Real people sharing real stories about their experience with substance abuse and mental health.
For many individuals, the cultural celebrations of winter – like Christmas and Hanukkah – mean an exciting time with family members. If you’re in recovery, though, it could mean an onslaught of holiday triggers. Returning home for the first time sober is a reason for celebration, but anyone who’s faced addiction knows it’s also a battle. Fortunately, there are several ways to overcome temptation and avoid triggers.
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The journey to staying sober is a difficult one, but those in recovery face particularly tough times during the holidays. Whether it’s stress or simply being around old friends who haven’t changed, there are countless pitfalls on the road to sobriety. Fortunately, there are several proven methods to help avoid these pitfalls. If you take the following tips to heart, you can have a fun and sober holiday season.
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Recovery is a long road with a variety of hurdles. One of the largest you’ll face, though, is having a sober holiday season. Relapse rates spike during this time of the year for a variety of reasons, but the only thing you need to be concerned with is not becoming part of this statistic. Stick by the following tips, and you’ll likely emerge with your sobriety intact.
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Every Thanksgiving in America, many households go around the table and declare what they are thankful for this year. It’s a wonderful gesture and surely makes people think – even if just for a moment. But there is more to being thankful during the holidays and this is why gratitude is crucial during Thanksgiving and beyond.
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For as long as I can remember, fear ran my life. As a child, I let fear stop me from making friends, getting outside of my comfort zone and raising my hand when I had a question in school. I let fear keep me from standing up for myself, even when I knew it was the right thing to do. I let fear keep me from trying a new hobby that I was secretly interested in or even applying for a job that I wanted. I let fear consume my life. My life was no longer based on what “Lisa wanted”, but instead it was a life based on what I thought others expected of me. Needless to say, it was exhausting.
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When I first made the decision to give up alcohol and other substances, I was not aware at the time that I am a creature of habit, someone with an extremely addictive personality. Having thought of myself as a “normal” person apart from the excessive drinking and drug use, I truly believed my alcoholism was simply that – an addiction to alcohol and drugs.
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I grew up learning the meaning of this day from my parents and school teachers. It’s a day that my wife and I now teach our children about. We explain the importance of thanking those who served in our military and why we honor the men and women who made incredible sacrifices in order to fight for our country and freedom, all while leaving their own families to protect ours.
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The Jewish New Year, or “High Holidays” is a period uniquely designated for reflection and spiritual renewal. In just a few days, individuals in Jewish communities across the globe will come together for a day of prayer and self-examination.
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During my twenty-five year career in substance abuse treatment, I’ve frequently heard family members (and clients) insist that “Alcohol isn’t his/her/my problem – drugs are!” and “Alcoholism isn’t his/her/my problem – addiction is!” as if the same principles of recovery from chemical dependency don’t apply to any dysfunctional situation where alcohol either isn’t present or isn’t present enough to be identified as the primary drug-of-choice.
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