The holidays can be the perfect time to gather together with loved ones and enjoy this special time of year. Although the holidays can be a great time to connect with family and friends, they can also increase your risk of relapsing and falling back into old habits like drug use.
At Rise in Malibu, we are a luxury drug rehab facility in Malibu here to help your every step of the way on your journey to addiction recovery. Our addiction treatment center looks to treat the mind, body, and spirit so you can live a long-lasting life of sobriety. Don’t let the holidays put your addiction recovery journey at risk. Read on to learn more about why the holidays tend to cause drug relapses and effective tips for staying sober during the holidays.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you shouldn’t have to suffer alone. Contact us today or call 1-866-229-5267 to learn more about how you can start your road to recovery with our Malibu luxury drug rehab program.
Why Can Holidays Cause Drug Relapses?
Holidays can cause drug relapses because an addict is likely overwhelmed by triggers that will tempt them to give in to their cravings and urges to use.
Whether it be environmental triggers such as being physically surrounded by the drug (i.e., if you are a recovering alcoholic surrounded by friends and family who may be drinking) or social triggers like hanging around with people you used to use before coming clean, these triggers can each put your sobriety at risk.
Your mind can easily play tricks on you, especially when it comes to falling back into old habits that risk your sobriety. For example, your mind may try and convince you it’s “okay” to drink or use drugs just once during the holidays. Or, your mind may even convince you it’s okay to use only during the holidays; however, this is not how addiction works.
Once you’ve experienced addiction, there’s no erasing it from your memory. Periodically relapsing (i.e., just during the holidays) or even relapsing just once can significantly derail your progress toward a long-term life of sobriety. This is because your body will then crave more and more of the substance after that one-time use, making it that much easier to fall back into old habits and become addicted again.
Tips for Staying Sober During the Holidays
Now that you know that the holidays can increase your risk of relapsing, you may be wondering if there are any sober holiday tips to maintain your sobriety during the holiday season.
Here are four tips for staying sober during the holidays.
Plan Ahead
Before going to any social event or family gathering where you know you’ll be at risk for relapsing, come prepared with a plan. This may include driving yourself to the event so you are in control of when you can leave if you become too overwhelmed by triggers. This may also be bringing your own non-alcoholic drinks to the event if you are a recovering alcoholic, so you don’t have to second-guess what you will be drinking.
Seek Support
Consider asking for help from a close, reliable friend or family member who you can lean on. Having someone you can rely on is especially helpful because you don’t know how you’ll react surrounded by old triggers.
Avoid Triggers Entirely
Try to limit where you go in the party to visibly prevent yourself from even experiencing any triggers. While this is easier said than done and can be difficult to do, sometimes this could mean just stepping outside to get some fresh air if your triggers become too overwhelming.
Maintain Your Body, Mind, and Spirit
Keeping up with your body (i.e., eating right), practicing self-care, and maintaining your spirituality before, during, and after the holidays are all essential to prevent relapsing. Maintaining your body’s health will better equip you to resist urges to use again.
Rise in Malibu Offers Relapse Prevention in Southern California
The holidays can be a bittersweet time for a recovering addict. While you get to spend quality time with friends and family, you’ll likely be exposed to old triggers that put you at a greater risk of relapsing. However, as discussed above, the following tips for staying sober during the holidays, such as planning ahead, seeking support, trying to avoid the triggers, and maintaining your body’s overall health and well-being, are all great sober holiday tips to maintain your sobriety.
At Rise in Malibu, our drug and alcohol luxury rehab program consist of a team of highly experienced staff that are here to help you not just break free of addiction but lead a long-term life of sobriety. Long-term sobriety is essential in addiction recovery, this includes not relapsing during the holiday season.
Contact us today or call 1-866-229-5267 to learn more about how we can help you break free of addiction for good to live a long-lasting life of sobriety.
