New Year’s Eve…After an Alcohol Treatment Center
We have all seen the “quintessential” New Year’s Eve party depicted on television or in the movies. The drinks are flowing with champagne toasts, beer glasses clinking together, and drunken kisses between potential love interests at the stroke of midnight.
But, in reality, if you have recently been to an alcohol treatment center, or even if you have been sober for the past 20 years, New Year’s Eve is bound to look a lot different.
Surviving New Year’s Eve — without relapsing
1. Learn to Say No
Here are some examples on how to say no: “No thank you, I do not want a drink,” “No thank you, I am not able to make that party,” or lastly, “No thank you, I can toast with my water.”
While the days of high school and the accompanying peer pressure might be long gone for you, people who are drinking might try to peer pressure you into having a drink at a holiday party. If you are at a required work function where alcohol is being served, learn to say no to any offers of alcohol.
It is also wise to say no to any invitations to New Year’s Eve, or holiday parties, where the focus might be on alcohol. Going to these types of gatherings might lower your defenses and make relapsing a possibility. Instead, learn to say “no” and opt to stay home or go to a party that is less alcohol-driven instead.
You don’t have to tell anyone you are a recovering alcoholic if you don’t want to. You can say you are not drinking for health reasons, or you are trying to cut down. But really, it is no one’s business why you are opting not to drink alcohol. Don’t feel any pressure. Just remember to say “no” and always leave the situation rather than giving in to the urge to drink.
2. Hang Out With a Sober Buddy
It is always good to rely on someone going through a similar situation during the holidays. If you have a friend or family member who is sober, this is a great time of year to hang out with them a little more. Spend the holidays together. Ring in the New Year together.
Spending quality time with someone who is also sober over the holidays will help you remember your own goals, while also supporting your friend. Support — both giving and receiving — will go a long way to making sure you stay sober through the New Year.
3. Line up Meetings
There is a good chance that you will feel tempted to relapse during the holidays. Being around alcohol may be hard to avoid altogether. It is the time of year when drinks might make it into the office setting and when New Year’s Eve parties become quite boozy.
Have a plan in place for when you feel tempted to relapse, whether that means calling your sponsor or heading to a meeting. Having a schedule that includes the time and dates of nearby meetings will help you find the right place to go when you are faced with temptation.
4. Schedule Distractions
Plan some special activities during the holidays to help distract you from the tempting parties and stay focused on your own goals. Maybe it means treating yourself to a massage at a spa. Maybe it means making some more time to exercise. Maybe it means going to see a movie or two. Maybe it means losing yourself in a great book and turning off your phone.
Whatever it means for you, find the right type of distraction that will keep you focused on something other than parties where alcohol is being served.
5. Remind Yourself
Sit down and make a list. Remind yourself exactly why you got sober and exactly what staying sober means to you, your friends, and your family. Every once in a while, especially when you anticipate feeling tempted at specific times of the year, it is a great exercise to remind yourself how far you have come, and how you have gotten there.
Before tackling any New Year’s Eve party, remind yourself of what you accomplished and what you want to continue to accomplish. Staying sober through the New Year is up to you.