There are many ways to help you stay sober during the Holidays such as your thinking and your mental attitude.
In the beginning of your recovery you are really fighting to stay sober. Your body that has been so used to alcohol in your system and then to have nothing alcoholic is a bit of a shock to your your system. You go to that Holiday party and watch as those that are drinking and thinking they are having a wonderful time, and I am sure they are, at that moment.
You mouth starts to water and wishing you can have just one beer, a glass of wine or a nice mixed drink. The problem with that is you have made a pack with yourself, (I hope) to never pick up a alcoholic drink again. This pack or promise to yourself to never drink again should have been made when you finally surrendered to your addiction.
You took the right steps in getting clean and sober, and now the huge job is to stay clean and sober. The Holiday seasons are full of temptations to the alcoholic. I know for myself when I quit drinking alcohol, the first few months were torture to me. I surrendered to my addiction in October of 2009 just two months before the Holiday party were to begin. I thought to myself, " how in the world will I ever be able to go to these holidays and parties and watch people drink while I remain sober?"
The way I handled those temptations to drink are as follows and I hope they will help you through this Holiday and many days and years to come, not just Holidays.
- I began to prepare my mind and my feelings of what would happen to me if I were to break and relapse.
- I thought to myself if I were to drink at these Holiday parties what I would be ruining and all the hard work I did to get where I was at that moment and sober.
- I said to myself that every minute I remain sober at these parties I will be closer to leaving the the temptation to drink.
- I stay strong and determined not to drink and keeping that promise to myself that I made some two years ago.
- I mad sure I had enough coffee to hold in my hand as I sipped it slowly as I was having conversations with all that were drinking alcohol.
- Before I knew it the end of the night was near and I remained clean and sober.
- Ever since those couple of parties I went to it has become so much easier to be around those that drink alcohol and my urge to drink has passed and it doesn't bother me one bit now to go to parties and watch other drink their brains out. In fact, I watch them now and just how they change with each drink that was drank. I often wonder to myself, "was that me two years ago?" If so, I was a mess as those that are pounding them down and thinking they are having a blast.
- I go home sober and awake with a clear head with no hangovers. I wonder how they felt after their night out drinking? I bet not like me!
- I continue to tell myself just how proud of I am of my own self and I should be, just as every person that had an addiction and surrendered to it and now living a life of sobriety.
Don't drink and don't give in EVER!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE AND ENJOY THIS SPECIAL TIME OF THE YEAR BEING CLEAN AND SOBER!!!