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Behold the festive season - an occasion to make merry and reconnect with our dear ones.

If you live a fast-paced lifestyle where the time to hang out with your family seldom permits itself, the holidays present just the perfect opportunity for that. You could go on a scintillating game drive across African plains or hit the waves on enchanting Caribbean beaches. And if you’re a staycationer, binge-watching your favorite Netflix series while cuddling with your dear ones is simply irresistible.

But while the holidays are an excellent moment to surround ourselves with the people who truly matter in our lives, the ongoing festivities can present immense challenges for recovering addicts. Research has shown that over 150% of drug and alcohol relapses occur during the holidays, underscoring the significance of exercising extreme caution while merrymaking.

Having an AA chip on the toe can make a huge difference as far as preventing relapse. AA chips are the quintessential sobriety symbol, reminding you of your commitment to staying clean.

However, some relapse urges require more interventions than simply hanging a sobriety medallion around your neck. Read below for extra tips on how to stay sober during the holiday.

How Might The Holidays Trigger Relapse?

While the holidays present an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your near and dear ones, certain family dynamics may overwhelm recovering addicts.

Unresolved tensions with some relatives might strain your engagement with them, leading to unnecessary conflicts. For many recovering addicts, the most convenient way to ease such tensions would be to retreat to a quiet corner and down a bottle of beer.

Many holiday celebrations also revolve around alcohol, presenting immense temptations for recovering addicts. You could inadvertently take a sip or two in the heat of the moment. Sadly, one sip is often the first step on a downhill trip to full relapse.

It’s for those very reasons that custom sobriety chipsexist. Whenever you feel a compelling desire to relapse, simply glancing at yourAA chips can imbue you with extra motivation to forge ahead on the road to complete sobriety.

Lastly, you could be overwhelmed by anxieties related to traveling and gift-giving. The best way to overcome these stressful moments is to manage your expectations.

More About AA Coins and Sobriety

By now, you’veprobably figured out the significant role that AA chips play in averting relapse during the holidays. But what are they? 

AA stands for Alcoholics Anonymous, the global fellowship where members freely discuss their alcohol problems and share insightful sobriety tips.

Over the years, Alcoholics Anonymous has introduced multiple strategies to help recovering addicts remain sober. Are AA chips are one such intervention.

AA chips are an excellent sobriety symbol for former alcohol abusers. These medallions are available in numerous versions, each celebrating specific milestones in your sobriety journey. The pocket-sized coins can also be forged into pendants and worn around the neck or pinned onto your holiday outfits.

Having an AA sobriety chip serves as a powerful reminder of your solemn commitment to remain clean, helping you fend off powerful relapse urges.

Other Tips to Stay Sober During the Holiday

1. Create a Solid Sobriety Plan

The best way to deal with relapse urges during the festive season is to anticipate them and respond proactively.

Remember that alcohol (and sometimes also drugs) are the central theme in holiday festivities. So, it’s best to prepare adequately before attending any event. 

One strategy you might explore is tagging along a sober companion. If you’re the host, insist on non-alcoholic beverages.

2. Abandon Old Traditions

Committing to staying sober means letting go of the former things and embracing newer traditions.

Replace trigger-filled activities and conversations, however fun they may be.

Note that sometimes, relapse requires seemingly innocuous activities like jamming to a popular club hit or nostalgically discussing your former addiction life.

3. Avoid Hunger

Good food is a staple component of the festive season.

While you don’t wish to gain a few extra pounds during the holidays, it doesn’t hurt to occasionally gorge your appetite with careless abandon.

Research has shown that eating regularly might help recovering addicts. Food helps maintainoptimum blood sugar levels, a drop in which could trigger mood swings and possibly a relapse.

4. Pray Often

The role of prayer in aiding recovery is undeniable.

Through prayer, you can reconnect with your higher power and summon divine intervention. Prayer also helps to cultivate spiritual growth, a critical aspect of the journey to sobriety.

To make the most of prayer, you could combine it with yoga and mindfulness meditation. Both techniques can come in handy when navigating anxious holiday moments. 

5. Leverage Supportive Networks

Not everyone will support your newfound lifestyle. In fact, many of your former drinking buddies will be happy to see you relapse.

Therefore, spend more time in the company of supportive networks. These are usually your nuclear family members and your sober friends.

If such networks are unavailable, stay connected with your counselor or AA community.

6. Be Mindful Of Gift Giving

Gift-giving can be stressful moments during the festive season. Not only is there a possibility of receiving a bottle of wine as a present. The anxieties associated with shopping for appropriate gifts may also get the better of you.

To ace these intense moments, consider presenting your loved ones with a sobriety gift or something more relatable.

A stay sober bracelet can be an excellent present, particularly to fellow recovering addicts. Like other AA sobriety chips, these bracelets may help to preempt undesirable overtures by broadcasting your sobriety status to everyone.

7. Bring Positive Distractions

There may be times when festivities descend into all-alcohol parties, and you must either play along or retreat into a secluded spot.

During such moments, positive distractions can provide effective coping mechanisms.

Consider turning a few pages of your favorite self-improvement novel. You could also watch a movie or take a nature walk and return when all the alcohol cues have died down. 

The Bottom Line

Although the holidays are a great time to reunite with family and friends, they’re also associated with numerous drug and alcohol cues. For recovering addicts, those cues can trigger compelling relapse urges.

Sobriety coins have proven effective at helping former addicts stay on course to full recovery. The chips can help you celebrate sobriety milestones, from 24 hours to 10 years. Whether it’s a 1 year sober gift or a 10 year sobriety gift, AA medallions can provide the much-required deterrence whenever drinking urges threaten to overwhelm you.

It’s also exciting to know that you can implement several other strategies to plan for a drug- and alcohol-free holiday.