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Question 1. What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?
A really special stay-at-home dinner for the family, along
with a good movie! Thank my lucky stars that I do not need
a cab ride home or any aspirin for the morning!!! Sounds
silly, but it’s great fun. I cook something I rarely cook any
other time of the year, and OH yes, some black eyed peas for
continued success!
~Keri T.
It’s a family celebration in our house! We chill off a
couple of bottles of sparkling grape juice a couple days
prior to the big night and ready ourselves for an evening of
snacks and board games. As the hour approaches we gather
around the TV and scream and dance (the five year old
included) throughout the entire fireworks and ball dropping
extravaganza. At that point we are all exhausted because
we can’t stay up past 10:30 anymore and head straight for
bed! The home is the safest place for our family, especially
with all the rooky drinkers on the street!
~Tom L.
Quite often our AA drug rehabilitation group holds a party. It is so great to be
sober and not have to worry about drinking slow enough to
make it to midnight. I don’t even have to celebrate the new
year “big deal” hehe!
~Marolyn G.
New Years Eve in the past was a time to celebrate or give
myself an excuse to celebrate, as if us alcoholics need one. We
stay home, watch Rockin’ New Years Eve on TV, eat popcorn
and drink diet soda. I can almost guarantee you I don’t stay
up until midnight. I treat it like just another day in my
sobriety.
~Tricia T.
The New Year is a time when we can take inventory, put the
past behind us, and awaken to a beautiful new day filled with
opportunities and hope for a better tomorrow.
~Wesley A.
For starters, I’m a little superstitious, so I do my best to
live by an old Irish belief which is; the people you bring in
the New Year with are the people that are going to be in your
life for the following year. I want to spend the next year
with the people who love me, accept me, try to understand
me, honor me and enjoy the me that I am today. I have no
desire to be around partiers, or those people that have not
honored me or cherished me in my life. So I spend New
Year’s Eve with my children, close friends and loved
ones. Sometimes we go to the cabin in Durango, and spend
a few days skiing. Sometimes we go to Arizona and spend
time playing in the sun. Sometimes we stay closer to home,
just being with each other. We’ll light fireworks, have a good
meal, and maybe toast the coming year with some sparkling
cider.
~Annalisa U.
Good one! My first New Year’s Eve in recovery was
actually pretty awesome! I had been clean for almost four
months, and my drug rehabilitation group had a big blowout dance, and
then I went to an AA group which held meetings all night
just to be there for those of us who were having a particularly
difficult time. I started off my year that year in prayer for
being clean and sober, and I asked for forgiveness for all of
my past New Year’s Eves that were “less than honorable.”
It was a new beginning for me.
~Ashley G.
I spend it with my family at home, because I can and
want, to, for once in my life...thanks to a clean and sober
life.
~Kim W.
First of all, I make sure I have a drug rehabilitation meeting to go to and a
friend to go with. Then I try to have a coffee date after
or before with a dear friend or ‘healthy’ family member.
But the most important is going through the day aware
of what I’m feeling and writing down those thoughts. The
response to the thoughts--no matter what they might be
is a gratitude list. I also call it my ‘in the moment, I’m
alive’ list. As I’m in a comfy place, or drinking my favorite
cup of joe, I listen to where I am, writing the smells I
smell, the sights I see, the feelings I feel, what is happening
right there in the moment wherever I may be. But I always
try to conclude the moment with things I’m grateful for
and simply that I’m grateful to be alive, and to have gotten
a second chance at life--as in BEING alive. It’s the simple
things that offer the most comfort and peace and quiet
any inner cravings that might sneak up. It’s being grateful
for what I do have instead of wanting the ‘party’ of old
New Year’s, excitement and such. The simple things now
provide the inner excitement I’ve always craved. I feel
full and serene after a day like this. And this kind of day
can be any day.
~Ali P.
My home group has a great party at a Bed and Breakfast
in East Texas. It is for all NA, AA, and drug rehabilitation groups. We even have
an all Sober Band that plays for the group! Lots of good
sober fun!
~Miranda S.
I work at an animal hospital in Nixa, Missouri. On New
Year’s Day we are closed, but we still need an employee
to come in and walk 20+ dogs at 6:30 a.m. in freezing cold
weather. For the last two years, since I have been sober I
have volunteered to be the employee who gets up early and
do this tough job, all the while loving the fact that I am
probably the only employee who is not hungover!!! I may
be cold and miserable, but nothing like I used to feel on
New Year’s Day. For that I am grateful!
