You might be proud of your Irish heritage or simply love all things Irish, but if you are a recovering alcoholic, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day can potentially destroy your progress. There are many ways to ignore the worst (and best) of this 24-hour holiday, and plenty of options to celebrate without threatening your sobriety.
Avoid the Lure of St. Patrick’s Day
Plenty of people love St. Patrick’s Day. Green beer, camaraderie, shamrocks, even leprechauns signify the luck and folklore of this culture on one special day every year. For someone who is newly sober, however, the tried-and-true alcoholic revelry of the festive March holiday can damage a sober lifestyle and punch a hole in the progress that’s been made after spending time at holistic rehab.
Focused choices are one of the biggest keys to avoiding a tempting holiday celebration requires:
- Spend time with your support system: Whether it’s your sponsor, therapist, or a support group, it’s totally fine to ignore St. Patrick’s Day entirely and spend the hours of that day focusing on yourself and bolstering your sobriety.
- Acknowledge your feelings: It is normal to feel like you’re missing out when you don’t hit the bars or say no to parties on St. Patrick’s Day. Acknowledge your feelings of disappointment, frustration, and anger – then recognize your achievements in sobriety. Ignoring the obvious can make it loom even larger, but admitting you’re working on a sober lifestyle even when it’s not fun is an incredible personal win.
- Go green at home: If you don’t want to be tempted by all the alcohol being served at bars and restaurants, have your own alcohol-free St. Patrick’s Day celebration at home with food, crafts, games, and sober fun.
Sober Celebrations on St. Patrick’s Day
If you absolutely must celebrate — if your heritage calls to you relentlessly — there are plenty of ways to enjoy this holiday without threatening your sobriety.
- Make your own green drinks: Green beer doesn’t have the monopoly on St. Patrick’s Day. A few recipe searches, some clever green food coloring, and you can turn a soda into something special, or spruce up some crushed ice leprechaun style.
- Focus on the food: Instead of fixating on the alcohol you can’t drink, focus on green foods, from edamame to kiwi, cucumbers to avocado, pesto to grapes. Enjoy a broccoli, kale, or spinach salad with a rainbow of veggies and fruits thrown in. Feed a body well and that body will reward you.
- Move: One of the best things you can do for your body is move. Look for a St. Patrick’s Day run or walk that allows you to feel the power, strength, and health of your sober body – feelings that serve as incredible motivation to stay substance-free.
Remember Why You Have Chosen Sobriety
When you are in recovery from substance abuse, it’s necessary to remind yourself daily why you abstain from drinking, to celebrate yourself and your accomplishments. Recovery is about reflection and honoring recovery milestones of the past and present. With the tools you are given through holistic rehab, you can stay mindful and accountable during difficult times, like St. Patrick’s Day and other holidays that focus on drinking.
By reinforcing your sobriety with yourself, you will feel confident saying no, even among excited friends or colleagues, and put the needs of your body and mind first when it comes to encountering potential triggers.
Learn More About Holistic Rehab for Substance Abuse
It’s easy to assume that every St. Patrick’s Day is accompanied by a hangover of massive proportions. Though that may have been your reality in the past, your sober present doesn’t work the same way. Now, you can wake up after this celebration feeling good about getting through the day without relapsing. Eating and drinking things that are healthy for you and participating in sober-centric celebrations is a feat to be applauded, even if you’re the only one applauding yourself.
If you’re feeling like the approach of St. Patrick’s Day is too tempting in your new state of sobriety and you feel like you need to stay away from all related celebrations, remember the many resources you now have thanks to your holistic rehab center.
Holistic therapy is designed to help you in the moment and help you with any challenges that arise when you leave rehab, whether you’ve been diagnosed with substance abuse, a dual diagnosis, or otherwise. Staying sober is a daily choice, and sometimes support is needed to make sure that choice happens.
Contact Beachside Rehab in West Palm Beach, Florida, to discuss inpatient and outpatient rehab, holistic recovery, and mental health treatment, all in a luxury retreat setting. Call today at 866-349-1770 to speak with a trained admissions counselor.