Why the Holidays Can Feel Harder for Recovery
By James McLemore, DNP, PMHNP-BC
McLemore Psychiatry & Wellness – Olympia, WA
TLDR
The holiday season can bring joy, celebration, and also real pressure. For many people working to maintain sobriety or reduce their use, this time of year can be especially challenging. With the right awareness, support, and thoughtful planning, it’s possible to move through the season feeling grounded, connected, and confident.
Every year I hear the same sentiment from patients as the holidays approach.
“I love this time of year… but I also dread it.”
There’s excitement, family traditions, and warm moments.
But there can also be anxiety, loneliness, expectations, travel stress, disrupted routines, and social events centered on drinking or using.
And if you’re in recovery, trying to cut back, or even just becoming more aware of your relationship with substances, this season can stir up complications that don’t show up the same way in July.
The holidays create a perfect storm:
more gatherings, more alcohol around, more emotional triggers, more pressure to socialize, more grief resurfacing, and less structure.
In Olympia and throughout Thurston County, the long stretches of darkness and cold can intensify it even more.
People often feel surprised when cravings resurface, or shame creeps in, or old habits feel closer than they want them to be.
That isn’t failure.
It’s a predictable response to a difficult season.
Why it can feel harder
When your routine changes, your brain chemistry does too.
When your stress rises, your body grabs for old coping strategies.
When you’re surrounded by people drinking, using, celebrating, you may feel pulled to blend in or numb discomfort.
Adding to that, many people don’t want to disappoint family or friends, or they don’t want to explain their sobriety.
Some try to simply push through, hoping willpower will be enough.
But this time of year requires more than willpower.
It requires intention and support.
You are not weak for finding this season challenging
You are human.
This season exposes the deeper emotional layers that substances sometimes helped cover.
Old wounds.
Old memories.
Old expectations.
Old pressure.
Recognizing that is the beginning of staying well.
What helps
What tends to work best is preparing before the season is in full swing.
Talking honestly about triggers.
Mapping high-risk days.
Planning supportive routines.
Checking medications and sleep patterns.
Creating backup strategies for tough moments.
Having someone to call or check in with when needed.
And building a plan for after the holidays, not just during them.
This is what we work on together in clinic.
And it can completely change how you experience the holidays.
You deserve steadiness, connection, and peace this season
You are allowed to ask for help.
You are allowed to protect your progress.
You are allowed to prioritize your wellbeing.
If the holidays have been challenging in the past, or you’re already feeling anxious thinking about them, now is the perfect time to talk through a plan.
If you want support
Reach out and schedule a visit with me.
Together we can talk through what you’ve been experiencing, evaluate your current health and symptoms, discuss medication options if appropriate, and build a holiday strategy that feels realistic and supportive.
Call 253-417-4068
or visit jrmcmentalhealth.com
You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through this season.
You deserve care, clarity, and a path that helps you feel steady.