Addiction Recovery
The Addiction Recovery Podcast is the ultimate destination for individuals battling addiction or supporting loved ones in their journey towards recovery. With a focus on providing informative, educational, and persuasive content, our podcast aims to engage and guide listeners towards healing and transformation.
Addiction Recovery
46: Turning the Page-How to Begin Again the Holiday Season
As we step into the New Year, the promise of a fresh start shines brightly, especially for those on the path to sobriety. Waking up clear-headed and hopeful on New Year's Day isn't just about celebrating; it's about embracing a new beginning and a renewed commitment to a sober lifestyle. Consider New Year's as a symbolic anniversary in sobriety, a chance to reflect, reassess, and push past the fears and myths that often hinder the journey to recovery. In this episode, we urge listeners to dismantle the mental barriers holding them back, offering resources and encouragement to those seeking a fresh start. Embrace the opportunity to live a fulfilling life, one day at a time, as we guide you toward a hopeful and sober future.
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Learn more about Restore Detox Centers
Filling the Void book by Steven T. Ginsburg
Overcoming the Fear and Lies of Addiction e-book
How to Love and Set Boundaries Without Enabling Addiction e-book
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New Year's Eve is another part of a night, a part of a 24-hour day, and New Year's Day is another part of a new day.
Steve Coughran:This is the Addiction Recovery Podcast with Steven T Ginsburg, founder of Restore Detox Centers in sunny California. Enjoy your experience, steven. Happy new year to you. I can't believe it's 2025. These years are going by so fast, but it's so great to be back together today to talk about new beginnings, fresh starts and turning the page on a new year.
Steven Ginsburg:Absolutely Happy and healthy new year, Steve. Thank you so much for your part. We are diving into a new year and for a time such as this, the stakes have never been higher. There is so much crisis out there and so many people suffering. I just truly appreciate the fact that you and I can take some time, step back and look at such a really urgent topic as sobriety.
Steve Coughran:And let's talk about this because I know in the past when we've talked, you always say okay, around the holidays there's this like a little bit of an angst with you because it could be a really busy time of year. But my question, I guess to start things out with, is what do you see typically around the holidays leading up to the holidays? Is it a time for people to say, okay, this is my last binger, like I'm going to just go for it, and then, starting on January 1st, like it's going to be a new me? Is that a mindset that's prevalent out there? Or like, what do you see around the holidays related to addiction?
Steven Ginsburg:Absolutely, and you are familiar with it because you and I have been around each other through some of these periods. Really, here's my thing Thanksgiving comes and from Thanksgiving till about now, I literally hold my breath because I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, and drop, and drop, because it is such a triggering time and it certainly has those aspects of it to your point where people are. I'm certainly not going to get sober now, I'm not going to. What about Christmas? What about New Year's Eve? Okay, fine. Then there's also such a massive rash, unfortunately, of relapse that occurs during that period, because there are so many different people who face different elements of family, of origin, issues that come up and they wreak havoc during these periods, which are supposed to be joyful and festive but often really do, Steve, bring back trauma.
Steve Coughran:What do you mean? So people who have childhood issues that never dealt with it in the past and they come back and visit their family and they're like, oh my gosh, and then it leads them spiraling down, or what? Really well, put.
Steven Ginsburg:Thank you, yes, exactly that, or connotations of that, where again they've started to broach sobriety, they've started to work a program of sobriety, or there's been some sobriety and they are going back to the scene of the crime, if you would, or reengaging with the family of origin to a degree, and they're not necessarily spiritually prepared, or they're not prepared with their footwork and it catapults them back into old patterns and old tapes and relapse comes and it is really regrettable, I always feel each year there's so much of it. I do have to tell you, this was my experience this year and all I can do is share my truth with you. I felt the propensity and the magnitude of it. This year was different. It was larger, it was more vast, it was more intense and it cost more people their sobriety. Thank goodness I am praising God it has not cost anyone their life yet, but I literally had never seen a season like this Steve.
Steve Coughran:Why do you think that is that's very interesting.
