9 Tips for Staying Sober During the Holiday Season
Between 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?”
It 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.
Do 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.
If 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.
Many 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.