Our hope is merely to capture the spirit of the fellowships, and to approach people with the language they commonly use to describe the disease of addiction. If you’re a treatment provider and have a question, please reach out and someone from our Customer Success team will be in touch with you shortly.
Creating boundaries with a loved one who has an addiction
Just remember, in our addiction we often didn’t care who we bothered or what day it was. Be willing to go to any lengths for your sobriety so you don’t have to go back to your addiction. For many of us, the holidays are a season of peace and joy, where we decorate our memories with calm and happy moments. But the reality often looks quite different, and the holiday stressors quickly pile up for the person in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction, making it a difficult time of year to stay sober.
Don’t Forget About the Come Down
It’s okay to Alcoholics Anonymous do something different, to change locations, to change who you celebrate with or the amount of time you spend at a specific event. Consider celebrating a difficult holiday by marking something off your “bucket list,” doing some needed self-care or volunteering to help others. 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.
- From increased family obligations to events with alcohol to overbooked schedules, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
- Those with SUDs also have a far greater chance, statistically, of having first-degree relatives with addiction issues.
- When conflicts arise, you may choose to dismiss yourself from the group until the trouble passes.
- The hospitals do not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or sex.
Want to stay sober? Stay helpful
A. Blink – when we are stressed or feeling threatened in some way, we can get tunnel vision. Our eyes may get big (be cause our survival system wants to make sure we can see any threat that may come ourway) and we may forget to blink. Blinking or just shifting in your chair can remind you that you are o.k.
Learn About Addiction
Crafting your holiday relapse prevention plan will help you anticipate your every move, so you can stay away from the substances that once caused you irreparable harm. It’s important to know that the holidays don’t have to feel like a celebration. You can give yourself permission to simply be where you are emotionally. Give yourself a break by letting go of the need to meet the expectations of others. Be conscious of your evolving needs for emotional and physical space, and give yourself the gift of that space as necessary. Recovery.com combines reframing holidays in early recovery independent research with expert guidance on addiction and mental health treatment.
