.

They may misunderstand you or forget that you don’t intend to drink alcohol. If you do accidentally take a sip of an alcoholic beverage, don’t panic. It’s only a sip, and it doesn’t mean you’ve relapsed—or that you should entertain the thought of https://ecosoberhouse.com/ relapsing now. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has addiction and mental health facilities in 8 States throughout the United States. The holidays offer powerful opportunities for spiritual growth by sharing your gratitude and joy with others.

Addiction Policy Forum is a nonprofit organization working to eliminate addiction as a major health problem.

One big reason is that relapse triggers are often around every corner during the holidays. Maintaining sobriety during the holidays isn’t always easy. People with years of successful recovery can even struggle during these times. Holidays are times of joy and celebration, but some things can make these occasions difficult. The good news is that you can overcome these feelings. Learning about your triggers and planning to overcome them can help you during these times.