Tips to Help Recovering Addicts Manage Holiday Stress

The holidays are stressful for everyone, but those who are recovering from addiction can sometimes have an even more difficult time dealing with stress. Addicts often use their addiction as a coping mechanism for stressful situations. When they are recovering, it is can be hard to know how to constructively address these emotions.

In order to deal with your stress in a helpful rather than hurtful way, it is first wise to learn to recognize the symptoms of stress. Stress is what a person experiences as a result of difficult or upsetting events, especially those that continue for a long time. Also, stress is the experience people have when the demands they make of themselves or those placed upon them are greater than what they feel like they can handle.

Sometimes, we are not aware of the stress and what it is doing to us until it manifests itself physically. Some of the physical symptoms of stress are sleep problems, such as trouble falling asleep, waking up during the night, nightmares, waking up early, and being unable to fall back to sleep. Some other symptoms of stress are headaches, stomach problems, fatigue, moodiness, and irritability. You may have trouble concentrating and feel a general dissatisfaction with life or you may feel overwhelmed.

If you have been experiencing two or more of the classic symptoms of stress, you need to start thinking about how to address the situation before it interferes with your addiction recovery process. You need to have a network of recovery support. The people who relapse are usually the ones who have failed to obtain a support system.

Addicts tend to isolate themselves, withdraw from others, and be convinced that they can take care of problems on their own. This is relapse waiting to happen because the brain is trying in any way it knows to find a justification to start using again. Because of this, it is very important to have people that can be supportive of your struggles.

During the holidays, try not to overdo it. Don’t invite the whole family over to your house for Christmas dinner and plan to make all the food yourself. That may be too much for anyone, let alone the recovering addict. Don’t decide you need the best gifts for everyone you know when you can’t afford to buy them. That will only stress you out. Do what you can do and forget about the rest.

Holidays are ultimately supposed to be about spending time with family and friends. Try your best to concentrate on that and leave the rest behind.