Not Another White Knuckle Christmas: Tips For Staying Sober During The Holidays

For many people who are new in sobriety, the holidays can pose several challenges.

You may not know how to interact with your family without alcohol present. Your family may not understand why you quit drinking. Your family may still be angry with you for all the time you spent drinking. There are many scenarios that can leave someone new to recovery feeling anxious, or even dreading the holidays. If you seriously don’t know how you are going to navigate the holidays this year, this post is for you!

Tips for Staying Sober During the Holidays

• If you’re concerned that you will break your sobriety, it’s okay to stay home. Talk to your family, talk to your sponsor, or talk to a friend, and make the decision that is best for you. It’s okay to ask your immediate family to get together at another time, to spend time together and exchange gifts without alcohol present. It’s okay to say, “I need to put my recovery first.”
• If you’re feeling alone during the holidays because you don’t have the friends or family you imagined, seek outside support. Go to a meeting, talk to your therapist, or call your parents. Make sure that you’re not spending time all by yourself.
• If you decide to spend time with family and friends and alcohol will be present, come up with a game plan. It’s normal to be anxious, it’s normal to be hesitant. Decide on an escape route, whether that means driving yourself, having an excuse to leave early, or planning who you’ll sit by. Find the people at your event who you know will support your sobriety, and stick to them like glue.
• When you go to an event where you know there will be alcohol, bring your own beverage. People are less likely to bring you a drink if you already have one in your hand.
• If you’re feeling anxious, don’t hold it in. People may not understand the nature of addiction, but many people understand anxiety. The people around you care about you and want you to be okay.
• If none of the people at your family events care about or support your sobriety, don’t go. Putting yourself in a position where you will be tempted and have drinks shoved in your face is not going to be the place where you stay sober. It doesn’t mean you’re weak; it just means you still have some growing to do, and your brain still needs time to heal from addiction.
• Plan fun activities of your own without alcohol. Just because you are sober doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy the holidays. Sure it won’t be a party where everyone gets plastered, but there is still joy in driving around looking at Christmas lights, going sledding, going bowling, and watching Christmas movies.

• If it’s Christmas and you’ve gotten sober in the last year, some of the little things that bring other people joy may not bring you joy. And that’s understandable. For the past weeks, months, or years, your brain has been receiving something it no longer gets: alcohol. This means that you may not find joy in the little things… yet. Joy in the little things will come again; it just means you have to learn how to enjoy these things again.
• If you feel like you are really struggling with your sobriety, please reach out for support. This could be in the form of a therapist, a support group, a sober friend, a sponsor, or a 12-step meeting. People in the recovery community are eager to help those who are new to sobriety because they know the struggle — especially during the holidays.