Some plan extra therapy sessions before the holidays to try to smooth things over in advance. Others spend time with their “recovery families” instead, and go to sober events. For example, most cities have holiday recovery-a-thons (24-hour recovery meeting events) for the exact reason that this is such a difficult time for people in recovery. Spending time with family members and friends can make you feel uncomfortable, stressed, and almost on-the-edge.

• If you or a loved one is struggling with drugs or alcohol, call Recovery Centers of America at RECOVERY.
• Once recognized, the next step is to observe these feelings with curiosity rather than judgment.
• Furthermore, regular self-reflection and journaling help individuals monitor their emotional and mental states, making them more attuned to early warning signs of relapse.
• If you or a loved one needs support navigating recovery during challenging times, our caring team is here to help.
• Our Treatment Advisors are available 24 hours a day to help you or a loved one access care.
• Healing from addiction is a journey that begins with a commitment to sobriety.

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Whether through texts, calls, or waving hi on a video chat, sometimes all we need is to know someone’s there. The desire to wallet-bust for gifts can stir up feelings of being not good enough or just plain worried. The holidays can be a tricky time for folks in recovery because stress is often at its highest, and temptation is everywhere. Knowing what might tip a person back towards old habits and having the right game plan ready is key to sticking to sobriety. Some families are considerate enough to hide the alcohol or, better, to go alcohol-free, but often, sadly, there are many people who just can’t enjoy themselves without some type of intoxicant.

If you need treatment for addiction to alcohol or other drugs, consider going to rehab over the holidays

Setting clear boundaries with social contacts plays a vital role. Communicating limits and expectations with friends and family can help prevent enabling behaviors or exposure to temptation. Compulsion refers to the irresistible urge to continue the behavior despite knowing its harmful effects. Loss of control highlights the reduced ability to regulate or stop the addictive activity once it has started. Lastly, consequences are the negative outcomes resulting from continued substance use, such as health problems, relationship issues, or legal troubles.

Understanding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Early Sobriety

Check out more ways to broach addiction talks with kin at talking to family about your addiction. Having your own playbook of self-care routines before the big holiday bash kicks in? Little things like jotting down thoughts, a regular workout, and chomping on good-for-you munchies add stability to the chaotic holiday swirl. These routines lay down a calm foundation during life’s roller-coaster moments. For anyone on the recovery road, putting work into relationships, seeking out help, and taking advantage of what’s on offer makes all the difference, giving you a supportive holiday backdrop. Having your peeps in place can keep you grounded during the holiday chaos.

• Internal triggers—such as feelings, thoughts, or bodily sensations—are common hurdles in addiction recovery.
• I promise you are not the only one feeling down or unhappy around the holidays.
• Getting into the mix with a peer group like Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous can be your lifesaver.
• Developing an exit strategy—such as politely leaving a scene—prevents escalation.

And if you are not in recovery, but you are at an office party and someone declines an offer of an alcoholic beverage, please accept that as the most reasonable choice in the world and move on. Alternatively, people recovering from addiction may glamourize past holidays they spent drinking or using drugs with buddies, leading to unintentional rationalizing or relapse. Family visits can also be a source of anxiety, whether you’re in recovery or not.

How to Manage Stress Without Turning to Substances

There are all kinds of stories about that moment of clarity when people awaken to the reality of their addictions on holidays. It could be a fight in the family, or an embarrassing incident at a party, or an accident while driving, among many more. You may not experience a hard bottom, but you may have tried to manage your drinking and discovered that you couldn’t do it. With all of the pressures and easy access, holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries are a time when many people bottom out and realize they have lost control.

What Can You Do if You Have a Loved One in Treatment or Recovery?

Reframing uncomfortable feelings plays a crucial role in disarming internal triggers. Instead of viewing anxiety or guilt as unbearable, practitioners learn to see these as passing states—like clouds drifting across the sky. This perspective reduces the emotional charge, making it easier to navigate stressful moments.

Addiction Recovery Medical Services

Understanding the four C’s reveals how addiction can overpower a person’s judgment and self-control. Cravings can lead to compulsive behaviors, pushing individuals to seek substances even when they intend to abstain. Thankfully I was in a good place mentally, which allowed me to stay calm and avoid getting angry with her or screaming at her that I deserved to come home. At the time, I didn’t deserve anything except for another sober day. However, thesesupports are not consistently embedded into their routines. I go – I’m not going to nogym or school, I go to New York, walk, go buy me shoes.

The healing power of relationships, trust, love and connection is one of the most important tools for families. Trauma can be the loss of connection to one’s self as well as well as the loss of critical psychological connectedness between humans. It Sobriety is intensely painful to be disconnected from the ones we love, and reconnecting in relationships has the power to transform recovery and the resiliency needed for sustained sobriety.