I offer couples, families, and individuals support and guidance for dealing with a variety of mental health and substance abuse issues. As the holidays approach, I want to provide some extra help and guidance for those currently navigating their own recovery or seeking to support family members going through this journey.
The holiday season is cause for celebration and often comes with more exposure to alcoholic beverages and people indulging more than may be comfortable.
If you are newly sober, the onset of the holiday season may have you feeling a little nervous about stressors and temptations that may lie ahead. As you approach the holidays, create a strategy for how you want to handle triggers. Identify any events you might be better off skipping.
For the events you decide to attend, consider bringing your own non-alcoholic beverages to events, so you know there will be something you enjoy easily available. It is also helpful to bring another sober person to an event, so you have support and accountability. If that is not possible, you can pre-arrange a check-in call with a sponsor or support person at various points of the event. Being with family has complications, and support can keep us from spiraling and help to stay clear-headed and make better choices.
If you are a family member of someone who is newly sober, reach out and offer your support in advance of this fun but challenging season. It may be tempting to remove alcohol from your family traditions, but newly recovering people may not appreciate other people making unilateral decisions, regardless of how helpful your intentions are. Instead, ask your recovering family member what would be most helpful to them.
Even if you come to the same conclusion in the end, it is very different when it comes from a collaborative process. This also creates the opportunity to evaluate which family traditions still feel festive and which may need to be tweaked in other ways. Questions abound, such as “Who else is invited?”, “Who in the family knows about your recovering person’s sobriety?”, and “Who should be told that information and who should not?” Let them know you respect their preferences and want it to feel like their holiday, too!
Are You Sober but Stuck?
Getting sober is a major accomplishment, but it’s also only the beginning. It takes time to figure out how to have a life worth staying sober for. Sometimes, after getting sober, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of adult life and forget to connect with yourself, your heart, and your dreams.
Life throws us all curve balls. Even if you successfully stay abstinent, you may get triggered and shut down emotionally, making you feel like the walking dead. This is not what any of us got sober for, but it may be difficult to interrupt this sense of emptiness. Don’t just push through in misery. That misery is a signal to ask for help. In those moments, I am always here to provide guidance and support.
Teens and Today’s High Potency THC
Today’s high-potency THC products are so much more than just weed, and they can significantly impact teens, given their developing brains and bodies. Many products, like edibles, oils, and concentrates, contain much higher THC levels than traditional marijuana, which can lead to stronger effects and an increased risk of adverse reactions.
Teens have more unstructured time over the holidays and can make poor decisions. Don’t wait for a crisis to have the tough conversations.
If you have a teenager, talk to them about the dangers of today’s THC products. If you need help setting boundaries or helping your teenager address a substance issue, I am available to help.
Book an Appointment Today
I am currently accepting new clients, and I encourage you to start therapy today to begin a process of better understanding your feelings, beliefs, and behaviors in a judgment-free space. Contact me today to book an appointment.