Being in addiction recovery on New Years can be a scary thing for the newly clean and sober, and rightfully so, too. Especially if we still have close ties to friends and family who drink and use, this can lead us right back into our active disease. So how do you deal with this, and still have a good time?
Be Honest About Your Recovery
The best thing you can do for your recovery on New Years is to be honest about it. Chances are, if your friends and family are that close, your escapades probably were not as covert as you think. Many of our loved ones knew there was a problem with our alcoholism and addiction way before we did. Plus, if they are really worth having in your new, happier life, they will be overjoyed to hear that you have found a better way.
If we keep quiet, though, we open ourselves to more offers of a drink or fix. For an alcoholic or an addict, there are only so many times we can say no before we finally give in, and no one knows what that number is.
Recovery Means Automatic Designated Driver
Alternatively, being in recovery on New Years means you are most likely going to be the designated driver if you are in a group of friends who are drinking or using. This not only keeps everyone safe(r), but it gives you a great excuse to decline any offers of a drink.
Every now and then, there is that guy or gal who simply keeps offering. Since it is in your friends’ best interests that you not get drunk or high, even the most chemically adventurous in a group will generally be quick to come to your defense to diffuse the situation if they know what is going on.
Undercover Recovery on New Years
Of course, there is also the option of simply looking like you are as drunk as everyone else. No one tends to question the person with a still-half-full drink in his or her hand. A mere glass of Coke or Red Bull by itself looks practically identical to a Jack-and-Coke or Vodka Red Bull, and good ol’ Martinelli’s (aside from being delicious) looks close enough to champagne.
It is amazing how convincing the fake-it-‘til-you-make-it approach can be.
Others and myself have used this trick for years, and it is not uncommon to have people we were with the night before assume that we are severely hung-over the following morning.
Conclusion
Remember: we did not get clean and sober to sit around and let life pass us by. For many of us, the party ended long ago, but in our new lives, it is starting once again on a different note. It may surprise some, but waking up the next morning and remembering where we were, whom we were with, and what we did does not have to be a bad thing.
If you have any tips or tricks you like to use in your recovery on New Years, let us know in the comments!