The holidays are a time to come together with loved ones and enjoy some delicious food and each other’s company. However, when someone in your family struggles with addiction, it can sometimes be difficult to enjoy the holidays as you all would like to — but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

By having a game plan for the holidays, you can better celebrate with your family and make your loved ones feel more at ease.

How to Celebrate the Holiday with an Addicted Loved One

Remove Temptations When Possible

If you know that someone in your family has struggled with drinking in the past, try to prevent alcohol from being present at family gatherings. You may also want to discourage visiting guests from bringing their own drinks. Especially if the rest of the family is aware of someone’s experience with substance abuse, they’ll understand letting the night go on without alcohol.

Reduce Stressors

If there are members of your family who may harp on your loved one’s struggle with addiction, speak to them before they attend holiday gatherings. Advise them to avoid acting judgemental or harsh toward other loved ones who have struggled with addiction in order to prevent adding unnecessary stress to the night.

Highlight Personal Victories

Rather than focus on decisions your loved one made while they were using, focus on achievements they have made in recovery. Speak highly of their being sober for a certain amount of time or adopting an overall healthier lifestyle. This will keep the conversation positive and help your loved one feel more at ease.

Focus on Gratefulness

As we said, the holidays are all about spending time with your loved ones and being thankful for all your blessings. Make sure to focus on everything in your life that you can be grateful for — your sobriety, the strides you’ve made in recovery, and your support system.

At Silver Ridge, we help address the underlying causes of addiction using programs that focus on the well-being of the whole person. We provide a safe place free from the pain of addiction through the encouragement of personal exploration and therapeutic practices to help adults toward recovery.

Contact us today to get the help you need.