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Staying Clean During the Silly Season
- By Rosemary Grace Brooks
- Published 01/14/2009
- Addiction Recovery
- Unrated
Many recovering addicts and alcoholics believe that a relapse is not an occurrence which simply ‘happens’. They believe that the person in question would have to be in a relatively unstable frame of mind for relapse to occur. However, even if a recovering addict is not in a vulnerable space, the Christmas season can present some incredibly difficult and tempting situations.
In South Africa, the Christmas season is not only a period in which a lot of celebrations happen for religious and family reasons, but also as it’s the height of summer, the number of parties, holidays, festivals and buzzing atmosphere is amplified. Added pressures such as family gatherings, work functions and financial difficulties can also be taxing on a recovering addict’s mental and emotional state, leading to temptation.
During the period of the silly season, it is important for any recovering addict to be extra careful and vigilant in their Twelve Step help group programme of recovery. If an addict is in recovery, they should be applying themselves to their programme to the best of their ability, but even if they have not been doing so, now is the time to start. If their commitment to the programme is lacking a little, there is no better time to renew their dedication than during the party season!
Another safety practice which addicts like to use is to make sure that they are always able to contact their sponsor or another trusted person in their life such as a fellow recovering addict. Small details such as making sure that their cell phones have air time to make calls and keeping in contact with other recovering addicts is vital. Attending meetings and working a thorough programme of recovery is also imperative to staying clean, even though this is valid all year round. For an addict in recovery, extra vigilance and an awareness of potential situations, people, places and emotions which could trigger a bad craving are what could save a life.
About the Author:
Oasis Counselling Centre is a treatment facility for addiction recovery offering counsellors and therapy, a Twelve Step Programme and a healthy lifestyle, a combination which enables addicts to lead a normal life without the use of substances, even during the Christmas and holiday season.