Twas the Day after Christmas, and the Relapse Threat got Real

There is a sign on Interstate 70 eastbound in the Floyd Hill area just before you exit the Rocky Mountains headed for Denver that says, “Attention Truckers: You Are Not Down Yet — Four More Miles of Steep and Winding Highway.” I am in pretty close contact with a lot of people who are navigating the holidays sober for the first time. If you are one of those people, that message on I70 is meant for you.

If you made it through Halloween without drinking, I am proud of you. Congratulations if you successfully abstained through Thanksgiving. That is awesome. If you waded through the excesses and overindulgence of December, including Christmas Day, and you protected your sobriety, that is outstanding. But don’t drop your guard now. There is a lot of work and immediate threat staring you in the face, and I’m not talking about New Year’s Eve.

Attention former drinkers: you are not done yet! Don’t drop your guard. There are miles of winding triggers still in your immediate future!

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that while there are as many reasons that people drink as there are drinkers, we all share one thing in common. Once we’ve learned to drink, we use alcohol to fill the gaps in our lives…