Steven Ginsburg:You know, I know you and I are really mindful. We don't dip into this end of the water, and it's fine that we don't and nor do we need to. I think some of the state of the world, if you would, or the state of the nation, had people really in a very sensitive, delicate place, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and I think it magnified this issue, which is already so relevant, and way too prevalent.
Steve Coughran:Yeah, I mean, it's interesting. You said that as meeting with a client, you know, a few weeks ago and when I walked into the room you can feel just like the heaviness in the room and I was like what's going on? And and the CEOs, he's like Steve, I just like man, I've been so depressed and just so like dark lately and I'm like what's going on and he's just like, yeah, the world, it just feels like so hopeless and we don't need to get into politics or anything. But I can see that and that's just one scenario. But I mean you multiply it by whatever and it becomes a very big problem.
Steve Coughran:And it doesn't matter which side of the fence you're on.
Steve Coughran:I mean you could be a Republican and you're you're, you know you feel like the world is dark or you're, you know you're liberal or you're, you know, whatever background, you are a democratic, you know, or Democrat, you know, it doesn't matter. But it's like these big external influences exist out there and it could definitely spiral somebody down. So I guess my question is how do you talk people through that, like coach people through that? Because I want to be sensitive in my response, because I don't want to just seem like a cold hearted jerk here, but this is me talking to myself, because if you think about it, in life there's always something that could be triggering, right. It's like, ah, it's been raining for three weeks straight and that just depresses me, so I'm going to drink.
Steve Coughran:Or my presidential candidate didn't win, or my company did a bunch of layoffs, and there's like all these external factors that are outside of our control that can easily influence us, but I don't think anybody wants to live on a whim right Based on, like, what's out of their control. What are your thoughts on that?
Steven Ginsburg:And I never mean to oversimplify it and by the same token, I don't want to overcomplicate it. I think the remedy and again a little bit of a broader stroke, especially for people where recovery is concerned is these are the times where you really really stay close, where you close ranks, you stay very plugged in, you stay very abreast of the solution and you stay in pace with what has been bringing you thus far in your sobriety. You stay plugged in with your home group, you stay plugged in with meetings, you stay plugged in with your step work, you stay plugged in with a sponsor and you also get into the ownership, one of the things I do. On my end, I start the very same elements I discussed with you as we started this call. I discuss in group over and over and over again throughout November, throughout December and all the way up until last week in January, and by finding light on that darkness, we take away a lot of that strength and that urgency where the problem's concerned and start to provide more and more of the solution.
Steve Coughran:Okay, so what do you say to somebody, Steven, who's like okay, I went home from the holidays and either A they were around family and maybe somebody in their family triggers them, right, that's scenario A, or it could also be B scenario B they come home to their hometown that's where all their college buddies are and they say, hey, come out, you know, steven, come out to drink with us, you know? Or and you're like no, I'm good, they just come out Like you don't need a drink, just hang out with us. And then it triggers something, Right? I mean, what do you say to them If those are the triggering circumstances? Is it like, okay, don't go home, because it triggers you, don't be around those people.
Steven Ginsburg:That's tough right. Listen the old school slogans so many times will do so much of the work for me, which I love. You go to the barbershop enough times, what are you going to end up getting A haircut? And that is old school, but it's gospel. There was actually an alumni y S teve, and with the help of his family, with the help of his family and with some good, orderly direction on our part from Restore, we're like, hey, this Christmas it's better just for you to stay out here. It's not a good time for you to go home. And even though he didn't love it, he accepted it and he was willing to do his part. We have to be willing to do what, to go to any length. He was willing to go to any length. He made it through the holidays. He's doing great, he's coming up on six months of sobriety, but he was willing to follow suggestions and he was willing to do his part. It's different playgrounds and different playmates.
Steve Coughran:I like that. It's such great advice and it's such simple advice. So you're listening to this podcast. You're like dang, steve and Steven. They just say the most simple basic things. But it's true, it doesn't have to be overly complicated, it's just so simple. The approach is so simple. So let's switch gears here and let's talk about the new year in regards to turning the page.
