Use Holiday Traditions to Support, Not Sabotage, Your Alcohol Recovery!

The opening of the Holiday Season can be a minefield of memories for alcoholics in recovery:  Pain from lost traditions, or the specter of past Thanksgivings that were memorable only as an example of how alcohol can ruin what should be a happy time of feasting and celebrating with family and friends.

NEW TRADITIONS ARE POSSIBLE!  And beginning new traditions are one of the most effective ways that you and your loved ones can use to support your alcoholic recovery program year after year.

An easy way to begin thinking about how you can create a truly Happy Thanksgiving is to use the old 5 W’s & an H mnemonic.  When considering the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of your new holiday traditions, make sure you incorporate only people, items and events that will support your sobriety, not compromise it.  Using this mnemonic planning device will help not only when gathering at home for celebrations, but also considering which to holiday parties and events to attend.  Keeping your alcohol recovery program at the center of your plans will help you avoid the pitfalls that can lead to relapse.

Choose your favorite pre-drinking holiday traditions and get them going again, only this time without the alcohol or alcohol-driven support system. And if you don’t have any happy traditions to recreate, begin your own!