Sober and Happy Holidays Guide Northern California Drug, Alcohol Rehab
A sober companion can provide a buffer against the barrage of well-intentioned – yet risky – offers of a ‘holiday toast’. Together, we are a united front against the subtle cues that call for a drink (or drug). By embracing new traditions, individuals are empowered to enjoy the holidays without feeling deprived or out of place.
Educate Yourself about Addiction
When all members of the family readjust and reconnect in healthy ways, the odds reframing holidays in early recovery of the loved one in recovery maintaining gains will improve. Family members share loyalty, common experiences, love and genuine care. When one member of the system is suffering from a disease, it can affect everyone in the family. The disease of addiction can damage trust, disrupt communication, and create hopelessness, fear and confusion for the family members.
Plan to be of service
Thinking about how you will handle the tempting situations you will encounter over the holidays will help you make a plan that will allow you to navigate them successfully. It will also help to speak with your therapist or counselor about what triggers you have and what you should do when things become overwhelming. Additionally, you may want to rearrange your treatment schedule if you are planning to attend holiday gatherings. If you will be serving alcohol, check to see if your invitee is comfortable with that. Note, even if you’re willing to host an alcohol-free holiday event, your family member or friend might not be comfortable attending if alcohol is not served simply because he or she is present. Ask your friend or family member if they are comfortable taking part in the celebration this year.
- Make them feel included in plans and if you know they are struggling, suggest they attend a meeting or call a sponsor.
- Treatment takes time, and the realities of hardships while a loved one recovers from physical, financial, and emotional consequences require endurance.
- Either of these situations can be dangerous for your sobriety.
Get Back in Line and Set Yourself Up for Success
Many times there are still unresolved wounds in family relationships at this stage – family gatherings can sometimes get dicey, for everyone involved. One of the best ways to manage holiday relapse triggers is by staying connected with a supportive recovery community. Many support groups and organizations offer virtual meetings and https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/13-common-myths-about-addiction-and-recovery/ events during the holidays, making it easy to stay involved even if you’re traveling or unable to attend in-person sessions.
Get in touch with old friends–friends leading a healthy lifestyle and not your “party” friends. These are the people who can provide you with the emotional support you need to enjoy a stable recovery period. The holidays can magnify feelings of loneliness, strained finances, or difficult family relationships, all of which could lead to feelings of wanting to drink or use drugs. Travel can also throw some off from their normal routine, especially if they regularly go to recovery support group meetings.
- If your festivities will include someone with a year or more in recovery, you may simply want to ask if there is anything you can do to make the holiday better for them.
- When all members of the family readjust and reconnect in healthy ways, the odds of the loved one in recovery maintaining gains will improve.
- It is important, no matter the season, to keep your recovery first and continue to work on staying healthy and well.
- My first holiday season in recovery was an emotional roller coaster.
- Engagement with treatment resources is crucial for preventing relapse throughout the holidays.
Create a List of Holiday Survival Tips
The information on this page is not intended to replace assistance, diagnosis, or treatment from a clinical or medical professional. Readers are urged to seek professional help if they are struggling with a mental health condition or another health concern. Thankfully I was in a good place mentally, which allowed me to stay calm and avoid getting angry with her or screaming at her that I deserved to come home. At the time, I didn’t deserve anything except for another sober day.
Prescription Drug Addiction Facts and Statistics
Stop Covering Up – Enabling is also when family members try to hide their loved ones’ substance use problems from others. Chances are, other members of the family or close friends are already very aware of the problems, and efforts to cover things up won’t be successful. Addiction is a disease and treating it like a secret or acting embarrassed about it may delay recovery or make things worse. The Discovery House is a fully licensed, Joint Commission accredited, comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment center located in Reseda servicing the Los Angeles area. We provide detox and residential addiction treatment to individuals from all across the United States.
A future free of addiction is in your hands
Loved ones in early recovery are working on new habits and lifestyle changes. Despite best intentions, a drink that creates a desire for alcohol or its effects might inadvertently reinforce beliefs that alcohol is needed in order to enjoy oneself. Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) is indicated for the treatment of opioid dependence in adults. Suboxone should not be taken by individuals who have been shown to be hypersensitive to buprenorphine or naloxone as serious adverse reactions, including anaphylactic shock, have been reported. Taking Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) with other opioid medicines, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants can cause breathing problems that can lead to coma and death. Other side effects may include headaches, nausea, vomiting, constipation, insomnia, pain, increased sweating, sleepiness, dizziness, coordination problems, physical dependence or abuse, and liver problems.
Getting through the end-of-year holidays while maintaining recovery, especially for people newer to this life-changing process, is an important accomplishment—one worthy of celebration in its own right. Provide time and space to step away from the group, if needed. Thriveworks was established in 2008, with the ultimate goal of helping people live happy and successful lives. In addition to providing exceptional clinical care and customer service, we accomplish our mission by offering important information about mental health and self-improvement.
How to Surround Yourself With New Family in Recovery
For more information about Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) see Suboxone.com, the full Prescribing Information, and Medication Guide, or talk to your healthcare provider. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of drugs to the FDA. Kali Lux is a consumer marketing leader with a focus on healthcare and wellness. She has over a decade of experience in building and operating metrics-driven brand, demand generation, and customer experience teams. People struggling with addiction often feel much regret in their past actions.