~Amy A.
I’m 43 days in recovery after drug rehabilitation and I plan to spend New Year’s
Eve with friends watching the top movies that are available
on DVD at an all night party at my house. At the advice of
a friend, I will never indulge in non alcoholic beverages as it
triggered her into a relapse...I guess it will be root beer floats
and make your own sundaes. We’ll have great finger food
throughout the night…spinach dip, seven layer salad, mini
hot dogs in barbeque sauce, etc. One thing I plan to
incorporate in my future party planning is to ask everyone
to bring something. This will save me time and effort and
prevent me from feeling easily avoidable stress. I will pick
my guests very carefully and insure that they are committed
to an evening of sober entertainment.
~Gay H.
Question 2. What is the most stressful thing during
the holidays? What do you find works to
help the situation?
If I am going to be traveling, then I find out where the
meetings are close to where I am going and I plan
ahead. My family all knows that I am in recovery and
they don’t take it as an insult if I feel the need to leave for
just an hour or so.
~Claudia M.
The most stressful thing at the holidays is being around
drunken relatives. What helps me in this situation is I can
decide when enough is enough and have my other family in
AA to turn to. I have learned not to have to put up with it.
~Sarah F.
The most stressful thing at the holidays is not
remembering much about the previous 35 seasons because
I spent them drowning myself in the bottom of a bottle
instead of relishing in the joys I should have experienced
sober. I now know the pain I must have caused my family
and the few true friends I had left. What helps me in this
situation is the acceptance that I am an alcoholic now, plus
continually working the AA steps and attending daily
drug rehabilitation meetings as much as possible. If I am as fortunate to enjoy
the season ahead as I did for the first time last holiday season,
I won’t dwell on the past or the looming future. One day at
a time with sobriety is my primary focus now. The future
will come on its own.
~John P.
The most stressful thing at the holidays is feeling alone!
What helps me in this situation is making sure I’m around
loved ones. You can’t stay isolated. Isolation is akin to
alcoholism, and the two of them want to get you off by
yourself so they can kill you.
~Dennis M.
The most stressful thing at the holidays is large
gatherings. What helps me in this situation is the Serenity
Prayer and sneaking home early!
~Deby F.
The most stressful thing at the holidays is shopping.
What helps me in this situation is to buy items during the
year.
~Jean J.
The most stressful thing at the holidays is trying to please
everyone and be everywhere. Set REALISTIC goals and
stick to them, is my advice.
~Julie R.
Fancy parties of my party-daze are in the fuzzy past. Now
we prepare an only-the-best-will-do feast of shrimp, crab
legs, favorite cheese and crunchy crackers, out of season
berries and other high reward foods to enjoy in front of the
TV while watching New Year’s celebrations around the
world. Perrier is the drink of choice. It wasn’t always so.
Today we have more to celebrate and need fewer crutches
to do it. Thank You Valley Hope,
Question 3. How do I protect my recovery during the
stressful, party-filled holiday season?
My 22nd. consecutive holiday season is coming up this
year and I have protected my sobriety in the same way every
year. Each year I go to drug rehabilitation meetings, read the Big Book, talked to
my sponsor, help others and pray and meditate. I was told
early on that the holidays are just another day of the year
and treat them the same way that I would a Tuesday in March!
Also, when going to family, work or friendly events I always
drive so that I can leave if it were to get uncomfortable. I
have to remember that my job is to add to and not try to get
something out of these events. I learned early on that it is
best to avoid expectations as most events can never live up to
the expectations my mind puts on them. By doing this I do
not have to experience the disappointment that goes with
unmet expectations. Have a great sober and sane holiday
season.
~Thomas S.
I surround myself with family and friends. I remember
that the life I live today would not be possible if I were still
drinking. I also remember the true meaning of Christmas. I
just think how great I will feel on January 1, still sober and
without a hangover or DUI.
~Pammy R.
How do I protect my recovery during the stressful, partyfilled
holiday season? When I’m going through a stressful
time I make sure I go to A LOT of drug rehabilitation meetings and I talk to my
sponsor daily. As far as party’s, if I know alcohol is going to
be there I take a SOBER FRIEND with me. Also you can go
a little late and leave early. That way you did attend but your
not around alcohol for hours. Thanks.
~Kathy P.
Never lose track of the fact that my sobriety has to come
FIRST! I try to find the meetings well in advance of any
travel and I double up on the readings. I sometimes put the
sponsor on high alert!
~Jim O.
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