How To Navigate Sober Holidays Dry Holidays Alcohol Rehab

If you have a drink in your hand, chances are you won’t attract as much attention as if your hands are empty. Come up with a delicious and non-alcoholic drink you can enjoy while there. A cranberry and soda looks like many alcoholic cocktails and is festive to boot. It can be helpful to create visual reminders of your goal to have a sober holiday season. For each event that you successfully get through, reward yourself with a brunch date with a good friend or buy yourself that book you’ve wanted.

• But in fact, it may be an ideal time of year to seek addiction recovery.
• If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or substance abuse, we can help.
• If you are invited to an event where alcohol or drugs may be present, and you do not feel comfortable attending, then don’t go.
• Recognize when it’s time for you to excuse yourself, or pull someone aside and talk to them about how you’re feeling.
• Try ice skating, skiing or snow tubing as a way to help you stay sober during the holidays.
• The nice thing is that you can make the holidays whatever you want them to be.

It’s okay to put your recovery first, stay a little vague and take care of yourself. Don’t expect your family to instantly offer you the support you need. When the holidays get busy, it’s tempting to skip meetings, counseling appointments, and outreach calls. Stay connected to recovery, even if it’s less than normal.

Envision yourself not drinking and remember “If you’ve been there in the mind, you’ll go there in the body.”

Celebrate the fact you are reestablishing your own life. As you affirm your new self on these festive days, you are choosing to celebrate the new, better, clean and sober life that you have created. This might mean hosting a sober, festive gathering with friends in recovery. It may mean volunteering to serve at local 12-Step support groups.

Maybe you decorated trees, gathered with friends and gave gifts. Or perhaps you spent quality time with your family. As an adult, however, so many holidays revolve around the use of alcohol.

How to Talk to Kids About Your Experience with Addiction

Reconnect with your sense of purpose and vitality in our 14-night course featuring coaching and somatic therapy, group workshops, and nature expeditions. Stay away from dishes containing alcohol – Even tiny amounts of alcohol in a recipe could potentially trigger cravings.

A happy non-drinker since May 2019, when she dived into the world of alcohol-free drinks and has made it her goal to try every non-alcoholic bubbly on the market! You can find her sparkly journey on Instagram at @sobertopia. When we aren’t posting here, we build programs to help people quit drinking. When we aren’t posting here, we build programs to help people quit drinking. Central Portugal offers so many options that it’s sometimes difficult to choose what activity to do.

Holiday Tip #4 –Rely on the Fellowship of the 12-Steps

Just tell someone you trust that you have stopped drinking, and let them know you would appreciate their support at any parties you both attend. This way, if you do pick up a drink, there is another person holding you accountable for your actions. This can be especially valuable during early sobriety, when you’re still feeling tempted to drink. sober holidays This may seem obvious, but how often do we default to the bar or the happy hour? Be proactive in making plans for your friends and family that don’t involve drinking. Think outside the box — maybe it’s an art class or ice skating. Ask yourself what you enjoyed when you were a kid or if there is a hobby you’ve always wanted to learn.

• Her mother-in-law makes hateful comments in Julie’s direction regarding everything from her parenting to her weight.
• You don’t drink, or you’re temporarily not drinking.
• I used to drink to enjoy family events with my kids, and now I realize they are pretty darn enjoyable when I’m not buzzed.
• If you’re resistant to the idea because you don’t want to “burden” your loved one, turn the situation around.
• If you’re going to a restaurant, don’t be afraid to take up space and ask the server what nonalcoholic beverages they can make.