Alcoholism & Relapse: Abstaining During The Holidays
Because alcoholism has an associative and memory disorder component
, family and other social gatherings during the holidays can result in stressors that may lead to relapse. With summer nearly here and holidays such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends on the way, recovering alcoholics may be placed in situations that could pose a real threat to their sobriety. Unfortunately, most people who are in recovery could never be expected to completely avoid gatherings like these. After all, quality time with family and friends is important to a healthy recovery program. Therefore, spending time with family and friends during holidays or other gatherings where alcohol might be involved should be done with a little bit of planning and a lot of assertiveness.As if being around alcohol isn't enough of a threat to a person's recovery, family gatherings and holidays can be stressful. Traveling with pets and children is tough and expensive, planning parties or making arrangements for guests is time-consuming and intensive work, and being around family isn't alwaysideal. Old family feuds, drama between certain family members, or disapproval concerning things that happened in the past are often aired during what would otherwise be harmless social functions. All of this can be extremely stressful, and it's likely that some of these factors contributed to a person's alcoholism in the first place.
The real problem with alcohol use during holidays is that people tend to drink regardless of what's going on: "It's a wedding have a drink!" And "It's a funeral have a drink." Therefore, drinking is encouraged whether what's going on is a negative or positive experience. For people not in recovery this might not pose a problem, but for people who are it can be extremely difficult to engage people in social situations when their solution to everything is to drink.
If you are a recovering alcoholic and you struggle with family gatherings and holidays, you should know that you're not alone. The following are a few tips to help you better cope with these situations:
*Plan your visit. Having a solid plan can help keep you on track. Following a schedule is useful regardless of whether you're traveling to or hosting a family or social gathering yourself. Relapse is often an opportunistic beast meaning that if your schedule doesn't allow an opportunity to drink, then you won't slip.
*Have an escape. Sometimes, the simple temptation to drink can just be too much or the stresses of a family gathering too high. Make sure that you have a way to remove yourself from the situation, even if you must excuse yourself with a line that isn't exactly true. Indicating that you're just not feeling well is a great way to accomplish this and really isn't that far from the truth.
*Be assertive. Don't be afraid to say no to a drink. You shouldn't have to hide who you are. If you're amongst family and friends, then everyone present probably already knows you're in recovery. Any of these people who would seek to break the sanctity of your sobriety do not have your best interests in mind and must be responded to assertively. If that doesn't work, you can always fall back on your escape plan.
If you've recently relapsed as a result of a family gathering or holiday or you fear that you are on the verge of relapse, then you need to take action to get help right now. Educating yourself about inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment and other options to get you back on track is as easy as picking up the phone or sending an email. Day or night, there are people available to help you prevent what could be the worst mistake of your life.
by: matbcva6br Dublin Lodges With Leisure Facilities Three Money-saving Travel Tips For The Tight Travel Budget Mindanao Travel Guide The Fight Over Seats Distribution: Airlines Pitted Against Travel Agencies Looking To Escape To A Faraway Paradise, Do Not Forget Your Hepatitis A Vaccine At A Travel Clinic Cheap Holidays Destinations To Spain Top Travel Tips! Take A Tour To The Land Of The Nile Valley With Holidays To Egypt Visit Norfolk For Memorable Holidays Make Your Travel Luxury By Yacht Charter Greece Groupon Coupon & Discount Travel Deals Best Holidays To Enjoy 8 Days With Ms Jaz Senator Nile Cruise From Luxor Quality Roadside Assistance Program Keeps You Secured As You Travel