Tag: Relapse Prevention

Gratitude, Triggers & Staying Sober: A Guide to Thanksgiving in Recovery 🦃

For many, Thanksgiving is about food, family, and gratitude. But if you’re in recovery from substance use—or navigating trauma and mental health—it can feel a lot more complicated.

Maybe family gatherings bring up old wounds. Maybe you’re surrounded by people drinking. Maybe you’re just not feeling grateful right now, and that’s okay too.

This blog is for you if:

  • You’re working on staying sober this holiday season
  • You feel overwhelmed by family, expectations, or loneliness
  • You want real, simple ways to cope and stay grounded
  • You need to hear that it’s okay not to feel okay

Let’s talk about how to make it through Thanksgiving with your peace—and your sobriety—intact.

🍂 Why Thanksgiving Can Be Triggering in Recovery

While the world posts “thankful” quotes and pumpkin pie pictures, here’s what we know really happens for some:

  • Family dynamics can be toxic or emotionally overwhelming
  • Substance use is often normalized at holiday events
  • Old roles (like the “black sheep,” “peacemaker,” or “fixer”) resurface
  • Grief or loneliness is triggered by those who are no longer here

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), stress during the holidays increases relapse risk. Up to 66% of people in early recovery report cravings intensify around holidays due to social and emotional stress.

That means if you’re feeling it—you’re not alone, and there’s nothing wrong with you.

🧠 Coping with Triggers: What You Can Actually Do

Here are realistic strategies to help you stay grounded:

1. Have a Recovery Plan

Before Thanksgiving Day:

  • Make a list of who/what might trigger you
  • Decide where you’ll go, how long you’ll stay, and how to leave
  • Let a support person know where you’ll be
  • Bring your own car if you can—or pre-schedule a rideshare

🛑 Know that you are allowed to say no. You do not have to attend every dinner you’re invited to. Your recovery comes first.

2. Use the “3 Breath” Rule

Before reacting or reaching for a drink, try this:

  1. Inhale deeply through your nose
  2. Hold for 3 seconds
  3. Exhale slowly
    Repeat 3 times. This slows your nervous system and gives you space to choose your response.

3. Create a Sober Space

If you’re going to a gathering:

  • Bring your own non-alcoholic drinks
  • Find a “sober buddy” at the event—or on text
  • Step outside or take a walk if it gets too loud or tense

4. Use Gratitude as a Coping Tool (Not a Guilt Trip)

Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine. It means finding even one thing that grounds you.

Try:

  • “I’m grateful I’m choosing myself today.”
  • “I’m grateful for the strength to change.”
  • “I’m grateful for this moment to pause.”

Even on tough days, there’s power in the smallest wins.

❤️ Client Story: Jamila’s First Sober Thanksgiving

Jamila, a single mom in early recovery, had always used wine to “get through” holidays with her loud, opinionated family. Last year, she decided to try something different.

She told her sister ahead of time that she wasn’t drinking this year. She brought her own sparkling cider and stepped out for a walk when things got heated at dinner.

She left early, proud and clear-headed. “For the first time,” she said, “I didn’t have to wake up the next day filled with shame. I felt in control.”

🛠️ More Tools to Stay Sober During the Holidays

Here are some additional simple, client-tested tools that can help:

📝 1. “Just for Today” Journal

Write one small goal in the morning like:

  • “Just for today, I will be kind to myself.”
  • “Just for today, I will stay sober.”
    This helps keep your focus simple and grounded.

📱 2. Download a Support App

Apps like I Am Sober, SoberTool, and Insight Timer offer daily affirmations, craving check-ins, and meditations to stay grounded on-the-go.

☎️ 3. Create a “Call List”

Pick 2–3 people who support your recovery. Text them beforehand and ask if they’ll be available if you need to check in. Connection is one of the best relapse prevention tools.

🌧️ What If I Relapse?

First—be kind to yourself. Relapse is not failure; it’s information.

Ask yourself:

  • What triggered it?
  • What helped before I used?
  • Who can I talk to now to get back on track?

Recovery is a path, not a straight line. You can start again—today.

🙌 Choose Presence Over Perfection

Whether you’re surrounded by family or spending the day on your own, remember:
✅ You don’t need to impress anyone
✅ You don’t need to be grateful for things that hurt you
✅ You don’t need to be perfect to keep growing

Choosing to stay sober—even for one more day—is a big deal. That’s something to be proud of.

