5 Tips for Maintaining Your Sobriety over the Holidays

 Alcohol use disorder (previously called alcoholism) is a common medical condition. People who become dependent on alcohol can’t stop drinking, even as their drinking upends their lives and the lives of everyone around them.

Treatment may include medication and some form of behavioral therapy. While people with this disorder may start drinking again, studies show that, with treatment, most are able to reduce how much they drink, and some are able to stop drinking entirely.

At Sidhu Psychiatric in Palm Harbor, Florida, our board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Kanwaljit “Kavi” Sidhu NP-C, PMHNP-BC, understands that recovery and sobriety are long-term commitments that can easily be upended during the holiday season.

Here, she offers five tips for those trying to stay sober during the festivities that will see you through to the new year.

5 tips to maintain your sobriety over the holidays

There are a number of tips to help you stay sober. Here are five important ones to get you started.

1. Create a holiday “escape plan” to protect your sobriety

Planning ahead is one of the best things you can do. Holiday parties and family gatherings are brimming with alcohol, and someone is likely to offer you a drink. Your plan to stay sober could include:

• Attending a 12-step meeting before you go, or inviting a sober friend to the party to keep you accountable
• Making plans to meet up with your sponsor or talk on the phone, especially if things get dicey
• Getting a ride with someone in your support system
• Limiting your time around stressful situations and difficult people
• Preparing to politely refuse alcohol or drugs
• Having a plan to escape the party if things go south

Don’t let known triggers trip you up. Come prepared to protect your sobriety so you can outmaneuver addiction and avoid any potential relapses.

2. Stay helpful

Being of service to other people can help you stay on the straight and narrow, and opportunities to volunteer are plentiful during the holiday season. You can serve a meal at a homeless shelter, reach out to someone new at an AA meeting, or spend time with an elderly neighbor, to name just a few.

When you connect with others — and see, value, and honor their life experiences — you exercise empathy. You learn to exist outside of yourself and begin to notice all the good things your life already has. That can serve as a stepping stone toward embracing recovery.

3. Be mindful of what you're drinking — and thinking

Be proactive and bring your favorite nonalcoholic drink to the party. If you already have a drink in your hand, other people won’t feel inclined to pressure you into giving up your sobriety.

Also, be careful about asking someone else to grab you a drink. They may misunderstand your intentions or momentarily forget you don’t drink alcohol. But, if you do accidentally take a sip of an alcoholic beverage, don't panic! It's only a sip. It doesn't mean you've relapsed — or that you should think about relapsing now. Just toss it away.

If those thoughts begin to niggle at you — the rationalizations about how you have no trouble now holding your liquor — shut them down immediately!

Your abstinence did not teach you how to control your drinking, because abstinence doesn’t rewire your brain not to be addicted anymore. Try instead to talk it out with your sponsor or sober friends. One mistake isn’t a relapse, and it won’t land you back in rehab, but keeping secrets about your drinking might.

4. Some triggers and traps are optional

If you know your cousin is going to grill you about rehab, avoid her. If a certain uncle is going to insist on mixing you a stiff drink, stay away from him. If the office New Year's party is really all about drinking or other drug use, don't attend.

It's unrealistic in all three cases to say, "I can soldier through it." Step One of the Twelve Steps teaches us that. We don’t have the power to “power through” an obstacle course of relapse triggers, so why put yourself in their path? Remaining sober and continuing with recovery must always come first.

5. Practice self-care throughout the holidays

Celebrate the richness of your sober life during the holidays by taking time for yourself. Eat healthily, perform gentle exercise, and practice getting restorative sleep. They’re all wonders for improving your physical and mental well-being.

Nourish your emotional well-being, too, through personal reflection and a renewed connection with the people you love, no matter how busy you are. These help you remain calm and focus on your path.

Worried about your sobriety this holiday season? Sidhu Psychiatric is here to help. Call our office at 727-382-1383, or contact us online today.