For many people, the holidays are a time to indulge in lots of food and drinking. If you have struggled with your alcohol use in the past, the holiday time brings with it unique challenges and difficulties. Staying sober or drinking at reasonable levels can be extra difficult with holiday parties, family gatherings, and the general mood of festive celebration. If you go into this holiday season with a clear expectation of what you want your drinking to look like, that will greatly help you get through the holidays without overindulging or doing something you regret.

Try these approaches to your alcohol intake to help you moderate your drinking over this holiday season.

Take an honest look at your drinking habits

Have you ever made a fool of yourself at a family celebration because you drank too much? Have you told yourself you would stay sober at a specific time and failed to uphold your promise? Have you ever thrown up, passed out, or driven drunk? If so, it's important to be honest with yourself about how things can go when you drink. Sometimes it's easy to forget the past, or convince yourself that this time is going to be different. However, if you’ve suffered the negative consequences of drinking in the past, chances are likely that you may suffer these same consequences again.

This holiday season, think back to previous years and assess how you handled your booze through past holidays. Be honest with yourself about the negative consequences you have experienced. Taking a hard look at your history with alcohol can be a sobering (pun intended) experience, and it can help you remember what is at stake when your drinking is left unchecked.

Let others in on your plans

If you are planning to stay sober this holiday season, or to moderate your drinking below a certain level, find another person who you can share this plan with to help hold you accountable. If you tell your family in advance that you are trying to work on your drinking, it will be much more difficult to overindulge when you are with them. While it can be uncomfortable to talk about these issues with your family, having a wider support network than just trying to do it on your own can be incredibly helpful for you meeting your goals.

Start “Dry January” early

Many people take the month of January off drugs and alcohol in a tradition known as “Dry January”. If you are planning ahead to moderate or quit alcohol as a new year’s resolution, either for the month of January for a more long term shift, set yourself up for success by starting early in the month of December. If you know alcohol is having a negative effect on your life, there is no reason to wait for a trendy time to address your drinking. Give yourself the gift of starting on your recovery or moderation journey today. There is no reason to wait until the new year.

Get support

Don’t try to do this alone. Whether you reach out to family, friends, support groups, or a therapist, it is important to get support if you are wanting to address your drinking habits. There is no reason to believe that you can or should be able to do this on your own. It’s ok if you are having trouble with alcohol, many people find themselves drinking too much from time to time, and the holidays are a common time for this problem to show up. Do yourself the favor to get the support you deserve so you don’t have to face this alone.

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Are you struggling to moderate your drinking? Do you need support to help you meet your drug and alcohol use goals? I offer compassionate and confidential drug and alcohol counseling in Santa Cruz. Reach out today to schedule a free and confidential 20 minute phone consultation to see if I could be a good fit to help you.