The sober life brings many rewards, but it isn’t realistic to believe that one can go through life never being around alcohol or other temptations. However, a young person in early sobriety is particularly vulnerable because they haven’t yet developed confidence in their sober lifestyle. Any support you’ve got in place comes in very handy this time of year. Gift Mindfully – A good option to avoid enabling is to not give gifts. Gifts and gift cards can be converted easily into money to buy drugs or alcohol. It may seem harsh to not exchange gifts over the holidays but putting money into a savings account they cannot access or planning future trips may be a better way to think of gifts.
For many people, staying sober isn’t terribly difficult as long as life is going pretty smoothly and they’re in a pretty good mood. Early recovery from substance use disorders brings up a number of new challenges. For a newly sober person the holiday season can be particularly difficult. Many times there are still unresolved wounds in family relationships at this stage – family gatherings can sometimes get dicey, for everyone involved. Even the sunniest places like Del Mar, California, can feel cold and get dark early during the winter, causing isolation and depression. The lack of sunlight, shorter days and shift in climate can make life feel bleak and dull.
Footprints Beachside Recovery
Healthy boundaries are physical and emotional limits that people set for themselves to safeguard their wellbeing. Unhealthy boundaries are thoughts and behaviors that can lead to manipulative and controlling relationships. reframing holidays in early recovery The goal is to personalize your family’s boundaries so that they are not “too strict” or “too loose.” Seek a balance between reconnection with others and respect for the needs of everyone present.
- If you’re going out of town, is there an Alcathon in your area going on that you can slip away to?
- When the technique is used in a therapeutic setting and practiced with the help of a therapist, it is known as cognitive restructuring.
- Or maybe it isn’t the stress of the holiday season that gets to you but it’s feeling like you’re left out of the fun.
- If you will be serving alcohol, check to see if your invitee is comfortable with that.
- If you want to try cognitive reframing with the help of a therapist, there are some steps that you can take to help find the best therapist for your needs.
Learning to mobilize negative feelings and validate them gave me room to love myself completely and accept the hand I was dealt. Journaling is a great way to help you stay present and vent your feelings. You can keep track of the days in creative ways like bullet journaling, a personalized journaling method that can be extremely artistic or simple, depending on your preferences. We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
Common Holiday Addiction Triggers
Meanwhile, do what you can to reduce your stressors, such as making fewer commitments, cutting back on your gift-buying list, and avoiding people who increase your stress level. Fortunately, many in early recovery do well during the holidays. The experience of sharing the holidays with family or friends can strengthen their recovery and reinforce the value of the fuller, more authentic way of life they are entering.
Nova Recovery Center is dedicated to helping you or your loved one get help. Please call or fill out this form for a confidential consultation. One of our understanding, dedicated advisors will contact you about your options. Calls from your area will be answered by Legacy Healing Center, and network of treatment centers who https://ecosoberhouse.com/ can be found here Any treatment center receiving calls from the site is a paid advertiser. Provide time and space to step away from the group, if needed. 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.
