Sober New
Year 2012-2013
New Year is a Challenging Time for Recovering
Alcoholics
New Year’s
celebrations tend to be fueled by alcohol. Even those
individuals who do not normally drink during the rest of the year will make an
exception for such a special occasion. As the clock counts down to midnight on
New Year’s Eve, many adults in most Western countries will be at least slightly
inebriated. There is also a surge in the number
of alcohol-related accidents at this time. With so much emphasis
on alcohol, it can be difficult for those who are trying to quit or have
already entered recovery. The festive season is a time when those in recovery
are at risk of relapse. A significant percentage of these people will never get
another shot at sobriety. It is therefore vital that everything that can be
done is done to avoid such casualties.
The Dangers of New Year for Recovery
Alcoholics
New Year can be a
dangerous time for recovering alcoholics because:
·
This is a time of year where there are many social gatherings
involving alcohol. It is like the whole world is partying, and those in
recovery can feel left out of the celebrations. It can be difficult to avoid
being swept away by such merriment. The recovering alcoholic can even start to
kid themselves that one drink for the New Year won’t hurt.
·
Alcoholics will tend to have traditions related to New Years
festivities which involve drinking alcohol. Those individuals who are in early
recovery can find it difficult to break away from these traditions.
·
Alcoholics may have fond memories of drunken New Year’s Eve
celebrations in the past. This means that they can begin to romance the drink. Such thinking can
easily lead to relapse. These memories are tricky, these good times less
wonderful than memory suggests.
·
This is a time of year for meeting up with old friends and
acquaintances. If these are former drinking buddies there can be a great deal
of pressure to rekindle the friendship over a few drinks.
·
Some people in recovery can get a type of pleasure out of
watching other people drink alcohol. This may seem like a harmless activity but
it can lead to intense cravings to relapse.
·
Those who are estranged from family can feel incredibly lonely
at New Year. Loneliness is a
common excuse used by people to justify their relapse. It needs to be avoided
at New Year or this relapse trigger could lead people back to sitting on a
barstool.
How to Avoid Relapse at New Year
These are some of
the measures people can take to ensure that they [do not relapse over the New
Year period]
(http://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-rehab/holiday-temptations-for-alcoholics/):
·
The New Year season is a good time to focus more on recovery.
Those who belong to a recovery fellowship will benefit from going to more meetings
at this time. The atmosphere at these gatherings is especially festive, so
attending can be fun. This will help those in recovery feel stronger and better
able to cope with the New Year build up. Those who do not belong to a support
group may want to spend more time reading recovery literature or become
involved with one of the online recovery communities.
·
If people find that they are beginning to romance the drink they
need to challenge such thoughts. They can do this by remembering the bad times as
well as the supposedly good times. The fact that the individual needed to give
up alcohol in the first place is evidence enough that things could not have
been so wonderful. Those who are in recovery need to be aware of how memory can
be treacherous and ready to combat such thinking.
·
Keeping a journal is always good way
to stay strong and motivated. The individual can use this as an outlet for
their frustrations and concerns. The ability to get fears down on paper makes a
difference. They can seem less threatening when they are there in black and
white. Reading back on old journal entries can be a wonderful way to judge
progress and can act as a reminder of the reasons it is worth staying on the
sober path.
·
Those individuals who have a sponsor may want to make use of
this resource during the New Year build up. A sponsor is able to offer support
and one-to-one guidance. They will be able to share their experience of making
it through this potentially dangerous time of year.
·
Arranging a party where there will be no alcoholic drinks
available can be a good way to ensure a sober New Year. It is not only people
in recovery who appreciate sober parties. There are many non-drinkers who do
not enjoy being around those who are inebriated. They find it boring. An
alcohol-free party can be a wonderful way to see in the New Year.
·
Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous tend to arrange sober
parties. Those who are staying in rehab can also get to enjoy
seasonal activities.
·
It is not advisable that people in early recovery stay at home
alone during these celebrations. It is best to spend time with some sober
friends or visit non-drinking family members.
How to Survive a Party at New Year
It is probably not
a good idea for those in early recovery to go to a New Year’s party where
alcohol is going to be flowing. Even those who are well established in their
sobriety can find such events a challenge. Sometimes though, it can be
difficult to avoid such events, and there may be a situation where the
individual feels they cannot get out of going. For example, it may be expected
as part of a job commitment. If the individual feels that they are at high risk
of relapse then they should avoid this party no matter what the consequences.
Here are a few ideas for how people can survive a New Year’s party:
·
It may sound a bit odd but it can actually help to practice
saying no to alcoholic drinks before the party. This can be better done
with the help of somebody else in the form of role play. Some partygoers can be
particularly persistent when it comes to getting other people to drink, often
because they have their own alcohol demons pulling the strings. It is best to
be prepared for such doggedness. In most instances, a firm no will be
enough to end such questioning. Giving a longwinded answer can just lead to
further questioning.
·
One of the best ways to survive these gatherings is to bring
along another friend who is not going to be drinking alcohol. If this
individual is also in recovery, then it is vital that their sobriety is
well-established. Otherwise, both of these attendees could be at risk of
relapse.
·
It can also be helpful to take along some addiction recovery
material. There days this can be discreetly done using Smartphone such as the
iPhone. There are many apps available that are designed for people recovering
from addiction. These include written, audio and video material.
·
It is crucial to check ahead to make sure that there will be
suitable non-alcoholic drinks available. If they are not then the individual
will want to bring along their own favorite soft drink.
·
It is not a good idea for people in recovery to ever leave their
drink unattended. There are some nasty individuals who enjoy spiking the
drinks of other people by adding alcohol to them. The person who engages in such
behavior may think that they are livening up the party, but it can be
devastating for people in recovery to find out that there drink has been
spiked.
·
If people feel that they feel overwhelmed by the occasion, they
should leave right away. They should then seek assistance and support from a
sober friend or recovery group. It is best to plan an escape route before they
attend.
Sober Resolutions for the New Year
There are plenty of
individuals who managed to finally break away from their alcohol addiction at
New Year. It is well known that most people will fail to keep their
resolutions, but there are plenty of individuals who buck this trend. There is
no need for those who are suffering because of their addiction to wait until
this event to stop. There is no advantage to extending such misery by even one
more day. It is always better to give up alcohol abuse now rather than waiting
for some special later date. This is because there is no guarantee that the
motivation to stop will still be there when this time comes.
How to Enjoy New Year Celebrations in Recovery
It is definitely
possible for people in recovery to enjoy New Year. In fact it is usual for
those with established sobriety to claim that it becomes more enjoyable than
any time in the past. It may sound like a bit of a cliché but people do not
need alcohol to have a good time. Once the individual becomes secure in their
sobriety, the festive season
becomes something to look forward to rather than something to be dreaded.
Happy Sober New Year!
