Preparing for a Sober Holiday Season

The upcoming holiday season is filled with opportunities to get together with friends and family and engage in festivities. However, the holidays can also be an incredibly stressful time. Preparing for a sober holiday and working with family, friends, and peers can be difficult, but it is also paramount for those continuing to prioritize a sustainable sober life for those overcoming drug addiction or alcohol use disorder (AUD). Planning a sober holiday can not only further each alumnus’s continued sober efforts but even help create new traditions and expectations surrounding the holiday season. 

While the holidays are supposed to be times of joy, this is not always the case. Some families may have a great deal of friction between their members, and getting together can be stressful as a plethora of different people come together. This can be especially true if it is an individual’s first sober holiday, with varying understanding and support of a person’s sober decision. Some alumni may be worried that they would not be understood by friends or family anymore, that their sobriety would not be respected, or that they may even be judged for taking their own physical and mental well-being into their own hands. 

Likewise, previous traditions may still be in place that may not necessarily align with a person’s sober goals. This can be exceptionally stressful for those navigating their continued sobriety, as it can feel as if an individual either has to navigate intense, high-risk situations and surround themselves with unnecessary triggers that may cause cravings or feel ostracized by their own families and friends as these traditions continue to circulate. 

Alumni always have options when preparing for the sober holiday season. Working with friends, family, professionals, and peers at Hawaii Island Recovery can be instrumental in setting expectations and creating the best approach to a healthy and fun sober holiday. 

Setting expectations both with oneself and with others regarding the holiday season is necessary. For many, a sober holiday can feel like a foreign concept, especially for family members who have not had to navigate addiction and recovery themselves. Setting clear expectations about how the holiday festivities will unfold, the absence of addictive substances, and more is all part of a successful approach to a sober holiday. 

Likewise, it is also important to set expectations for oneself. Knowing how an individual wants to approach the holiday, what changes to traditions may need to be made, and any new traditions being explored can all help create a comprehensive plan. Communicating these expectations with others is paramount to not only ensure that each individual is continuing to prioritize their own sobriety and sober goals but also so that friends and family are prepared for a new approach to a sober holiday season. 

Planning for a sober holiday can be difficult, especially since it can be difficult to predict or control how other people may want to celebrate the holiday. While unfortunate, it is common for those in recovery to find themselves in high-risk situations where alcohol or drugs may not only present but possibly even where their use is normalized. Working with family and Hawaii Island Recovery’s trained professionals can ensure that each alumnus has effective exit strategies in place to remove themselves from these dangerous situations. 

Furthermore, practicing what to say, who to call, and knowing what transportation is available is necessary to create a fleshed-out exit strategy that prioritizes each alumnus’s hard-earned sobriety. 

The holidays are bustling times, and keeping busy throughout any gatherings during the festivities can be a great way to keep focused and occupied. For some alumni, this can involve providing a service during the holidays, such as cooking, cleaning, or providing other hosting support. Staying occupied with dedicated sober activities and introducing new activities, traditions, and more can also ensure that each alumnus is occupied and can avoid falling back into previous holiday routines, expectations, or behaviors that may no longer align with their sober goals. 

Dedicated support is an invaluable resource throughout any stage of recovery. Alumni of any given treatment program can always benefit from continued connection to peers and professionals alike. Making an effort to stay connected with supportive family members, provide updates, and talk to peers navigating their own sober holiday can all continue to reinforce the need for change in recovery. 

Continued engagement in outpatient treatment and therapy programs, connecting with sober peers online, and more can also reinforce each alumnus’s dedication to sobriety and promote mentalities and perspectives to stay aligned with each person’s hard-earned sobriety. 

The holiday season should always be a time of celebration. Those living their best sober lives should never feel ostracized for their sober decisions. It is always possible to engage in the festivities throughout this time of year without feeling left out, and having the right support and approach to the holiday can help. While the exact way in which an individual celebrates the holidays may change with sobriety, our treatment programs in Hawaii can help you explore new ways to celebrate and engage in a fulfilling sober holiday season and mark a genuine transformation in recovery. 

The holiday season can be wrought with new challenges for alumni, and approaching the holidays with the right plan and perspective is necessary. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we understand the challenges that this time of year can present, whether it is your first sober holiday or even if you are celebrating years sober. Our unique and personalized approach to treatment programs in Hawaii allows us to customize a program based on your needs and goals, all while helping you continue to build new strategies for navigating the holidays alongside sober peers. From exchanging proven and effective strategies to becoming part of a supportive and sober community, we can help you today. For more information, call us at (866) 390-5070.