Steve Coughran:Because, I always find it like so fascinating that literally it's just one day different, but there's something about like a cutoff in, like in the world of accounting. So back in the day when I was a CPA, and it's like you're closing the books and it's like okay, the books are done closed, it's almost like okay, now it's a brand new chapter and something about like that close, that hard cutoff, just at least for me, I don't know about for you. It just it creates this like fresh beginning which is so liberating in so many ways and that's why I love the beginning of the year. I want to hear your thoughts on that, steven, and how you approach new years with people, especially people that are up at Restore.
Steven Ginsburg:Yeah, I love that too, and it ties into a lot of different areas for me. First off, I can't think of any better way. Imagine you're a day at a time. What if this is your first sober New Year's Eve and New Year's in quite some time? What a gift that is, you know, and you actually do. It's one of the places where I'm going to give a little bit of a nod to social media.
Steven Ginsburg:You see a lot of people who are celebrating in sobriety, who are like hey, like I didn't wake up with a hangover. I didn't wake up and wonder what I did. I didn't wake up and feel horrible hangover. I didn't wake up and wonder what I did. I didn't wake up and feel horrible. I felt hopeful and I felt renewed and I felt like there's a chance today because I made it through another night. And now here I am, january 1, making it through another day, clean and sober. So I think there's a lot of relevance to seeing the upside in that, because it is a fresh start and so much of that.
Steven Ginsburg:Look, we live this program. I live this program a day at a time. Sometimes we have to live it an hour at a time. New Year's Eve is another part of a night, a part of a 24-hour day, and New Year's Day is another part of a new day, and we are expected to do the things that have proven to work and allow us to gain remission a day at a time. And I just want to tie in one last element. It's a little bit of a long answer. It also reminds me a lot of anniversaries and sobriety, steve. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day reminds me a lot of anniversaries and sobriety. Those are very delicate times. Those are very joyful times. Those are also times where we can reset and refresh and engage again in another endeavor of a day at a time, a plight towards that next year of sobriety, a day at a time. It's a chance to take inventory when are the areas of opportunity, where are the areas of strength, and what is it working towards and for in that new year?
Steve Coughran:Yeah, and I agree. And so, for those of you who are listening, I just think it's like such a great opportunity right now to have a fresh start. So, like, if somebody is in this spot, like if you're listening to this, you're like, okay, I want a fresh start, I want to like get help, like how scary is that, steven? And maybe maybe you could talk to them, because maybe they have like fears in their head. Well, okay, I'm going to lose my job, I'm going to be away from my family, I don't even know how it works. Is it expensive? Like all these things that keep us stuck in our bad habits maybe a lot of them are are just limiting beliefs and myths. Maybe you could talk to somebody who may be listening to this and feeling that way right now myths.
Steven Ginsburg:Maybe you could talk to somebody who may be listening to this and feeling that way right now. I think it's almost a great way to kind of wrap up this piece of our journey on this call, because that rhetoric, that back chatter, all of those reasons that to me always represents the lies of the enemy. There's always some reason not to, there's always something that could happen, there's always some obstacle in the way, and those things pale in comparison to the consequences that are coming when we stay in untreated addiction and alcoholism. Most importantly, people can and do die daily from this disease and that back chatter.
Steven Ginsburg:Our disease doesn't want us clean and sober, doesn't want us pursuing sobriety and doesn't want us living in the solution. And when that back chatter starts to serve up obstacles and our mind starts to get in the way of the pursuit, we need to dismiss that best thinking. That best thinking brought us right to where we are. We're in crisis, we're at a tipping point, we're at a turning point and we've got an opportunity. We need to dismiss the rhetoric in our head and allow our body to go first and let our mind and spirit follow.
Steve Coughran:Amen, brother. I couldn't agree with you more, and check this out. If you want to learn more, we have this great ebook at restoreddetoxcenterscom. It's called overcoming the fear and lies of addiction, which touches on what we just talked about. It's completely free. You can go to the website. You could download it right now. I think that's a great resource for people who may be looking for a fresh start but they're struggling with all these lies that are holding them back, so be sure to check that out. It's completely free, steven, as always, so great to catch up with ,S teve.
Steven Ginsburg:thank you so much. I want to wish everyone a safe, happy, healthy and sober new year. We are here with you and for you and all things.
