With the festive season just around the corner, diaries are already filling up fast. Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for socialising, with office parties, festive catch-ups with family and friends, and other festivities dominating our calendars – all associated with Christmas drinking.
Providing a welcome break from the demands of everyday life, Christmas is also a great time to reflect, relax and celebrate. However, as festivities over the Christmas period often involve copious amounts of alcohol, this time of year can be particularly difficult for recovering addicts.
In fact, statistics released by Public Health England as part of their new campaign reveal the following:
The vast majority of people will drink more at Christmas than any other time of the year, mainly due to the many festive social gatherings.
Christmastime can also be difficult for many. From financial worries and pressure to find the money to buy presents, to dealing with loss or a relationship breakdown, the festive season can be particularly challenging.
For many people, Christmas isn’t “the most wonderful time of the year” – and seeing other people spending time with their loved ones can often be triggering.
During the festive season, the expectation is that everyone should be having a good time and more often than not, that involves alcohol.
This can make the season extremely difficult for those suffering from alcohol addiction and heighten the challenges that come with living a life of sobriety.
But there are steps you can take to help avoid a Christmas relapse, including:
At ANA, we work closely with our clients to help them rebuild their lives, gain confidence and self-worth, and believe that they can live a healthy, responsible, and productive life, free of addictive substances.
Contact ANA today, our friendly team is on hand and ready to help.
