Holiday Substance Abuse Relapse

He dreaded the up and coming holiday season for reasons unknown to all but a few of his close friends and immediate family. His decision to stop drinking and using drugs had occurred after a near fatal automobile accident which landed him first in the hospital, then in jail and later in a rehabilitation program for substance abusers. His AA sponsor and the professionals in his aftercare program had all been helping him learn about the increased risk of relapse for many recovering substance abusing individuals during the holiday season. He had learned that the holiday season can produce a lot of intense emotions that might not be experienced at other times of the year.

Positive emotions such as joy, warm feelings for others and festive moods can be exciting and wonderful but also intense and unbalancing. Negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, disappointment and melancholy can also occur during the holiday season. Both emotional highs and lows can trigger off the urge to use drugs including nicotine and alcohol.


Other problematic situations can place the recovering individual at risk for relapse at this time of the year:

Deviation from normal routines in sleep, exercise and diet can create imbalance.
Holiday social activities including parties, family events, and seasonal celebrations often increase exposure to alcohol and other drugs.
Pressures produced by increased spending, crowded malls, and expectations of being in the “holiday spirit” can cause difficulty.
Interruption or interference with support functions such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or aftercare programs are more likely to occur during the holiday season.

These and other factors can lead to both physical and psychological stress, precipitating the desire to use alcohol or drugs to soothe frayed nerves, hurt feelings, and unhappy memories from past holiday seasons.

In addition to dealing with the potential problems noted above he also was faced with the prospect of unknowing or uncaring individuals encouraging him to have just one glass of spiked eggnog or one glass of champagne to toast on New Year’s Eve or that special wine served with Christmas dinner. Having to learn to make a toast with a non-alcoholic beverage or turn down the joint or snort of cocaine being passed around at the party made

him fear many social situations he would be facing. Remaining clean and sober through the holiday season would be the greatest gift that he could given himself. The intense support of those family members and friends knowing
about his struggle would be their greatest gift to him at this time of year. Waking up with a clear head on Christmas and New Year’s Day would be an experience that he had not had for many years. This would truly become a holiday season that he would never forget.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 2003