Staying Sober Through the Holidays in New England

New England has its own way of doing the holidays. Thanksgiving Eve brings old friends back to hometown bars. It’s dark by late afternoon, the cold keeps gatherings indoors, and winter roads can make leaving early harder than it sounds. For people in recovery in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, planning matters. These tips apply the basics of staying sober through the holidays to life from Worcester to Providence to Newport. If you need more than tips, AdCare Treatment Centers is here to help.

Why the Holidays Hit Differently in New England

A few things about the local season are worth planning around:

• Thanksgiving Eve is a bar night. The night before Thanksgiving, sometimes called Blackout Wednesday, is widely regarded as one of the busiest bar nights of the year, and many people use it to reunite with hometown friends.
• Early darkness and cold. When it’s dark by late afternoon and cold outside, gatherings move indoors and evenings run long. That can mean more time around drinking, and more time alone.
• Winter roads. Snow and ice can make it harder to leave a party when you want to, or to get to a meeting.
• Events with drinks. Some holiday markets and festivals include a bar or tastings, even when they’re billed as family events.
• Hometown and family visits. Returning home or hosting relatives can bring old patterns and unresolved family issues back to the surface.

1. Map Your Month Around the New England Calendar

Start by listing the dates you’re likely to be invited out, then decide in advance which to attend, which to skip, and which to do differently. For many people here, the big ones are Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving Day, December parties and tree lightings, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Eve and Day. For each one, ask two questions: will alcohol be central, and can I leave easily?

Bring your own drink, and decide before you go how long you’ll stay. Our guide to common holiday triggers can help you spot the situations most likely to test you.

2. Lean on Your Support Network

The holidays are a good time to add meetings, not drop them. Meetings keep running through the season, and many AA groups hold extra or extended holiday meetings (sometimes called alkathons), so ask at your home group. When snow, travel, or hosting gets in the way, online meetings can fill the gaps. If you’re working with a therapist or counselor, schedule extra sessions around the dates you expect to be hardest.

If you’ve completed an AdCare program, you’re alumni for life. Our alumni program offers online sessions and events in a sober environment, and you can reach an alumni coordinator at alumni@contactaac.com. See our alumni activities in New England. Family members can join our free virtual family education session on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. Learn more about family services.

3. Set Boundaries With Family and Hometown Friends

You can show up for people without putting your sobriety at risk.

• Suggest a different plan. If old friends want to meet at a bar on Thanksgiving Eve, suggest coffee, a walk, or a meal earlier in the day.
• Choose your topics. Unresolved family issues, guilt, and shame tend to surface at holiday tables. Decide ahead of time what you’re willing to discuss and what you aren’t.
• Keep your space alcohol-free. Ask family and friends who visit or stay with you to leave alcohol out of your home.
• Practice your “no.” Have a short, friendly line ready, like “I’m good with water, thanks.” You don’t owe anyone a long explanation.

4. Have an Escape Plan for Winter

Plan your exit before you say yes:

• Drive yourself, or arrange your own ride. Don’t depend on someone else’s schedule to get home. Check the forecast first, and keep your gas tank full.
• Use the pop-in strategy. Tell the host you’re stopping by for a short time, and set a limit, like 20 minutes.
• Line up a phone-a-friend. Ask someone to call you at a set time, and agree on a code word if you need to leave right away.
• Leave before the weather turns. If a storm is coming, you have a good reason to head home early.

5. Take Care of Yourself in the Cold and Dark

Changes in routine are one of the most common holiday triggers, so protect the basics. Keep your sleep, meals, and daily schedule steady, even when the calendar fills up. A walk in daylight, a skate, or a workout gives you structure when the evenings run long, and staying connected is a better plan than spending them alone.

6. Remember Your Why

The holidays can stir up loneliness, grief, and the pressure to celebrate. Take a few minutes to remember why you started your recovery. Write down what you’re grateful for and what you’re working toward, and keep it where you’ll see it.

Alcohol-Free Holiday Ideas in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

There’s plenty to do this season without a drink. Check each event’s details first, because some sell alcohol:

• Thanksgiving morning turkey trots. Rhode Island has the Rhode Island Family Turkey Trot 5K in Pawtucket, the East Providence Turkey Trot, and the Newport County YMCA’s annual Pie Run.
• Worcester’s Festival of Lights. The holiday lights on Worcester Common go up at the start of December, and the Worcester Common Oval offers complimentary ice skating during the festival.
• Ice skating in Providence. The Providence Rink at BankNewport City Center is a downtown winter tradition.
• PVD Holiday Fest. This early-December celebration in downtown Providence includes the City Hall tree lighting.
• Newport’s holiday traditions. Holidays at the Newport Mansions and the Christmas tree lighting at Bowen’s Wharf, where Santa arrives by boat, are local favorites.
• Jingle 5Ks. Run or walk the Woo Jingle 5K in Worcester or the Downtown Jingle 5K in Providence.

Stay Safe if You’ve Used Opioids

A relapse after time in recovery can be especially dangerous because your tolerance may have dropped. Naloxone (Narcan) can reverse an opioid overdose. In Massachusetts, you can get it over the counter at pharmacies across the state, and in Rhode Island, Narcan is available without a prescription. Learn more about Narcan in Massachusetts and Narcan in Rhode Island.

If You Need More Support This Season

Tips can only go so far. If the holidays are pushing you toward relapse, or if you’re ready to start treatment, don’t wait for a better date. AdCare offers medical detox at AdCare Hospital in Worcester, detox, inpatient, residential, and outpatient care at AdCare Rhode Island in North Kingstown, and outpatient programs in Worcester. Same-day admissions are available, and our admissions navigators can be reached 24/7 at . If you’re weighing a program, our guide to the questions to ask a New England rehab before treatment over the holidays can help.