New Year's and the Holidays
While New Year's Eve is often a time of celebration and happiness, it can also be a time of relapse for people in recovery from addiction. As a matter of fact, New Year's for the drug-user is not about reflection and commitment to a new year. It is just a time to get intoxicated.
In addition to this belief about New Year's Eve, there realy is an alarming number of people using alcohol and other drugs at this time. For many people without a problem with alcohol, drinking champagne at midnight is tradition. For the person in recovery, it can be difficult watching so many people drink.
Watching other people drinking and having fun can be quite tempting. Certainly, people will be offering them drinks and asking them to celebrate too. We have even worked with client's whose parents have given them champagne on New Year's Eve.
The parents thought that their child should be able to have one
glass of champagne and enjoy the New Year. For a person with
substance abuse and especially addiction, that one glass of champagne
will trigger them to have a strong desire to experience intoxication.
After that first drink, that person's mind becomes centered on
one thing, " how will I get more of this stuff?"
While I hope that you celebrate
and have a great New Year's Eve, we want to remind you to be
mindful of your own use. By drinking, you might be sending the
message to the person in recovery that it is "okay to drink
on New Year's Eve". Finally, continue to have the expectation
that the person in recovery remain abstinent on New Year's Eve.
Be safe and have fun !!