How Can You Maintain Your Sobriety Throughout the Upcoming Holiday Season?

November marks a time of year when the holidays are just around the corner. For many, the upcoming holiday season means the arrival of presents, family gatherings, holiday parties, and other festive events. Unfortunately, this can also be a stressful time for people. Between financial stress and trying to stay sober, it's no wonder that this may not be the greatest time of year for everyone. 

So, how can those of us in recovery go about maintaining sobriety throughout this holiday season? How can we avoid triggers and relapse, early alcohol exposure, and enjoy ourselves while sober? Well, where there's a will there's a way, but that doesn't mean you must do it alone. Even individuals with a well-seasoned life of sobriety can struggle during this time. If you're looking for extra support for your recovery this holiday season, contact West Coast Recovery Centers to learn more about our support and aftercare today! 

Why Are Holidays Tough?

The holidays can be a challenging time of year, even for individuals who don't have the added stress of maintaining sobriety. People feel pressure to find the perfect gift, struggle with the added financial costs of gift-giving, and stress over the dread of dealing with unlikeable relatives. 

However, for those of us in recovery, especially early recovery, there's the added pressure of staying sober. So, now, in addition to complex family dynamics or finding the perfect gift, many must also navigate holiday triggers and avoid relapse. Of course, triggers vary from one person to the next, but what are some common holiday triggers? 

Common Holiday Triggers

Family conflict is one of the most significant triggers to consider this upcoming holiday season. Unfortunately, we don't always get along with the people in our lives. Whether you have parent resentment issues or unresolved drama with a sibling, family reunions can be awkward, uncomfortable, and triggering, to say the least. 

Another common trigger is the holiday stress itself. As mentioned, buying presents, worrying about finances, and preparing for holiday events can be extremely stressful. Those in recovery may be tempted to cope with this holiday stress, anxiety, and other negative feelings with substances. 

Lastly, a holiday celebration in and of itself can be extremely triggering. Why is that you might ask? Well, we'll get into that in a bit, but first, let's consider how these triggers can be avoided. 

Avoiding Triggers This Upcoming Holiday Season

The first step to avoiding triggers is identifying them. This way, you can be prepared when temptation comes knocking. Other things you can do include: 

• Practicing self-care 
• Surrounding yourself with sober people 
• Engaging in wellness activities, like exercise, meditation, and reading 
• Regularly attending support group meetings 
• Talking about cravings, negative thoughts, and other concerns with a mental health professional 

Alcohol and the Holidays

Now, let's circle back to how holiday celebrations can be triggering. The short answer is alcohol. Even individuals who don't struggle with alcoholism should be cautious about their alcohol consumption during the holidays. The fact remains that alcohol is heavily present throughout many cultures. That means it more often than not makes a recurring presence at holiday dinners and parties. 

Between wine at Thanksgiving dinner or spiked eggnog at a holiday party, avoiding alcohol during this time of year can be challenging. Now, individuals who've been sober for years may have overcome the temptation of alcohol during the holidays, but what about those of us new to recovery? 

Alcohol exposure when you're fresh out of treatment can be extremely dangerous. Time in treatment should offer us healthy coping skills to manage cravings and stress without substance use. However, implementing these coping skills takes time and practice. So, it's prudent to put them to use with less intense experiences like alcohol exposure. 

Another saving grace that can help you stay sober this upcoming holiday season is relapse prevention planning. 

The Importance of Relapse Prevention During the Upcoming Holiday Season

Relapse prevention is extremely valuable to those of us in recovery. There will be many triggers that could threaten your sobriety throughout early recovery and during the holidays. Relapse prevention techniques can help you manage these triggers. 

Before leaving a treatment facility, you can work with counselors and case managers to create a relapse prevention plan tailored to your needs. A good plan will: 

• Identify triggers 
• Provide tools for coping with stress and triggers 
• Promote a healthy lifestyle 
• Foster self-improvement 
• Motivate individuals toward their goals 
• Utilize accountability tools 
• Create a structure for your daily routine 
• Encourage open lines of communication with peers 

Tips for Staying Sober During the Holidays!

Along with avoiding triggers and early alcohol exposure as well as focusing on your relapse prevention plan, other tips for staying sober during the holidays include: 

• Making self-care a priority 
• Surrounding yourself with other sober people 
• Increasing your support and becoming mindful of who you spend time with 
• Creating new holiday traditions that are free of substance use 
• Focusing on being present during the holiday season 
• Practicing gratitude for your sobriety 
• Making sobriety your top priority 
• Spending time outdoors to avoid the winter blues 
• Volunteering or spending time helping others 
• Resting and taking time for yourself when you need it 

We hope these tips and tricks will help you stay sober this holiday season, but of course, no one should go at it alone. For more information or additional support, feel free to contact us at West Coast Recovery Centers today! 

We're quickly approaching what many call the greatest time of year. Unfortunately, this may not be the case for everyone. The holidays can be tough, whether you're experiencing financial burdens or have complex and toxic family dynamics. However, another factor that can make the upcoming holiday season even more challenging is if you're fresh out of treatment and new to addiction recovery. Many triggers could put you at a greater risk for relapse. Thankfully, there are many ways you can avoid substance use and enjoy your holiday season. We encourage you to rely on your support systems and reach out to West Coast Recovery Centers at (760) 492-6509 to learn more about staying sober during the holidays today!