Another day, another post about Halloween. Today’s post is about celebrating holidays without alcohol.
Some people might think that a holiday with alcohol is not a holiday at all. They might think that it’s impossible to truly celebrate a holiday without using alcohol or other substances.
Other people might have once felt this way and then some. They might have thought that every day was a reason to drink alcohol (and lots of alcohol). This perspective might have led the people to become dependent on alcohol and led to alcohol abuse.
These people might have sought help for this alcohol abuse at rehab facilities or treatment programs. They might be able to deal with alcohol on a day-to-day basis, but might have a little more difficulty during special occasions—like a Halloween party, for example.
This difficulty is not unusual. Alcohol is often a prominent part of many of our celebrations throughout our lives. We use alcohol in religious rites. We also use it when we gather with friends and family. It’s hard to escape alcohol.
It’s also hard to escape other people—not that we’d want to do that. (For most people, anyway. Everybody has some people they wouldn’t mind dodging now and then, right?) But we’re often around other people, other people who might drink and use drugs. We can’t tell them what to do, even if their actions might conflict with our actions.
What do we do in these instances? Well, it helps to know that other people have faced similar situations. Sobriety groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Secular Organizations for Sobriety (S.O.S.) all have members who are actively working on their sobriety. In these organizations, members guide other members through recovery through sponsorships and meetings.
These organizations show that recovery is not a one-time occurrence, but an ongoing process. Programs and other forms of care allow recovering substance use disorderrs to face holidays, special occasions, and other events that might feature alcohol and other substances. Recovery is not an easy process, but it helps to know that people don’t have to undergo this process alone.
