The holidays can be extremely difficult for individuals in recovery. Navigating the multitude of social gatherings, many of which have guests drinking and possibly using other drugs, can be daunting. Add to that financial issues during a time when gift giving is often expected; and attempting to please people expecting to see you when there simply isn’t time. While joyful for many, the holidays can also create tremendous stress.

Ways to support those in recovery at the holidays:

1)    Provide plenty of alcohol-free choices at your event.

2)    Place alcohol in one specific area, so there are places without triggers and prominent accessibility.

3)    Don’t ask why someone isn’t drinking. It’s a personal choice that needs no explanation. Asking the question implies that it’s out of the ordinary.

4)    Host some alcohol-free events over the holidays. Food, friends, music, and fun activities can be enjoyable on their own!

5)    Check in with friends or family in recovery. Some find the holidays isolating and lonely. Simply reaching out to say hi could significantly improve their mood.

Let’s do our part to reduce the stigma of substance use disorders, and support those in recovery however we can. Happy Holidays!

Thank you to all who donated on Giving Tuesday. As always, we are humbled by the generosity you bestow on Maryville. We are honored you believe in the work that we do and we will continue to evolve and provide the most comprehensive and compassionate care possible.

We also thank those who support us by reading our newsletters, volunteering, or simply spreading the word about Maryville's services. You all play an important role in our ability to help those working toward a life in recovery.

FEAR AND ALARM CLOCKS by

I have come to the realization that most (if not all) things wrong with the world are misunderstandings due to divisions based in individual beliefs. I am not here to discuss beliefs, but, I have learned to focus on how we are ALL the same. We all breathe, bleed and eventually perish. Pretty simple, right?

The misunderstandings we experience often are due to us not being willing to listen, having our views challenged, or our comfort compromised. These are just a few forms of fear. Many of us have heard that F.E.A.R. stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. An author by the name of Billy Carson has stated that fear is False Energy Appearing Real. I like both versions. I believe that the only natural fears we possess are the fear of falling and the fear of unexpected loud noises. To me, this means all other fears are illusions.

I have made the conscious choice to treat these illusions as a tool, or for the sake of this article, as an alarm clock. I think most of us have experienced our alarm clock going off, loudly and annoyingly and definitely before we were ready to get out of bed. So, what do we do? We hit the snooze button. Has anyone besides me been late for school or work because of this? When fear shows up, we experience the fight, flight, or freeze response. This is the alarm sounding off. 

How often do we hit the snooze button? "I can't do this," "it's too hard," "no one will like me," "what's the point," etc. If we continue to hit the snooze, we definitely lose. We hit the snooze because we are used to this feeling. As a recovering addict, I got tired of hitting the snooze button. I got tired of losing. Now, I simply turn off the alarm, am grateful for the assistance, and get up and go to work. 

When you feel overwhelmed, please don't give up. This only means you are making progress. You will eventually find out that you have become addicted to overcoming. Happy Holidays.