My drug counseling group is getting us ready for the holidays.  For those who aren’t familiar with the recovery process, your drug treatment center or alcohol treatment center will always place you into some kind of outpatient program once you leave.  My outpatient program includes a weekly group drug counseling groupand (now) a bi-monthly one-on-one (used to be every other day, then once a week, etc).  Anyway, those of us in group meetings are dealing with the upcoming holidays and how we will work through or avoid those triggers that can produce drug cravings.  Most alcoholics and drug addicts have a lot of family triggers that can get them started on the trigger>craving>relapse path.  Mine has always been my father.

Dad is a great guy and I love him dearly, but we cannot be in the same room together for over two hours without clashing.  I never can do anything the way he feels it should be done—or, at least, that is how it feels to me, and feelings, as we know from group, are the triggers we need to watch for the most.  If I had to predict what will happen this Christmas I would say that things will go great for the first few hours.  Dad will put his arm around me, hug me and tell me he loves me (once).  I’ll give in and say the same.  We may even do some cooking together outdoors (it can be eighty below and Dad will have that smoker out).  Then the beer will come out and I will watch Ma start to get tense.  Six beers later he’ll move onto rum and coke and then I’ll get tense as I watch and listen to him start to “share” stories with my girlfriend, my sister’s husband, and my other sister’s boyfriend.  Once he gets to the story of me getting kicked out of school in high school I start to sweat.  I use to leave the room and go do another OC at this point (I would have had the six hour wear down).  I’ve discussed this with my drug counselor and now, my game plan is to volunteer to go to the convenience store to buy more pop. Also, I am splitting the time between my parent’s and my girlfriend’s parents so that I can reduce the time spent with Dad.

Last year I avoided Christmas at home entirely so I could avoid the major triggers and cravings.  I was too new in my recovery then—only six months along.  There are some kids in my group who are looking for a place to go on Christmas because they can’t go home either.  I suggested going to the movies.  They’re always open on Christmas and the best films come out then.

If you’re in the same position post some suggestions, or if you’re still using maybe you should give yourself and your family a present by checking into alcohol or drug rehab.  Yeh, yeh, you can’t quit using on Christmas—you’ll do it after.  Trust me.  You won’t.  Do it now. You’ll thank me for it.  There are some great drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers out there that can help you get back on track.

If you haven’t gotten help yet for your drug or alcohol addiction, please do yourself a favor and call someone today: 877.403.3381