Tips for Staying Sober on St. Patricks Day

Social pressures entice you to hoist a pint on the one day when everyone’s Irish. You want to stay true to your goal of lifelong abstinence, and you can with tips for staying sober on St Patricks day. Is it possible to party, have fun, and not fall back into a drinking habit? These tips for staying sober could give you the edge you need.

Why Is St. Patrick’s Day So Difficult for People in Recovery?

You checked into an alcohol rehab center in Jacksonville FL. There, you went through the steps you needed to take to quit drinking. It was a battle, but you won. These tips for staying sober on St Patricks Day can protect your resolve to abstain from alcohol.

Unlike other holidays on the calendar, this one seems to revolve specifically around drinking alcohol. In fact, this is the one occasion where nobody bats an eye when the drink specials start in the morning. Your friends are asking you to join them. The social pressure to drink is never stronger than on this day.

Tips for Staying Sober on St Patricks Day That Won’t Alienate Your Friends

You want to save face. Maybe you haven’t told your friends that you’re in recovery. Sometimes, the easiest way to avoid temptation is to get away.

Plan a trip to the local nature preserve. Hiking the Julington-Durbin Preserve, for example, takes you far away from alcoholic drinks with a green tint.

Connect with your local 12 Step group to see if anyone’s hosting a sober party on St Patricks Day. These types of organizations understand the temptations that occur on this day. Members often band together to protect each other by hosting a fun alternative party to attend.

If alcohol consumption around you doesn’t trigger you, it’s possible to be with your friends after all. They’ll support your decision not to drink if you offer to be the designated driver. However, this plan only works when you know for a fact that being around alcohol doesn’t trigger you.

What to Do If You Relapse

You didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did. You succumbed to the temptation and had a few drinks. At first, you promised yourself only to have one. However, you couldn’t stop. This is where tips for staying sober on St Patricks Day can help.

Maybe this happened a few days ago. Then again, it might have been St. Patrick’s Day last year – or maybe ten years ago. Relapses can and do happen. It’s now time to take a step back.

Return to rehab. Depending on how long ago it was, you might not need detoxification. If you do, it’s not a big deal. Next, you go through therapy.

Experts work with you to put together appropriate treatments and tips for staying sober on St Patricks Day. They help you understand why you relapsed. Possible modalities include:

• Group therapy as a way to talk through trigger responses with peers who know what you’re going through
• Cognitive behavioral therapy that lets you look for possible areas of dysfunction
• Family counseling, which lets your loved ones in on the relapse and your plans for returning to sobriety
• Life skills training that focuses your attention on dealing with social pressures
• Individual counseling, which helps you deal with the guilt

Have you tried these tips for staying sober on St Patricks Day? If you weren’t successful, don’t give up. Connect with Beaches Recovery therapists who’ll help you deal with relapse and offer additional tips for staying sober. Call 866.605.0532 now.