How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

The holidays are a time of gathering with the people you love and celebrating. Food, gifts, parties and alcohol often play a big part in these celebrations. Though these times are filled with joy, they can also come with added stress. Tensions between family members can run high. With an abundance of alcohol and friends around during festive activities, triggers are all around. Loneliness, anxiety, happiness and sadness are common feelings set into motion by doing too much or too little. Being separated from loved ones at this special time can also lead to sadness during the holiday season. Many recovering people associate the holidays with memories of overindulgence, relationship problems or great personal losses which makes this time of year incredibly difficult to maintain sobriety.

Self-care is vital. Remember to slow down. Plan relaxation and meditation into your day, even for a few minutes, no matter how busy you are. Relax your standards and reduce overwhelming demands and responsibilities. The most common triggers correspond to the acronym HALT — when you feel hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Take care of yourself, mentally and physically, to ward off these triggers. Get plenty of sleep. Fatigue is a stressor. Rank scenarios as low, medium, or high risk for you. Maintain some kind of schedule and plan ahead; don’t wait until the last minute to purchase gifts or prepare to entertain.

Enhance your support system. Holidays are a good time to reach out more frequently to your therapist, sponsor, or with those whom you feel emotionally secure. If you’re in recovery, spend time with fellow recovering people. Let others help you realize your personal limits. Learn to say no and set boundaries in a way that is comfortable for you. Many people turn to alcohol or illegal substances as a way to cope with stress. So when stress strikes, take a few minutes to decompress and meditate instead.

Find new ways to celebrate. Create some new symbols and rituals that will help redefine a joyful holiday season. Avoid isolation and spend time with people you like who are not dysfunctional or substance users. Don’t expose yourself to unnecessary temptations, such as gatherings where substances or drama are the center of entertainment. If there are people who have a negative influence on you, avoid them.

What are the laws for Driving under the Influence?

As the holiday season approaches and the festivities begin, think twice about getting behind the wheel of a car after you have had a drink.
If you are under 21, if your blood alcohol content is over .02 you are considered driving under the influence if you operate or have control over a vehicle. For non-commercial drivers who are 21 or over, if your blood alcohol content is over .08 you are considered driving under the influence if you operate or have control over a vehicle. For commercial drivers, if your blood alcohol content is over .04 you are considered driving under the influence if you have operate or have control over a vehicle.

Also note that your blood alcohol content can be affected by numerous factors such as your body type and how much you have had to eat. For example, someone who has a small frame and has one drink may become impaired more quickly than someone with a larger frame.

What are the consequences of a DUI?

For the first offense you can face jail time of 10 days up to a year, fines of $300-$1,000 and your license can be suspended up to 1 year. You would also need to complete a DUI Risk Reduction Program, a Clinical Evaluation and Probation of up to a year, community service and possibly attend a substance abuse program.

For the second offense within 10 years you can face jail time of 90 days to 1 year, fines of $600-$1,000 and a license suspension of up to 3 years. You would also need to complete a DUI Risk Reduction Program, a Clinical Evaluation and Probation of up to a year, community service and attendance at a substance abuse program.

For the third offense within 10 years, you can face jail time of 120 days to a year, fines of $1,000 to $5,000 and a license suspension of up to 5 years. You would also need to complete a DUI Risk Reduction Program, a Clinical Evaluation and Probation of up to a year, community services and attendance at a substance abuse program.

For a fourth DUI, you can face jail time of 1 to 5 years, fines of fines of $1,000 to $5,000 and your license can be suspended indefinitely. You would also need to complete a DUI Risk Reduction Program, a Clinical Evaluation and Probation of up to 5 years, community service and attendance at a substance abuse program.