🧡 Let’s Talk: How Do You Stay Grounded During the Holidays?

We want to hear your voice.
👇 Drop a comment below:

  • What’s your biggest challenge during Thanksgiving?
  • What helps you stay sober and sane when emotions run high?

Your story might help someone else find hope this holiday season.

The Power of Purpose in Addiction Recovery: How Finding Meaning Helps You Stay Clean

Having a sense of purpose is vital in addiction recovery, providing motivation and direction. Research shows that strong purpose reduces cravings, boosts resilience, and improves mental health. Real-life examples demonstrate how engaging in meaningful activities can foster recovery. Even small steps toward purpose can significantly impact one’s journey toward healing.

Introduction: Why Purpose Can Change Everything in Recovery

When you’re battling addiction, life can feel meaningless. Days blur. Motivation disappears. And recovery can seem like a mountain too high to climb. But one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of staying clean is having something bigger to live for: a sense of purpose.

Whether it’s rebuilding relationships, helping others, or rediscovering a forgotten passion, purpose gives direction to your recovery journey. And it just might be the thing that keeps you from falling back into old habits.

What the Research Says About Purpose and Recovery

Scientists and addiction specialists agree: purpose isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a powerful protective factor against relapse.

  • A 2017 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that people with a strong sense of purpose were more resilient in addiction recovery and less likely to relapse.
  • According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), successful recovery involves creating “meaningful daily activities,” like working, volunteering, or pursuing goals.
  • A 2021 study published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy revealed that individuals with purpose reported fewer cravings and better mental health outcomes.

Michael’s Story: Purpose in Action

Michael, a 32-year-old in Miami, had tried to get clean multiple times. He often said, “What’s the point?” During a therapy session, he reflected on his love for working with cars—a passion he had ignored for years.

With encouragement, he started volunteering at a local mechanic shop. That simple step turned into something more. He reconnected with old friends, felt useful, and enrolled in a certification course.

Today, he’s clean, working part-time, and rebuilding his life. His words? “I’m not just staying sober—I’m working toward something.”

How Purpose Helps You Stay Clean

1. Reduces Cravings:
Focusing on meaningful goals helps reduce idle time and negative thinking, two major relapse triggers.

2. Boosts Natural Motivation:
Feeling useful activates brain pathways that release dopamine—the same neurotransmitter many substances hijack.

3. Increases Resilience:
Purpose gives you a reason to keep going even when recovery gets tough.

4. Improves Mental Health:
People with purpose report lower levels of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.

What If You Don’t Know Your Purpose Yet?

That’s okay. Many people in early recovery feel lost. You’ve removed something (drugs or alcohol), but haven’t yet replaced it. Here’s where to start:

🔍 Try These 4 Steps:

  1. Think back – What made you feel alive before addiction?
  2. Explore something new – Try a class, art, community project.
  3. Talk it out – A therapist or peer can help you identify strengths.
  4. Start small – Purpose doesn’t have to be huge. Even walking your dog, showing up to a meeting, or helping a neighbor can spark meaning.

Examples of Purpose in Recovery

Every person’s path is different. Here are real examples of what purpose looks like in the lives of people in recovery:

  • Rebuilding family trust after years of damage
  • Volunteering at a food pantry
  • Speaking at a recovery group
  • Going back to school
  • Mentoring others in sobriety
  • Taking care of a pet or elderly parent
  • Creating music, art, or writing
  • Pursuing spiritual growth or mindfulness

Purpose Is Protection

Let’s be real: recovery is hard. It’s full of ups and downs. But having a reason to wake up every day—a reason that feels bigger than your cravings—is one of the best defenses against relapse.

When you’re grounded in purpose, you’re not just surviving—you’re healing.

Your Life Has Value—Even If You’re Still Figuring Things Out

Don’t wait until you have everything “together” to start searching for purpose. You deserve meaning in your life right now, even in your messiest chapter.

Start with curiosity. Ask yourself:
👉 What matters to me—deep down?
👉 Who do I want to be when I look back at this time in my life?
👉 What do I want to build?

💬 Let’s Talk: What Gives You Purpose in Recovery?

Have you found a sense of purpose in your journey with addiction?
What small step helped you discover it?

Leave a comment below—your words could inspire someone who really needs it right now. If you’re still figuring it out, tell us where you’re starting. We’re in this together.