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Sober Christmas
It's that time of year again. The time of year where people are bustling around, rushing to get that perfect gift for their loved one. The time of year where magic is in the air, floating about making everything more beautiful. That time of year where family comes together, toasting to celebrate the season of joy. The time of year that is Christmas.
Christmas for many is a season of giving, a season of celebration and joy. Christmas for most is a time of happiness and family. But for some, Christmas is a time of struggle. A time of temptation. And mostly, a time of hardship. For these people are in recovery, and staying recovered during the holiday season is full of ups and downs, pain and torment. Temptation is in the air, luring the addict back to active addiction, and the bulimic and anorexic back to active disordered eating. For anyone struggling with addiction, be that of food, drugs or alcohol, the holiday season is full of emotional and physical triggers, sometimes enough to lead to a relapse.
During addiction, many people lose their family and friends. During sobriety, many people lose their using friends and may not regain their old friends or family. This makes for a lonely Christmas season. This emotional loneliness can be a trigger for some people.
Also, addicts and eating disordered people alike often struggle to rebuild themselves financially, making it hard to buy presents for loved ones at this time of year. This financial situation results in stress, which can also be a trigger for relapse.
Finally, many Christmas events serve food and booze to their guests. Having to be around so much temptation surely makes it difficult for an addict of any type to stay sober and relapse free. It's basically like bringing a child to a candy shop and telling them they can only look, but not touch or eat anything. It is remarkably hard to resist such temptation when it is so often in your face. This makes the holidays a rough time for many people.
Since there are so many reasons and triggers for people to cope with, it's amazing that anyone stays sober during the holidays. Just remember, you can make it through the holidays. For those who have family or friends in recovery, keep in mind that it's not easy for you loved one at this time of year. Be courteous to them and try to make their holiday as trigger free as possible. They will appreciate you for it.
I wish you all a sober Christmas Eve!