Spend time in the rooms of recovery support group meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous and you will come to learn that the holidays are an extremely difficult time for people who are in recovery from addictions and alcoholism. Spend time among people in recovery and you will learn that the holidays are an extremely difficult time for people who are in recovery from traumas and manifestations of trauma also. Yet, spend time with anyone who isn’t in recovery, anyone who you might designate as “normal” and you’ll learn that the holidays are an extremely difficult time for millions of people around the world.
Millions of people try their best to cope with holiday stress and expectations, many of which are related to unresolved, unacknowledged trauma. People turn to all kinds of behaviors during the holidays to find some way of coping. Sometimes their coping behaviors are healthy and manageable. Other times their coping behaviors are unhealthy, problematic, and unmanageable, especially if chemical substances are involved.
January is one of the most birthday heavy months for people in recovery, meaning that there are many sobriety dates starting with the new year. Relapse during the holidays is not uncommon, nor is the experience of “hitting rock bottom” during another chaotic holiday celebration with friends and family. Just what it is about the holidays which are so stressful and triggering is not truly defined. Generally speaking, the expectations, the family members, the shopping, preparing, and the seasonal change, all contribute.
Relapse is a sign that some part of your recovery has gone amiss. Relapse is not a failure and relapse is not a sign that there is something wrong with you. If you relapse during the holidays, it is a warning signal that there are parts of your recovery which need to be strengthened and skills you need to learn to apply better. Should you relapse during the holidays, you need only do a few quick things: stop as quickly as you started, let someone know, and get help immediately.
Relapse is never a guaranteed round trip ticket. Just one relapse could mean overdose, depending on the drug of choice and form of administration. One relapse could mean years of using before coming back to sobriety. The sooner you can make the decision not to pick up drugs or alcohol again and commit to sobriety once more, the more quickly your recovery will get back on track.
Eventually, there is nowhere left for trauma to go when we leave it unresolved, and it shows up everywhere in our life begging to be healed. Make the decision today to enter trauma recovery and find healing. Call The Guest House Ocala to learn more about our residential care programs for trauma, addictions, and related mental health issues: 855-483-7800