12/06/2025
Getting through the holiday season in early recovery can feel like a daunting task because during previous holidays our memories and traditions have been centered around drugs and alcohol.
Without drugs and alcohol, we are grieving our substance use and creating new memories and traditions.
These are some ways we can help ourselves move through this season—
Be Selfish: Do not attend anything that puts your mental health and/or recovery at risk. In early recovery it is most likely not worth the risk.
Find Relatability and Support: Find your people experiencing similar things in recovery whether that’s at twelve step programs, church, online groups, therapy, IOP, etc.
Do Things Differently: Create new traditions and experiences. We do not have to follow through with traditional holiday practices.
Avoid People, Places and Things: This is any people or places associated with using substances meaning if we used substances with our parents and/or in our parents home it may be worth considering not spending the holiday with them to protect our early recovery first.
Feelings Are Fluid: Feelings always pass. Cravings usually last about seven minutes and will ALWAYS pass.
Be Creative: My first Thanksgiving in recovery I was completely alone. I found somewhere to volunteer serving food, ate cold pizza afterwards and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Ask yourself what is going to bring me the most joy and do that regardless of social expectations or pressures.
Remember — YOU GOT THIS 💪🏽
