Labor Day has marked the unofficial end of summer and we begin to enter the long sprint of holiday season. In American society, it’s normalized that people consume substances in excess to celebrate the holidays. For people in recovery, it’s important to have strong relapse prevention strategies to avoid giving into temptations and triggers. These strategies should be similar to your everyday relapse prevention behaviors, but they may need to be altered due to traveling or being out of your home environment.
Find a Sober Companion
People in sobriety are stronger in numbers, especially when it comes to holiday events where people are drinking or using drugs. Having a sober companion, whether it be a friend, life partner, or family member can make it easier to attend these events. Sober support systems are excellent for relapse prevention, because they allow you to connect with someone else who is going through a similar phase of life. Together, you can help each other avoid and ignore substance use around you during the holiday season.
Choose Alternative Activities
For some people, the holiday season can be triggering because of the environment they are pressured to return to. For example, if you grew up in a home with drug or alcohol abuse, it can be very triggering to return to that home during the holidays now that you’re sober. This is a complicated time because you may still have love and connections with those family members, but their addiction can be upsetting and hard to be around once you have broken that cycle.
If you want to return to your home but worry that the environment might trigger you, modify your trip to make yourself feel most comfortable. This relapse prevention strategy is difficult to implement because it can bring up some uncomfortable conversations. However, it’s important that you put yourself and your sobriety first.
Choose to stay in a hotel instead of a family home. If a party or event is going to be held where you know there will be substance use, invite your loved ones out to an alternative activity at a different time. This could be something like a hike, a picnic, a sober meal, or even something like bowling or mini golf. Alternative activities are a great way to still see your family and friends without compromising your sobriety.
Celebrate From Afar
For many people in recovery, the holidays are a hard time. This could be due to strained relationships because of addiction or a lack of respect for boundaries after recovery. For some, it’s not realistic to be able to go home during the holidays to celebrate. If this sounds like your situation, know that you are not alone. Nearly 60% of the U.S. population currently has or has recovered from some form of addiction. Sobriety may feel isolating at times, but you are not alone.
Choosing to put your sobriety and your health first does not make you selfish. It makes you strong. Do not feel like anyone is entitled to your time or energy, especially if they enable or trigger your substance use. In this day and age we have so many tools that allow us to connect with others remotely. If you feel that you do not have the relapse prevention strategies needed to celebrate the holidays in person with loved ones, set up a way to see them and celebrate on your own terms.
This type of celebration can be done via video call on one of the many platforms available. The beauty of this type of celebration is that you can remain in your safe zones and surround yourself with the coping mechanisms you use every day. You still get to have family or friend time, without compromising your sobriety.
Ask for Help this Holiday Season
Regardless of what types of holidays you celebrate, the end of the year can be a complicated and triggering time for those in active recovery and sobriety. If you feel like you need extra help maintaining your relapse prevention plans, give Solution Based Treatment a call. We can get you integrated into one of our outpatient addiction treatment programs. These programs allow you to carry out your daily duties and stay in your own home, all while getting additional recovery support. We offer both intensive outpatient treatment and partial hospitalization programs.
Likewise, if you have recently relapsed, it’s important to get back into detox and residential rehab as soon as possible to prevent serious harm or overdose. We are available 24/7 to make sure you are able to get back on track as soon as possible. Have a safe and happy holiday season with Solution Based Treatment.
About Solution Based Treatment
Solution Based Treatment is a national leader in detox and rehab programs. We offer inpatient medical detox, substance rehab, intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization programs, faith-based recovery, and sober living options. We maintain a 2:1 client to staff ratio to offer the best support possible to our patients within upscale living environments. At Solution Based Treatment, we support better living for brighter futures, all starting with our detox and rehab services. For more information visit our website at solutionbasedtreatment.com or give us a call at (833) 999-1941.