The holidays usher in a flood of emotions for everyone. But, perhaps the most vulnerable to that emotional roller coaster are those who are in recovery from substance abuse or alcoholism.
“The stresses of the holidays can get the best of anyone, regardless if they’ve struggled with addiction or not,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “The key for those struggling with sobriety is to be prepared. That means: consider the environment and situations that you may encounter and have a plan of action in place should you need it. Mountainside has put together a Holiday Survival Guide 2010 that we hope will help individuals stay on track as they maintain their sobriety.”
In an effort to help more individuals stay sober this holiday season, Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center offers the following advice:
1. Understand your triggers. Often times, those struggling with addiction have triggers that are exacerbated under stress. Holidays are a stressful time and, by identifying and understanding your triggers before they happen, you have a greater chance of preventing relapse.
2. Always have a back-up plan. When attending a holiday dinner or party, have an exit strategy should things become too intense for you.
3. Buddy-up. Bring a friend in recovery along for support and to help keep you accountable for your actions.
4. Stay in close contact with your sponsor or trusted adviser. In the event that a friend can’t physically accompany you to holiday functions, remember that your sponsor or a helping hand is, literally, only a cell phone call away.
5. Don’t divulge. Never feel pressured to explain why you aren’t drinking. Most people accept a simple, “no thanks” when choosing not to imbibe.
6. Host of the party makes the rules. If the festivities are being held at your home, enforce a no-drinking rule, no explanations necessary. The host or hostess of a party establishes (and enforces) the rules on his or her home turf.
7. Bring your own drink(s). A bottle of sparkling water or sparkling apple cider can be a special treat to enjoy while others are toasting with alcoholic beverages.
8. Stay away. A basic tenet of recovery is “change your people, places and things.” Consider hosting or attending a “sober party” for the contacts you’ve made at an Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting, a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting or at any other 12 Step Meeting or places you utilize on your road to recovery.
While the holidays can present challenges for those who are trying to maintain sobriety, those challenges can be turned into personal triumphs by choosing to abstain from alcohol and drugs.
Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center prides itself on the level of support it gives its clients throughout the holiday season and around the year.
Through its innovative treatment offerings and post-care treatment plans, Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center provides a level of client care that is second-to-none. Mountainside has established itself as an innovator within the addiction treatment field, and the treatment modalities Mountainside utilizes are regarded as among the most cutting-edge approaches in helping individuals to get and to remain sober.
The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. As a result of their unique, innovative approaches to addiction treatment over the past 12 years, Mountainside has become the model for the addiction treatment field.
The program, along with its professional addiction treatment team, have earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
