Come Home
To Recovery

(888) 418-4188
Achieving Sobriety

Staying Sober During Family Events

Staying sober during family events can be a special kind of challenge when you are an alcoholic, especially if your family doesn’t really understand the nature of the disease. Whether you went to a high end treatment center, or one of the more affordable alcohol treatment centers, they hopefully made it clear to you that alcoholism really is a disease and not a personality issue. Use the following tips to help stay sober during family events.

Plan Ahead

Sometimes you are better off to bring your own drink. This can help you in a variety of situations. For one thing, people won’t be constantly trying to hand you a drink. For another thing, if need be, you can just skip all the questions about why you are refusing drinks by saying that you are on a new trendy diet. Is it a lie? Not really, since you’re on a diet that precludes alcohol. It is, however, a great way to avoid lengthy discussions that involve defending your choices.

Host the Dinners

One of the easiest ways to manage the situation is to manage it directly. Host your own dinners and inform your family that the dinner is a sober one. While this may raise a few questions, it is your home, and you are going to have to draw this line sooner or later if you are to be successful in sobriety.

Focus on Activities

A lot of times when families get together, they either have organized activities, or there are people, usually children, who really need someone to organize an activity for them. By putting yourself in the position to direct or at least participate in these activities, you keep your mind busy while still enjoying family time.

Limit Your Time

This isn’t your first time with the family. You know about how long it takes for things to get overly stressful, or for people to switch into party mode. Keep a time in mind, and perhaps even let people know that you have to leave by a certain time, so no one is asking questions when you get ready to go. Stress, and especially personal, family-related stress, can be a significant trigger, and it’s important to plan ahead for that.

Much of what you do to deal with your situation depends on your own personal triggers and issues. For example, getting together with the family might be a trigger for you because of the stress in general, or it might be a trigger for you because you belong to a family that loves to party. For more insight into how you can manage these situations, contact Yellowstone Recovery by calling 1-888-897-1455 today.

Achieving Sobriety

Request More Information

Start your recovery today.

     
     
     
    • Treatment Options
    • Program Curriculum
    • Program Services
    young man talking to his therapist

    Intensive Outpatient (IOP)

    Intensive OutPatient treatment (IOP) helps people establish the foundations for lifelong sobriety…

    read more...
    patio with tables covered by umbrellas

    Detoxification

    Our California alcohol and drug addiction treatment program is predicated on restoring you to your ideal health. Detox is a crucial part…

    read more...
    gate for one of the rehab facility homes

    Primary Care – Residential Treatment

    The first phase of our program is primary care. During this phase clients will be in a 30-day “blackout” period…

    read more...
    three straw men standing in front of two trees

    Residential Treatment – Extended Care

    Residential treatment extended care starts on day 31 and goes through day 90. This period is very important for a client in early recovery…

    read more...
    small outdoor pond

    Outpatient Treatment

    Outpatient treatment serves as aftercare for clients who have completed extended care (90 days of residential treatment)…

    read more...
    gate for one of the rehab facility homes

    Sober Living

    Sober living at Yellowstone begins after the initial residential treatment portion of the program is successfully completed…

    read more...
    emotional support group with five men and women

    Weekday Schedule

    Detox and Residential Treatment

    read more...
    Depressed woman looking away

    Experiential Therapy

    Experiential Therapy is therapy of the mind rather than the body. It is a tool to help…

    read more...
    typewriter writing the words

    Contact Yellowstone Recovery

    read more...

    Why Choose Yellowstone?

    Low Cost Pricing

    Financing Available

    PPO Insurance Accepted

    Provide Complete
    Continuum of Care