Sober for the Holidays

11|2019

Sober for the 2020 Holidays

About this time every year, we like to take a closer look at the unique challenge of staying holiday sober.

Sobriety is not just wishful thinking – it’s a daily commitment to making good, healthy choices over bad, destructive ones. Staying holiday sober takes extra effort on the part of the addict… and we are here to help.

Of course, it goes without saying that in order to remain holiday sober, you should resist any and all temptation to drink alcohol or do the drugs that put you in a position of addiction in the first place.

In this article, we’re going to suggest a few tips that will not only make this a little easier but, will help build character and community as well.

1 – BYOA – Bring Your Own Alternative.

No one wants to be told to avoid holiday parties. What fun would that be? But if you know that the party you are invited to will be serving alcoholic beverages, we encourage you to bring your own alternative drink.

We’ve found great success by simply calling the party host and asking if it’s okay with them if you bring your own non-alcoholic beverages.

In most cases, they will either inform you that there will be many non-alcoholic choices available, or if not, they will immediately support the idea of you bringing your own.

Remember, if they invited you to the party – it’s your PRESENCE that they are requesting. No one really cares about the drink in your hand. Bring a six pack of your favorite soda or ginger ale and ask the host for a space in the refrigerator to keep ‘em cold.

2 – BYOC – Bring Your Own Car.

In the event that the pressure to drink seems overwhelming, it’s always good to have a solid backup plan.

And by backup, we really mean… back up and bail.

While it’s always fun to carpool with friends, a great tip to remain holiday sober is to strategically bring your own car, so that you can leave at any time without disrupting the festivities for others.

3 – Volunteer for Victory.

One of the best ways to take your mind off of remaining holiday sober is to volunteer to serve others during the holidays.

There are food banks, homeless shelters and many other worthy charitable causes that could really use a little more help during the holidays.

By throwing yourself into the mix of people who are helping others, you effectively build a wall of accountability around yourself. Not only do you receive huge value by assisting others, but you also keep your mind focused AWAY from drugs or alcohol.

Staying holiday sober is not impossible.

In fact, if you employ these fairly simple tips, you might just discover a newfound outlook towards the holidays.

No one is suggesting that sobriety is easy… but remember, it’s one choice at a time – one day at a time.

If you need someone to talk to, A New Outlook Recovery Services stands ready and able to help you navigate the challenges you are facing.

Visit us at -> South Park/Littleton Office