The holidays are approaching and family and friends are not sure what they can do to support their loved one through it all clean and sober. This may seem hopeless but the truth is there are things a person can do to help a loved one get through it and enjoy the experience.

Lighten the Mood

Adopt a more lighthearted approach to the entire season in general. Don’t take it so seriously and don’t try to cram everything in. If you are stressed, others will feel it, too. Maybe it is too many obligations this time of year but perhaps lightening the schedule of events will help everyone feel less frantic. When your loved one is trying to hang onto their sobriety with their bare hands, it can be hard to do it without worrying about whether what you do will trigger them. It is not your job to worry but you can provide more sunshine than over-hyping the holiday experience and keep it low key this year.

Stress Management

One way to help ward off stress is to engage in walking, hiking, yoga, and meditation to lower stress. Getting enough rest should be high on the list of priorities. If you are going to experience this holiday with a loved one who is sober, you cannot stay up all hours and not have your loved one follow suit. You’ll need to set a good example and head to bed at the same time so you get enough rest. Remember that things look better when you have enough sleep.

Watch the Invite List

Getting back to back rounds of parties is not going to be helpful for anyone. Of course, this person has the power of personal choice but maybe you don’t have to put yourself and your loved one in a risky situation. If you are selective about the types of invitations you give out, you can practice mindfulness about how you spend the holidays. Whether or not they know the loved one is sober doesn’t matter but if you think they will be toxic then maybe pass on their invite this year.

Know the Risk

It is important to know the risk of approaching the holiday without drugs or alcohol. It may be scary for that loved one and you need to acknowledge that up front and do what you can to help them feel safe and comfortable. There is no going back to the way it was. When your loved one is in recovery, there is no drinking or use of drugs. It is about abstaining for their mental and physical health in recovery.

The Springboard Center’s addiction treatment programs are tailored to meet the needs of each client. By utilizing a set of diverse methods of addiction treatment, we are able to deal with your addiction from all angles and concentrate on every aspect of your healing process. It is important to recognize that many of our services offer a group setting and environment, so that the client spends time with other people affected by the same chronic disease and problems. 432-620-0255