Dec 20, 2025
For many people in recovery, the holiday season brings unique challenges that go well beyond seasonal stress or busy schedules. Research shows that major holidays can increase relapse risk, stress, and emotional distress for people maintaining sobriety. Understanding why this period can be difficult, and how to support someone in recovery, can make a meaningful difference for both the individual and their support network.
Holiday celebrations in many cultures are closely paired with alcohol consumption. Family dinners, office parties, and social gatherings often include drinking as a central activity, which can create intense exposure to the very substance someone is working hard to avoid. Constant visual and social cues significantly increase cravings and stress, especially when combined with pressure to “join in” or to feel festive. Environments where alcohol is present have been shown to raise relapse risk even for individuals who are otherwise stable in recovery.
For friends and family: this means recognizing that well-intentioned invitations to drink or toast can actually be distressing. Offering non-alcoholic options, celebrating in environments where alcohol isn’t the main focus, and respecting someone’s choice without commentary are all ways to mitigate social pressure.
Maintaining a stable routine is one of the strongest predictors of sustained recovery. The holidays often involve travel, irregular sleep schedules, changes in eating patterns, and disruptions to daily structure. Such changes can undermine coping strategies that support sobriety and emotional regulation. Research indicates that disruption in routine, especially when combined with environmental triggers, increases the likelihood of relapse.
For loved ones: encouraging consistency where possible (such as regular sleep, meals, exercise, and recovery meetings) can help reduce stress and promote emotional stability during the season.
Not all holiday triggers come from too much social contact, some arise from its absence. Major holidays can heighten feelings of loneliness or disconnection, particularly if someone is spending the season away from supportive networks or with people who don’t understand their recovery goals. Surveys of people in early recovery show that loneliness increases significantly during holiday periods, and loneliness is a well-established trigger for relapse.
Supportive involvement from friends or family: such as regular check-ins, attending recovery meetings together, or simply spending sober time together, can reinforce connection and reduce isolation.
The holidays often bring family dynamics and long-standing emotional stress into sharp relief. For someone in recovery, unresolved conflicts or emotional burdens can act as powerful triggers. Stress about holiday expectations, financial demands, social obligations, and unresolved grief can activate old coping patterns that were previously managed through substance use.
Friends and family can support by creating spaces where emotional check-ins are welcomed without judgment, and by helping the person in recovery set appropriate boundaries around stressful situations.
Many people rely on structured support systems such as therapy, 12-step programs, sponsors, or recovery groups. During holidays, schedules change and meetings may be less frequent or disrupted. While many recovery communities offer extra meetings around the holidays, intentional planning is essential.
As a support person, encouraging attendance at meetings, helping coordinate transportation, or even joining a recovery group (when appropriate) can provide accountability and reduce feelings of vulnerability.
Understanding the challenges above is only the first step. Here are evidence-informed approaches that can help individuals maintain sobriety, and that loved ones can use to offer meaningful support:
Acknowledge that the holidays can be emotionally and biologically challenging for people in recovery. Validation reduces shame and promotes connection.
Work with your loved one to identify risky events and set boundaries around participation. Having a shared plan ahead of time reduces stress during social events.
Encourage regular sleep, meals, physical activity, and stress-management practices. These basic lifestyle factors stabilize mood and reduce cravings.
Suggest and participate in activities that don’t centre alcohol; such as volunteer work, hikes, sober dinners, creative gatherings, or volunteer opportunities.
Help maintain continuity with recovery meetings, sponsors, or therapy. These connections are essential buffers against isolation and stress.
Offering options like sparkling water, mocktails, or alcohol-free beers allows individuals to participate fully in celebrations without feeling isolated or singled out. It normalizes sobriety, reduces social pressure, and creates an environment where everyone can enjoy festivities safely
For the person in recovery, the holidays can be a season of heightened vigilance. For their friends and family, this period is an opportunity to practice empathy, respect boundaries, and contribute to a supportive environment. Understanding the why behind holiday challenges can reduce misunderstanding and foster supportive, sober holiday experiences.
Sobriety during the holidays can be complex, emotional, and deeply personal. Whether you are navigating recovery yourself, supporting a loved one, or trying to understand the impact of substance use on your relationships, you do not have to do this alone.
At VOX Mental Health, we provide compassionate, evidence-informed support for individuals and families impacted by substance use, addiction, and recovery. Our team members understand that addiction is not just about substances, it is about nervous systems, trauma, relationships, identity, and coping.
If the holidays are bringing up stress, cravings, conflict, or concern, therapy can offer a space to slow down, make sense of what’s happening, and develop sustainable support strategies. Support is available. Reach out to VOX Mental Health to learn more about addiction-informed therapy and recovery-support services.
