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1. If you want to survive the Thanksgiving holiday while staying in recovery and keeping substance abuse at bay then it is important to talk with the host if you are not the one holding the holiday meal this year. Many families enjoy wine and spirits during this big meal but this does not have to be the case. If you are among friends and family they will understand why this year is a substance free meal.

2. Take care of yourself so that you keep your recovery going strong. Make sure that you are eating right, getting plenty of rest each night, and that you set aside time for support meetings and counseling sessions. Thanksgiving and Christmas are often difficult when you are in recovery from substance abuse, but when you take care of yourself you are less likely to relapse and fall back into old habits and thought patterns.

3. Try holding the Thanksgiving celebration at your home this year, and make it very clear on the invitation that this is a sober celebration and alcohol is not allowed. Instead of serving cocktails and wines you can serve mocktails, drinks which can be just as creative and delicious but without any alcohol content.

4. If there will be drinking and you do not want to feel isolated or left out then try a glass of sparkling water or sparkling cranberry juice. You can bring your own or talk to your host ahead of time. No one else will know or even care that you are not consuming alcohol, and you can have a great Thanksgiving without indulging in substance abuse or deviating from your recovery plan.