One of the most notorious holidays that people drink and use is on New Year’s Eve. With the “out with the old and in with the new” mentality of kicking off a new year, people love to go out with a bang. Excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs being passed around are not uncommon for this celebration. The NYE tradition of partying has been around since the first chronicled in 2000 B.C. with an 11-day festival celebrated by the Mesopotamia people.
How did the NYE Tradition Start in the United States?
The NYE celebration came to New York in 1904 through “dropping a ball” like sailors did to adjust their chronometers while at sea. Although their original plan was to shoot off fireworks to commiserate the New Year at midnight to be bigger than the normal church chimes, that plan came to an end when fire threatened to cause more harm than good. In 1907, the NYE Ball began to be dropped in Times Square which continues to expand in popularity around the globe. Due in part to this party that eventually became televised, drugs and alcohol became part of the celebration. While this may be a night of fun for some, for someone who suffers from addiction, this is a day that could cause cravings and relapse because drugs and alcohol create a powerful obsession in addiction.
How Can I Avoid Relapse?
Keeping yourself distracted on this day as well as focusing on your recovery as a number one priority is key. NYE is definitely a more tempting day, but if you work on your recovery every day than NYE will just become another day of being sober. If you are newly sober, there are tips that can be useful to get through this day and every day after. Find a meeting. Link up with sober friends and find something that does not revolve around drugs and alcohol. Having others on your side can distract you from any cravings you may endure and keep you busy in the meantime. Chances are this too will pass if you use recovery measures to help you push through and make your sobriety much stronger along the way.
Recovery is something that has to be practiced over and over to assist in getting you to become more comfortable in your own skin which ultimately leads to strength in your sobriety. Instead of thinking that you only have one more day to drink before you turn over a new leaf – think about being a day ahead to keep you sober one day at a time.
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