Happy and Safe Holidays!

Happy Holidays to everyone! The holidays are here and they are a great time to celebrate but there can also be lots of temptations. Here are 10 ways to help you to avoid holiday addiction relapses: 1. Start Each Day With a Plan to Fend Off a Relapse �??An alcoholic needs to wake up each morning thinking about how to stay sober that day,�?� says Peter R. Martin, MD, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology and director of the Vanderbilt Addiction Center at the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. �??Once they have a plan, they should be fine for the rest of that day.�?� The key is staying focused on your goal of sobriety. 2. Evaluate Each Situation Rank scenarios as low, medium, or high risk for you. In early recovery, spend more time in low-risk situations and avoid high-risk, Rhine says. If you�??re further into recovery and will be in a situation that is medium- or high-risk, such as a party with an open bar, rely on your plan. Arrive early and duck out a bit early, she suggests. Drive yourself so that you can leave when you're ready. 3. Bring the Party With You Take along a food or safe drink that you enjoy. For instance, if champagne is a big temptation for you at a New Year�??s soiree, bring a flavored, sparkling water to sip as the clock counts down. 4. Know Your Triggers Addicts should know their triggers for relapse and how to manage them, Dr. Martin says. The most common triggers correspond to the acronym HALT �?? when you feel hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Take care of yourself, mentally and physically, to ward off these triggers. 5. Don�??t Forget to Eat Low blood sugar can leave you anxious or irritable, Rhine says. This, in turn, can make you feel impulsive and tempted by substances. Have a nutritious meal or snack about every three hours. 6. Keep Stress Under Control Many people turn to alcohol or illegal substances as a way to cope with stress. So when stress strikes, take a few minutes to decompress and meditate instead. Push away thoughts of substance use. �??Just because you have a thought doesn�??t mean you have to act on it,�?� Rhine says. Also make time for regular exercise. �??The urge to drink alcohol or use a drug often feels physical,�?� she explains, so giving your body something else to do can satisfy the craving. 7. Distract Yourself Bring along a buddy who doesn�??t drink, smoke, or use drugs to help you stay sober at social functions. Find an area far enough away from the bar, and strike up a conversation with someone. Offer to help your host so that you stay busy with little tasks. 8. Rehearse Responses If you�??re not ready to share the fact that you're in recovery with your elderly aunt or a distant cousin at your family holiday dinner, use a discreet strategy for turning down alcoholic drinks or other substances: Create a script that you can use to decline off-limits offers. 9. Learn to Move Past Your Cravings A craving only lasts about 20 minutes, Rhine says, so if you can stay strong for a short period, the urge should pass. Move to a different setting, meditate, or breathe deeply. Talk yourself out of acting on your urge, she suggests, by saying something like, "The reality is, I can't stop at one drink, and I can choose to have something non-alcoholic instead.�?� Remember how much is at risk if you give into your craving. 10. Lean on Your Support System If you're part of a support group, make time to attend a few extra meetings during the holidays to stay on track. If you need help finding a support group, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence offers a list of organizations you can contact. Stay close with helpful friends and family and those you�??ve met during your recovery journey, and understand that your friends who abuse substances may have to celebrate without you this year.