Recovering During the Holidays

The holiday season can present a host of problems for recovering alcoholics. There are many tempting situations that alcoholics might be involved in during the course of the holiday season. Many recently sober former alcoholics will be confronted with drinking situations during the holiday season, and in order to prevent a relapse back into alcoholism, recovering alcoholics need to be mentally prepared. In large cities like Boston, Massachusetts (MA), holiday gatherings are widespread and most people usually end up attending some type of holiday function during the last few months of the year. But just because someone has had previous addiction problems with alcohol doesn’t mean that holiday get-togethers should be totally avoided—they just need to have a plan ready.

Certain thoughts and doubts will enter the heads of those in recovery during holiday parties. Will having one beer really hurt anybody? Maybe I’ll have just one egg-nog. In order to avoid succumbing to these kind of temptations, several techniques should be used to maintain sobriety. Planning out situations is a very important technique to use. Make sure that your social support system or sponsor knows where you will be and make sure contacting them is easy. To make things even easier, have your sponsor attend holiday get-togethers with you, so you can have a support system in person. Another very important technique to practice is having an escape plan. It’s very plausible to have a situation where a former alcoholic is confronted with an uncomfortable situation and consequently needs to leave. Make sure that the people around you know that it’s a possibility that you’ll have to leave without notice—but also be sure to let someone know where you’re going. In a large city like Boston, Massachusetts (MA), it’s easy to slip into a bar or a pub during a stressful situation so it’s important to let your sponsor know where you’re going if you need to exit early.

The most important thing that a recovering alcoholic should do during the holiday season is to do everything you can to stay mentally strong. When it comes down to it, your will power will be the deciding factor of your decision making—so it’s important to get refreshing and principled philosophy that you can practice in pressure filled post addiction situations. The holistic therapies offered through the treatment at Seabrook are structured to transform both the mind and body to recover from addictive thoughts, behaviors, and physical connection. Seabrook is an internationally recognized drug rehabilitation and detoxification treatment center that has facilities located in Bridgeton, New Jersey (NJ), Tioga County, Pennsylvania (PA), and New York (NY). Recovering alcoholics searching for effective ways to stay sober during the holiday season should contact the professional treatment team at Seabrook for answers.