Surviving St. Patrick’s Day In Recovery

Recovering from alcohol addiction isn’t easy, especially when you face temptations to drink on special occasions like St. Patrick’s Day. Whether it’s the media or even your friends, it can be difficult to maintain sobriety during St. Patrick's Day celebrations and avoid a potential relapse.

With this blog post, we want to offer helpful advice on how to make it through St. Patrick’s Day without consuming alcohol and enjoy the holiday while maintaining your recovery.

1. Clean Your Space

Before the day arrives, take some time to prepare yourself by cleaning your space of anything that may trigger cravings for alcohol. If you are an active recovering alcoholic, physical reminders such as beer cans or bottles or wine glasses can quickly lead you down a slippery slope.

Focus on decluttering your house, especially any rooms that might contain these items, so that you aren’t tempted by visuals of liquor if you encounter them throughout the day!

2. Set Goals

One way to ensure success is setting achievable goals for yourself on St. Patrick's Day, such as calling a support system early in the morning or attending an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting before festivities begin in earnest.

Having specific tasks that are relatively easy can help prevent feelings of helplessness and smother any nagging doubts from taking root in your mind about whether drinking is an option for you. Writing down these activities can also help remind you of why you strive to stay abstinent during certain holidays and events.

3. Surround Yourself with Positive People

Another tip for surviving this holiday sober is surrounding yourself with supportive people. These are people who understand what recovery entails and won't pressure you into indulging in drinks with them throughout the night.

If going out and being around friends isn't feasible or desirable, have video chats over Skype or Zoom with those closest to you instead! They will likely be happy just spending time talking together rather than sitting around booze-filled tables at pubs or bars.

4. Understand Your Cravings Better

Although avoiding triggers can help ward off cravings, another step you should take is understanding why they appear when they do. This will help you better deal with them when temptation strikes again later down the line.

This involves recognizing patterns related to triggers such as seeing how specific situations create more intense cravings than others. Find healthier alternatives outlets for emotions that could lead towards drinking such as stress or depression instead of using alcohol as an escape mechanism!

5. Have Something Different Ready

Another idea is having something different ready ahead of time like a seltzer water or juices instead of beer. If your willpower does slip at times during St. Patrick’s Day, there won't be much temptation of grabbing anything alcoholic from parties and gatherings.

You could also find creative recipes online for making delicious non-alcoholic punches which have light flavors but still capture the festive atmosphere present everywhere during this holiday season!

6. Find Some Distractions

Distraction tactics are key during moments when cravings become overwhelming. Keeping busy releases endorphins which helps alleviate anxiety associated with craving moments and gives positive reinforcement whenever you feel you're slipping too far into thoughts related to past drinking experiences.

By engaging in activities such as reading a book, doing puzzles like jigsaw ones, watching movies online, etc., you can completely shift your focus away from thoughts of consuming alcohol effectively.

7. Keep Hope Alive

Even if all else fails despite trying hard not to cave in to the pressure faced on St. Patrick's Day, keep believing that beating addiction is possible.  Don't let fear set in permanently. Always believe that tomorrow presents new chances towards lasting sobriety.

Find joy and strength within yourself whenever you feel doubting by challenging these doubts with more positive self-talk that recovery is still an achievable goal. With proper planning, St. Patrick's Day can be a sober success for everyone in recovery.

Find Help for Alcohol Addiction in Anaheim, Ca

If you're struggling with alcohol abuse, don't wait for St. Patrick's Day to motivate you into seeking professional help. Get in touch with the experts at Anaheim Lighthouse and get the quality, compassionate care needed to achieve lasting sobriety.

We offer comprehensive alcohol detox and addiction treatment programs that can help you overcome your alcohol use disorder.