Whether you are new to recovery, or an old timer, the stakes are equally high. It is not just newcomers who struggle with the holiday season, people with many years of sober time have a hard time, too. Christmas can bring back memories of a time before one's drinking or drugging became unmanageable. Nostalgia can be a slippery slope for people in recovery.
It is important to set such feelings aside and work hard to develop new holiday rituals and traditions with your peers in recovery. A number of people working program will have an urge to isolate tomorrow, thinking that it will make the day easier. But solitude usually has an opposite effect, causing people to get lost in their mind with unsafe thoughts. The head of an addict or alcoholic, as you are probably aware, can be a dangerous place.
The best way to get out of yourself is to channel your energy elsewhere. Attending 12-Step or SMART Recovery meetings on Christmas is great way to keep your sobriety intact this Christmas. If you are feeling shaky, you should share with the group about it. You are definitely not alone, and your words may help someone is even shakier. It is likely that someone will give you some feedback, imparting some wisdom for dealing with your feelings.
Tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to reach out to newcomers, as they are often the most likely to relapse. Having a conversation with a newcomer may help them stay the course, making it through Christmas without “using.” Helping others makes you feel better about yourself, which can actually keep you stay sober for one more day.
At Celebrate Hope at Hope by The Sea we would like to wish everyone working a program of recovery a safe and sober Christmas Eve and Day. And please remember, we don’t drink or drug—no matter what.
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