Holiday Time

[tomskat]

Hi All!!!
The holidays are quickly approaching and for some of us they can be a HUGE trigger. So I'm throwing a couple things out there. First for those struggling hang in there. You can do this!!! If craving get on here and post or just read posts. That really helped me in the beginning. For those that are clean and have some tips on how to deal with triggers, I invite you to please share with us your tips. Personally I do struggle around the holidays as I have a particular family member who is a big trigger. Fortunately I don't have to see them often but I try to buffer myself against them by sticking close to a "safe" family member that knows the deal. It works for me!!

So, happy holidays all!! Hang in there everyone!! I promise you that being clean is so worth the fight so keep fighting. Don't give up!!! Stay strong everyone!!

[YesLife4Me]

Everything is different this year for the holidays.  Lost my stepmom, my grandma (my bf), divorced and kids are now moved out.  My mom passed 11 yrs ago, but my dad recently remarried and is going out of stae to see her family.   But...I do still have my kids and grandson to spend time with...it will be his first christmas that he will understand at 3 yrs old.  

[notordinary]

If some here has lost a loved one, parent, child, siblings. That itself can be a huge trigger during the holiday's.
Hospice has counselors that you can call. I lost my father in 2003, and my mother just last month.
They have helped me in the past. They are the most wonderful people.
What has help me is staying close to friend's. Also like Teresa, talk, talk, talk.
Just a call to a friend that can make you laugh is a great release.
For me, new behavior  ( what i think is new) is really old behavior. We have just forgot how to process it.
Today is 17 days clean for me. And yes i do miss my mother and father. But i also know that this will be my first Christmas clean in also a decade.
Reach out, and know everything will be ok.

[Pat1956100]

I am very lucky that nobody else in my family has any problem with addiction.  They all know about mine so I am sure that there won't be too many triggers.  There definitely won't be any sources around me lol.
I know I still have to keep my guard up because it can happen when you least expect it.

[YesLife4Me]

When someone starts stressing me out...I try to picture a big red stop sign.  The big stop tells me that this is there peoblem and not mine.  I don't have to own it.  

[OpenMind24hours]

Around here during the holidays we have what we call Alkathons and Narkathons. They're all day (and night) 12-step meetings, open to anybody including non-members. Something is going on at all times. Meeting tables followed by open talks followed by open discussions followed by a keynote speaker at a popular hour in the evening. I've gone to a few of these over the years. They help, even for someone who isn't a member of the fellowships. For triggers I call my sponsor, and I work the spiritual part of the program I'm in. I'm just 72 days clean and I get "thoughts" every now and then. It doesn't take a holiday for that. For every thought or craving I take action, mostly on a spiritual level. It works if I work it.

[Teresa1717]

What I have been doing to help with triggers is talking, talking, and more talking. I have a few people on speed dial! haha This too will be my first Christmas clean in a very long day and will also be a very special Christmas for me with my mom so I am looking forward to doing it and being 100% present! :)  

Happy Holidays everyone

[Brightfutureahead]

This is my first Christmas clean- what has worked for me so far is hanging with other clean people!! I know this isn't always possible- I just try the best I can.