9 Tips for Staying Sober During the Holiday Season

9 Tips for Staying Sober During the Holiday SeasonBetween parties and family get-togethers, staying sober during the holidays can be a challenge. Interacting with old friends and family members may stir up hard feelings, bad memories, difficult conversations, and tempting situations. But by following these tips, it’s possible to thrive—not just survive—this holiday season.

1. Have a plan in place.
Before going to a party or spending time with family, think about what will happen. Have a team of friends and accountability partners to provide support. Here are some questions to ask:

  • “Who is going to be there?”
  • “What feelings will this bring up?”
  • “Am I even ready to go?”

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Understanding and Loving a Family Member with Alcohol or Drug Addiction

Understanding and Loving a Family Member with Alcohol or Drug AddictionIt has been said that alcoholism is a family disease. Why? Alcoholism affects the entire family—everyone in the family needs to get help. If you have a family member who struggles with alcohol or drug addiction, is there a healthy way to respond to them? Yes, absolutely! You must understand family roles, and understand what your next step should be.

What Are the Family Roles?
In looking at families of addicts, there are different behavioral roles:

The Dependent: this is the alcoholic/addict in the family. He or she has the real problem.

The Chief Enabler: this role is typically taken up by a spouse (more…)

Depression and Addiction: What’s the Connection?

Depression and Addiction: What’s the ConnectionDo you struggle with depression? Have you tried to ignore it, hoping it will go away? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, having depression makes you twice as likely to have a drug or alcohol addiction compared to someone who does not have depression. When depressed, you may turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. Once it wears off and the feelings of despair return, you may increase your drug or alcohol use—this is where addiction takes root.

It is possible to get out of the pit of depression, despair, and addiction. Recognize what depression looks like. Identify the common signs of drug and alcohol addiction. Then, seek a treatment plan that works.

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6 Personalities Of An Alcoholic

6 Personalities Of An AlcoholicIf you are an alcoholic or know someone who is, it’s important to ask for help. But don’t stop there! Take it a step further by learning all you can about alcoholism. There are biological predispositions to alcohol and alcohol doesn’t affect everybody the same. This list will try to explain why it is so confusing to understand yourself or the person that you’re with if they’re an alcoholic.

The Abstainer
An abstainer is the personality of someone who has not been impacted by any kind of chemical, any kind of addiction, and certainly not alcohol. This first personality is really for most people who aren’t born addicted or born with some kind (more…)

Heads Up for the Holidays!

Heads Up for the HolidaysMany of you may be striving for freedom from depression, anxiety or addictive behaviors this holiday season. The “most wonderful time of year” can be one of the lowest times of the year if you’re already struggling and susceptible to the usual holiday triggers. You can be impacted in ways you don’t even realize.

Here’s a few suggestions to help you recognize those holiday triggers, avoid relapsing in your recovery, and in the midst of the sorrow and sadness that may fill your heart, (more…)