How to Celebrate a Sober St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is a global holiday celebrated on March 17th. What began as a solemn and more religious-affiliated feast day has become a loud social celebration. St. Patrick’s day has become a day of alcohol overindulgence from wearing green, drinking green beer, parades, and leprechaun bar crawls. However, there are various ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day sober and wake up hangover free.
Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Sober
St. Patrick’s Day began as a celebration of Irish Culture and a day to honor St. Patrick, a patron saint from Ireland. Celebrating the holiday does not have to include alcohol or drugs. There are many other traditions of Irish culture to look forward to, like wearing your green clothes or other Irish pride clothing, hearing the playing of bagpipes, Irish jigging, corn beef, and cabbage, and who can forget Irish Soda bread!
The Importance Of Recovery this St. Patrick’s Day
After going through alcohol addiction treatment, you learn to treat every day as a gift. On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s another day to celebrate your sobriety and all the second chances you have had the opportunity to receive as a result of your recovery. Remember how lucky you are to be alive and sober and to have the ability to celebrate with family and friends for a sober St. Patrick’s Day, whether it’s in person or online.
You can always choose to attend an alcohol-free St. Patrick’s Day party for individuals within the recovery community. Whatever you do on St. Patrick’s Day, remember to take a moment to think about the value of your life, as well as your goals for the future.
Plan for Triggers On St. Patrick’s Day
Holidays can be triggers, and St. Patrick’s Day is no different. If you spent previous St. Patrick’s Days using substances to have fun, you might struggle a bit more on this day. If you are beginning to think you may be tempted to use drugs or alcohol on St. Patrick’s Day, take preventative measures to retain your sobriety. Here are some helpful tips:
1. Avoid Situations Involving Drugs And Alcohol
One easy way to ensure you are not exposed to alcohol or drugs would be to host your own St. Patrick’s Day celebration. You could do a traditional Irish food potluck and play some Irish music, and everyone can still wear green! If non-alcoholic beers are not triggering you or your guests, you can serve non-alcoholic beer or make a signature green mocktail. We’ve all heard “avoid people, places, and things that may cause you to use substances” every day but especially on St. Patrick’s Day, reduce the risk of triggers and potential relapse by avoiding people, places, and circumstances that may involve drugs or alcohol.
2. Plan a Self-Care Night
If you think you will be tempted to drink alcohol or use drugs on St. Patrick’s Day, then best to avoid going out. It’s okay to skip a St. Patrick’s Day Parade Make a plan to stay home and practice self-care with a hot bath, good food, and a new movie. St Patrick’s Day is on a Thursday this year, so better to get a good night’s rest for work or school the next day.
3. Have A Plan for Dealing With Triggers
Have a plan in place before you go out. Let your Sponsor know where you will be and what your plans are ahead of time. Affirm your plan to yourself before heading out that if you begin to feel triggered, you have an exit plan and plan of action to follow. You may have learned some of these skills in your addiction treatment program or a 12-step program.
4. Go to A Meeting
It’s always a good idea to head to a meeting before going to an event that may serve alcohol or provide circumstances that may trigger a relapse. You’ll leave the meeting remembering why you are sober and how good it feels to be in recovery. It’s also a good idea to have a meeting lined up for after you attend an event that may cause you to feel triggered to use drugs or alcohol.
5. Place your Recovery First
Remind yourself of how many days you have been clean and sober. Think back to where you began and where you are now and how long it took to reach this point. Set boundaries-if you hear a plan for St. Patrick’s Day that may impact your sobriety, don’t be afraid to speak up and decline the invite. Remember, your recovery comes before everything else; you wouldn’t be where you are today without recovery.
St. Patrick’s Day is a fun holiday and can still be enjoyed without drugs or alcohol. It’s okay for old traditions to end and new ones to begin, make this St. Patrick’s Day a Sober one that you know you’ll remember!
If Your Struggling to Stay Sober This St. Patrick’s Day
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