CMC:B Alumni Community

Holiday Tips from CMC:B Alumni

Holidays can bring up all kinds of different emotions, so we spent our November CMC:B Alumni meeting sharing thoughts about how to show up for the holidays in ways you can feel good about. We ended up with a pretty awesome list of suggestions and wanted to share them with all of you!

The number one suggestion is to PLAN AHEAD! Check in with yourself and think about how you might approach different scenarios. And if you need some prompts, below are six topics and 22 tips.

Whatever resonates with you, consider keeping a list on your phone so you can easily find it in any situation. Phone numbers, mantras, DBT skills – whatever works. You’ve got this!

1. Arrival/Exit Strategies:

• Show up early, leave early? Show up late, stay for one hour?
• Know your physical and metaphorical "exits" — including escape routes if feeling triggered (if xyz happens, it may be time to go… grab my coat here, head out this door here, etc.)
• Take a break or walk outside as a reminder that you can leave any time

2. Drink Planning:

• Think about a non-alcoholic beverage you might like to drink (favorite mocktail, KeVita, Arnold Palmer, sparking water + apple juice)
• Bring your own beverages to a party. The Dry Cellar (drycellar.co) has interesting non-alcoholic suggestions.
• Ask for traditional/fun glassware to prevent feeling excluded

3. Support Systems

• Find a supportive family member/friend who will abstain with you
• Phone a friend before, during or after any events – and consider being available for others to call
• Risk being vulnerable: Confide in someone about what you’re thinking and feeling. You may be surprised at the support!
• Use the tools you learned in treatment. Click here for some DBT tips and skills; consider reviewing them (or any others - this website is a good resource).

4. Take Care of Yourself

• Be okay with your feelings. You’re allowed to feel annoyed or excited or anxious or indifferent.
• Keep taking your medication as prescribed. If you have beneficial PRN/”take as needed” medication, consider taking it (as prescribed, of course).
• Antabuse can be really helpful, especially since you can take it early in the day, well before possibly getting into a tricky situation
• Try not to skip your healthy habits too much – especially if exercise or healthy food have helped you in the past

5. Do Something Different

• Instead of the same old parties, create a new holiday tradition for yourself (coffee with friends, ice skating, retail therapy)
• Get out of town – whether near or far away (solo trip to Costa Rica, anyone?)
• Find a meaningful way to experience joy, exuberance and celebration!

6. Think Positive

• Focus on gratitude: You’ve been on a long journey. Take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come.
• One alum said: “I used to think of my sobriety as something very fragile that I needed to protect. Now, I try to focus on the joy that comes with sobriety rather than the fragility of staying sober.”
• Don’t forget that the holidays happen only once a year (well, kinda). And they can get easier over time. Whatever you’re feeling now, it will pass!
• Look for opportunities to bring fun and excitement and humor into your life in a way that can replace how you once used substances. Certain coping mechanisms are short-term and fleeting. You’re in this for the long haul!
• Remember that you are not alone. There are so many people who are right there with you – including all of us.

We hope this list is helpful. If you have tips of your own you’d like to share, please email cmcb-apc@motivationandchange.com and we’ll include them in a future newsletter!