Sober Holiday Season:
Company Holiday Parties: If you decide to go, you could try it for an hour or so. If you are bringing your spouse or partner, let them know that you will probably only be there for an hour or so. Some companies want employees to attend solo and if this is the case, take your cell phone and have a list of sober friends who you can call if you get antsy. Have an exit time planned and stick to it-no matter what.
Family Get –Together: Same thing applies here, if you are single, take a sober friend with you if you can.
Have your own transportation: or bus schedule so that you are not at the mercy of someone else for a ride home-that way you can leave whenever you want and not when your friends decide they’ve had enough. Also, don’t volunteer to be a designated driver.
Meetings, meetings, meetings: Recovery groups and Twelve Step clubs are a safe place to be so try to go to as many as you can. Some AA and NA clubs even have marathon meetings held over the holiday period and some are even open 24 hours. One recovery meeting per day (or more if needed) during the holidays is a really good idea. You will be around people who understand what you are going through and you can share how you are feeling.
Just Say No: If you feel like being around your family or going to a holiday dinner or party is going to be too much, then commit to being somewhere else. Its ok to say no-this is about your sobriety and protecting it and believe it or not, the party will go on without us! There are plenty of things you could be doing, such as doing some service work. You could work the front desk at your local AA or NA club, or volunteer to make coffee for the meetings. You could also help out at a shelter for the homeless or offer to help out at a senior citizens home.
Avoid near beer or non-alcoholic wine: While this may seem obvious to some of us, there are people who think that drinking these beverages is a good idea. Just know that its not and you should be aware that there are trace amounts of alcohol in these drinks and your body will react to the alcohol and ultimately crave it. In addition, if you do go to a holiday party, keep your drink with you at all times, don’t put it down on a table and leave it. You’ll run the risk of picking up someone else’s or worse still there could be someone who thinks it’s funny to spike drinks that are left unattended.
Plan sober activities: Obviously, if you have kids-the list is endless, you can take them to see Santa, you can make holiday cookies together, and there are always Christmas plays and movies to see. Most cities have a holiday parade or Christmas ceremony. But all this fun stuff isn’t just for kids, there’s no reason why you can’t go along with friends to ice skate, go sledding and skiing, hiking and biking or just throwing the football around in the park after everyone is stuffed from too much turkey. After a day full of this kind of thing, all you’ll want to do is curl up with a good DVD, some popcorn and cup of hot chocolate.
New Years Eve: There are a few things you can do-think about spending it at home with your kids and family, play board games and make a nice dinner. You could also have a nice meal with friends out and go home after the meal is over. How about, going to the movies and coming out just in time to see all the fireworks go off. Most AA and NA clubs have dances or parties on New Years or candlelight meetings; you could try either or both. The most important thing is to be comfortable and remember that you’ll wake up in the morning with a clear head and clear conscience.
It’s true that the holiday season is a tough time for sobriety, but if you surround yourself with people who are also in recovery and take steps to safeguard your sobriety, you are protecting yourself, and that is the most important.
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