My question is, if a person has maintained sobriety for a period of time with success, are there times like NYE that would make it harder to abstain? Or is it no harder, because the person just stays away from bars and other places that alcohol is likely to be, as they would any other time of the year? I wonder if the mere idea that many others are out right now getting plastered make it harder to resist?
It really depends on your social situation on that time of day, your mood, and what kind of media you're exposed to. I'd say stay away from social gatherings that have alcohol.
Perhaps there are some transient thoughts about it. I think if you still feel vulnerable then you should avoid social gatherings because honestly you cannot expect everyone not to drink because of you. If you are dead serious on staying sober and have been clean for a long time then go out and enjoy yourself. Enjoy the people, food, and everything else that parties have to offer except the alcohol.
My boyfriend stopped drinking a month ago. He went from hardcore alcoholic (beer from the moment he stood up to the moment he went to sleep, drinking also when he woke up during the night; cocktails and other liquors also being drunk at different times of the day). He let that go (switched to non-alcoholic beer; it turns out that when he said he just liked the taste, he was saying the truth, now he drinks non-alcoholic beer from morning to night!) and I'm proud to say that he does not look like celebrations made him flinch or even want to. Which seems like it made his friends a bit confused and less happy, but he had no problem going to them with me or them coming to us, with his friend and me drinking a bit and him not. I'd say it's always up to you to know your limits and what you can take, what is a trigger and what not. And you should know them, for the sake of enjoying social interactions and not hiding out at home just in case. Maybe take a good understanding friend with you if you ever try to just "see" if you can manage it, someone who could hold you back. Determination is a muscle; if you realize when you're out that you would want to drink, but resist, then you will be stronger for it. But it is essential to make sure someone who cares has your back.
It's difficult isn't it - on one hand you have intentions of staying sober but society is telling you that you should be out celebrating. There's drink everywhere at this time of year and you need a really solid resolve to make it through.
Alcohol is everywhere. People drink to celebrate, they drink when sad (funerals), and they drink socially. But NYE is a particular celebration meant for alcohol consumption. If I really had a serious problem with alcohol and wanted to avoid it, I would not celebrate NYE in public at all. Yes, I would feel isolated, and probably feel left out, but it would be better than relapsing.
I think it's best to avoid New Years Eve and similar celebrations due to the significance of alcohol. If you are trying to cut back or beat an addiction, then they are more trouble than they are worth. There will be plenty of other times to celebrate and socialise without risking something you have worked so hard for.
This is one festivity that sure is hard to stay sober because everybody is just in a party mood. But I manage to stay clean by just surrounding myself with my family and sober people as well. It is really up to the quality of the people you hang out with as to how you can stay away from addiction.
I think it depends on certain situation like on the environment. In here, there are almost drinking sessions everywhere as part of the celebration. You should really be determined to say no or avoid drinking on such occasion.
I actually stayed home on new years eve. I knew there would be a lot of alcohol at every party I was invited to. So instead of getting wasted, I stayed home. Besides, my dog was scared of all the fireworks outside. He gave me the right excuse to not go out and get drunk.
I used to have a hard time staying sober on the holidays and I never really considered myself an alcoholic. The problem was that people got together and the booze started to flow. I do not really go to bars anymore and I only have a couple of drinks in the safety of my home, so the holidays are not hard to get through even when I am sober.
I simply celebrate New Years Eve with my family when I can or stay home and do what I usually do, because it's only another day. The only reason to do drugs on any living day is the reason one gives to their mind to accept it is okay or beneficial to consume it, because it's not one's siblings, friends, retailers, bartenders, or brewery people who forced one to drink ethanol beverages, the addiction blame rests entirely on the individual who obtains the drug and uses it. There are many people around the world who do not celebrate New Years Eve, why, because they simply do not believe in the tradition or occasion - one's belief invokes action, so master one's beliefs and things will be better for one.
I was at first going to agree with what bluedressed wrote that it is up to each individual to know their limits, what they handle and what their triggers are. Then in reading what primalclaws197 wrote in regard to New Years Eve being a particular celebration meant for alcohol consumption , I realized that New Years Eve is the one time a year that I do without fail, drink. Be it at home or away from home, I always have a couple of drinks and I am not a drinker. With that thought in mind, I think it could be a very difficult time, more so than other times, for some to refrain from drinking.
For a person who is committed to being sober, it's about your triggers and your experiences. If you are going to be around people drinking and using, then you might want to stay home, unless you know that you can hold off. I know that I can hold off no matter what the people around me are doing, so I can go, but not indulge.
I'd say it all depends on your attitude towards alcohol and where you are at in this moment in time. For someone who has given up alcohol a long time ago, NYE is no big deal. But for a person who has recently embarked on a sober lifestyle, the temptation to have a drink might be quite strong. At the end of the year when most are in a celebratory mood, alcohol and drugs seem to flow much more freely.
I would assume so if you were going to a party where you knew that people were going to be participating in the usage of drugs and alcohol. But if you're smart and you decide to hang out at home with a few friends or go to a place where you know it won't get out of control with things like that, I don't see how it would be harder to stay clean. Just stay away from that kind of stuff, maybe have a buddy with you for the night who isn't planning to drink or do drugs so that you don't completely feel left out.
I think it is, because New Years Eve is an event. A lot of casual drinkers drink at events, so there is a likelihood that more people will be drinking thus making it harder to stay sober. Also, New Years Eve represents a period where people can start over. It also represents the ending of a year, so they are more inclined to simply drink. I definitely recommend not going to any parties on New Years Eve if you want to remain sober.
I know plenty of people that were recovering alcoholics and had trouble around the more "celebratory" holidays like New Year's and even Halloween or Fourth of July. It's just that people look back and think about how much they used to party during those holidays or how much fun they were in connection with drinking. Most of the people I've known with such issues simply stayed in on those holidays and we'd do something involving food and some movies or even video games or a bonfire in the backyard.
I would think New Year's EVE would be the issue & New Year's Day the day of regret where one begins their resolutions. I think every holiday can have a negative impact with someone's road to recovery. I've seen it mentioned numerous times here. Alcohol & celebration seem to go hand-in-hand so that complicates the journey to sober for newbies. A seasoned sober person tends to use tricks of the trade that they've developed over the years of understanding other people are not going to quit drinking because you have.