Casey Mckeown – Alumni Care Coordinator
In early recovery, it can be overwhelming to plan for the holidays with all the new commitments we have in our lives, whether it be with sober living, IOP, or meetings. But having a plan as we walk into these holiday events is imperative to stay on track with your recovery. Below are some tips to help you navigate holiday parties while in early recovery.
First, speak with your sponsor and plan accordingly for these upcoming events.
When coming up with a plan, ask yourself, “can I handle events where others will be drinking?” If you can’t, that does not mean that we should spend the holidays alone. Instead, reach out to a local AA club or your sober community and ask if there are events taking place for others who may not be able to go home for the holidays. This will give you the opportunity to reach out and connect with others in the recovery community.
Also, ask your sponsor about spot-checking your recovery.
What are the things you are struggling with, and what can you do to better yourself in those areas? The holidays can be tricky and bring up some difficult truths and emotions we may not know how to deal with. Find your meetings and be prepared to head to one if you are struggling with your recovery and remember to keep your support system close.
The next tip for preparing for holiday parties is to do some solid work around the resentments you may be carrying.
After you have found your meetings and support system, take some action! Start doing the work around the resentments you may be harboring before going to any events where there may be drinking. Do not hesitate to take action; this time of the year can be hard for recovering alcoholics, but this is the time to take action and put yourself in a spiritually neutral place. Also, ask the support system around you what they think of your plans and follow through with those actions. The follow-through, even when you do not want to act, is what will save you at the end of the day. Once you have started to take the action of finding meetings, support groups, and doing the work around whatever resentments you may be harboring, you will find that you will be able to let things go, and things that may have set you off track before are no longer that big of a deal. This is what happens when we do the work!
Lastly, be willing to let things go if you cannot make it to an event.
Sometimes we are blocked from certain events and parties for a reason. The first-time holidays roll around in sobriety can be overwhelming and may not turn out the way you want them to, but if we do the work and talk to our support system and God, everything else falls into place. At the end of the day, some of us may not make it to all the holiday parties we planned, and that’s okay. Know that doing what is best for your own recovery is far more important than making it to every single event that may be planned. Happy Holidays and may your higher power be with you every step of the way!
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