New Year’s is a holiday loaded with implications for sufferers of substance abuse disorder. The societal focus on drinking, partying and overstimulation on NYE can feel isolating to those trying to maintain their sobriety. Further, the belief that a new year equals some kind of need for massive change can cause confusion, depression, and possible relapse among those who are already on a sober path.

Below are a few helpful tips for those who might not know the safest way to celebrate the holiday.

Stay In

If you are newly sober or simply vulnerable, there is very little benefit to going out to a club or a huge party on New Year’s Eve. Like St. Patrick’s Day, New Year’s Eve is commonly associated with drinking to excess, as you will no doubt notice by the increased DUI enforcement and arrests.

Does making this decision to stay in cause you to feel left out or isolated? Invite members of your sober community to watch a movie, partake in games, etc. Having friends around who are sharing your decisions can do a lot to counter the feelings of isolation. Counter program the party atmosphere with a lighter, fun one of your own.

Your Treatment/Sobriety Plan IS Your Resolution

Many of us make half-hearted New Year’s resolutions that we quickly abandon when our impulses make them inconvenient. For the newly sober and at-risk, such gambles are simply too great. Your treatment plan, your plans with your sober community, and your plans with yourself are far more important than any vow to lose weight or quit eating sugary foods. Your plans to stay sober are more important than anything else.

Aspire and Think Ahead

2019 is not just the end of a year. It is the end of a decade. Take some time to reflect. Even through the negative times, there were many lessons that you learned along the way, many moments that helped shape your decision to put sobriety first. No matter the hurdles you’ve encountered, you’ve proven to yourself that you can make good decisions. Make time to look forward as well. Take some time to journal about who you want to be in the next decade. This can help reaffirm the commitments you’ve made and keep positivity flowing. Take an aspirational view of life and dream of a world you want to live in.

Conclusion

New Year’s is largely marketed as a celebration of excess. For sufferers of substance abuse disorder, this can be a dark time. Don’t subscribe to the lie that the holiday is one of drinking and drugs. Turn your focus to yourself and your community. Put your sobriety first, share your feelings with those in your sober community that you trust, and enjoy the process of imagining a better, brighter world for yourself.