The holiday season can be the most challenging time of year for those in recovery and their loved ones. Family stress, financial pressure, and increased opportunities to drink or use drugs can make staying sober over the holidays feel impossible. For many, Thanksgiving can be the most stressful holiday of the year. Those in recovery often need extra support and tools to stay sober during Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Substance abuse treatment programs can help those in recovery and their loved ones remain sober over Thanksgiving and into the new year.
If you or someone in your life is struggling to stay sober this holiday season, our team can help. A Better State provides the New Hampshire area with comprehensive outpatient substance use and mental health treatment. Call us now at 781.412.1488 to learn more about how to stay sober over Thanksgiving and how an addiction treatment program can help.
How Can Substance Use Treatment Help with Staying Sober over the Holidays?
Substance use treatment programs provide a wealth of tools and support year-round. Support systems include:
- Relapse prevention plannings
- Regular group, individual, and family therapy
- Alumni and 12-step programs
- Mindfulness tools like yoga and meditation
- Medication-assisted treatment in reducing cravings
The chaos of the holiday season can make it especially difficult to stay sober and accountable. It can also be difficult for loved ones to spot signs of relapse. Relapse prevention planning, support groups, and family therapy can be crucial to staying sober over the holidays.
Staying Sober over Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a popular holiday for indulgence. Family stress, celebration, excess food, and access to alcohol can easily lead someone in recovery to relapse. That’s why it’s crucial to understand how to stay sober over Thanksgiving and other holidays. If you are worried about yourself or someone you love relapsing this holiday season, try these tips:
- Plan a sober Thanksgiving – Get together with family or friends at your dinner table, or request your family plan a sober holiday. You may enjoy the food and company even more than usual with no alcohol present.
- Find a 12-step meeting – 12-step meetings are available daily, especially during the holiday season. A support group meeting or meeting with a sponsor before and after a stressful family holiday can keep things in perspective. It’s easier to stay sober when you’re not the only one in recovery.
- Talk to your therapist – Therapists can help individuals and families get through the holidays less stressed and reduce the risk of relapse. Making time for family therapy isn’t always easy, but it can improve the holiday season.
- Bring a sober companion – If you’re in a relapse prevention program or support group, bring a sober friend or partner to Thanksgiving for moral support.
- Take a Thanksgiving break – Opt for an alternative Thanksgiving by getting away for the long weekend or spending time with a sober friend. You may not miss the feast at all.
No matter how you decide to spend Thanksgiving, it’s important to remember the holiday is only one day out of the year. Every day provides its challenges during recovery. Working with a therapist and substance use program is the safest, most effective way to prevent relapse, reduce stress, and feel supported year-round.
Start Substance Use Treatment This Holiday Season at A Better State
If you or someone you love is ready for treatment, A Better State can help. With a holistic, trauma-informed approach to addiction and mental health, our clients enjoy outpatient services that meet their busy lives. With daytime and evening intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) or partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), we have the substance use treatment program to help you get through the holidays. Serving the New Hampshire area, our clinic has a program to help you and your loved ones recover and thrive no matter the time of year.
Contact A Better State now at 781.412.1488 to learn how to stay sober over Thanksgiving and for the support you need to stay sober this holiday season and beyond.
