Almost half of Americans say that they binge-drink over the holiday season, often with disastrous results. One survey found that 25 percent of people say that they drank enough at their office holiday party to embarrass themselves, while another survey found that 60 percent of people say that too much alcohol led to negative behavior within their family holiday parties, including physical and verbal fights. Here are some tips to stay sober this Holiday season.

Set goals. “Set an intention for what you’d like to get out of your interactions with friends and family during this time. What would you define as successful, even if it’s moderately successful? How will you know that it went well?” says Rassekh. “Maybe your goal is not to get into arguments with a particular family member. Or maybe those arguments are inevitable and success is keeping your cool or walking away. Whatever they may be, your goals will help guide you as you enter potentially chaotic environments.” 

Enlist allies. “You have a higher chance of success if you can recruit people to back you up. It may help to create a check-in plan with a friend or a therapist—to text or call before, during, or after going to a specific event. If you know a friend or close family member will be with you at a holiday event, you can ask them to intervene if they see you doing or saying certain things. You can agree on a code word that will prompt them to suggest you leave. Or you can have them change the subject if certain topics arise,” says the addiction treatment expert.

Schedule self-care. “Whether you are mourning a recently deceased family member or struggling with the fact that your family system is dysfunctional, it can be so hard to realize that your own reality does not match those happy holiday movies we see everywhere during this season,” says the addiction treatment specialist. “That is why it is so crucial to make sure that you prioritize your own self-care this season, whether that means an additional therapy session or saying ‘no’ to family parties that only cause you more pain than pleasure.”

For more on this topic or to speak to Koorosh Rassekh, MMFT, founder of EVO Health and Wellness, about ways to drink responsibly or stay sober this holiday season, please contact me.