How to Prepare for Thanksgiving in Addiction Recovery

During the holiday season, it can be a difficult time for those who have struggled with addiction. The constant reminder of happy families, wholesome activities and abundant food can be triggering for some. However, recovery is about taking ownership of your life and owning your ups and downs. That means you cannot hide from the world for another year. You have to grapple with everything that makes you uncomfortable and find a way to move forward through it all. Here are some steps on how you can get ready to face the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday in addiction recovery.

Be Mindful of Triggers

While you should not have to isolate yourself from your loved ones, you are likely going to experience some strong emotions, particularly if you have reached recovery from an alcohol addiction. Triggers cause these strong emotions, and they can be anything from a certain smell, color, sound, or even a person. You will have to be mindful of what might trigger you during the holiday season, or else you risk falling back into harmful thoughts and behaviors.

Keep in Touch with Your Support Network

Keep in touch with your support network during the holidays and consider who you can turn to in times of crisis. You have likely built a support network in your recovery journey. And you likely have a therapist or counselor who has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to helping you through difficult times. You can also consider turning to online support networks, such as an online recovery community.

It may be helpful to have support from people who are going through similar things to you. Keep in mind that there are certain times when you should definitely seek out support from others, and there are times when you should turn to yourself and your own healing practices. Thanksgiving can be a challenging time, and you will want to turn to your support network for help.

Set Loving Intentions for Yourself and Your Family

As you prepare for Thanksgiving after addiction, you will start thinking about what kind of celebration you want to have. One thing you will want to do is set some loving intentions for yourself and your family. These intentions can be anything that is important to you, such as reconnecting with a loved one you fell out of touch with in addiction. You also may recognize that your family will want to celebrate in a certain way. And there is nothing wrong with that! You just want to set loving intentions for yourself so that you can approach the holiday season from a place of love, rather than from a place of fear.

Be Realistic

Lastly, you will want to be realistic when preparing for Thanksgiving after addiction. You likely will have a lot of expectations for yourself and what you think others expect over the holiday season. Be careful not to fall into the trap of perfectionism. Set realistic expectations for yourself, such as the amount of time that you think you should spend on yourself versus how much time you should spend with family.

It is important to not put too much pressure on yourself during the holidays. Doing so can cause a lot of unnecessary stress, which is not healthy. You will want to be gentle with yourself and try to approach the holiday season from the pressures of expectation. Approaching the holiday season in this way allows you to take full advantage of it without setting yourself up for failure.

Recovery With Nova

At Nova Recovery Center, Houston we provide our patients with a very comfortable detox process, where medical professionals provide monitoring and care around the clock. You will be provided with all the medications you need to combat the withdrawal symptoms. You will then be enrolled in the in-patient recovery program where you’ll learn to stay away from drugs, through counseling, group therapy, and so on.

Nova Recovery Center commits to helping you overcome your addiction so you can get back to what is most important to you. If you or someone you know are struggling with addiction, Nova Recovery Center can provide support. We have locations in Austin, Houston, and Wimberley Texas. Call today to begin your journey in recovery at (512) 605-2955.