A woman sits on a couch near a decorated Christmas tree, looking worried and deep in thought. She rests her hand near her mouth, wrapped in a scarf, with a cup on the table in front of her, capturing the emotional weight of the holiday season.

How the Emotional Turmoil of the Holidays Creates Relapse Risk

By  on November 21, 2025

The holidays seem to be a time to be happy and spend time with people you love. For many people, they are anything but easy. Instead, they can create a rollercoaster of emotions, making it challenging to stay on the right path if you are facing a substance use disorder (SUD).

It’s critical to maintain emotional control during the holidays to fight back the risk of a relapse. With the right tools and strategies, and a bit of help from Victory Recovery Addiction Center when you need it, you can get through the holiday season without having to turn to substances.

Recognize What’s “Wrong”

It’s hard to see others celebrating and spending time together during the holidays in a seemingly perfect display of holiday cheer. That’s rarely reality, though.

As you deal with turmoil and frustration during this time, realize what’s really happening.  Are you feeling?

  • Lonely for those you may have lost?
  • Nostalgic for what you thought was the perfect holiday season from your youth?
  • Grief for the people who are no longer a part of your life, that perhaps you didn’t get to spend as much time as you would have liked with?

Emotional turmoil is very real during the holidays. It’s quite common for a person to feel an overwhelming sense of ups and downs. Having a past SUD doesn’t make that rollercoaster any steadier. Sometimes just recognizing that this is normal can give you the confidence to keep moving forward.

Some individuals turn to substances as a way of coping with those feelings. You may have felt the same way in the past. Now that you are working on treating SUD, it’s critical that you recognize those feelings, understand where they come from, and then simply keep moving forward.

Develop Healthy Coping Mechanisms

It’s not safe, nor possible, to simply push those emotions to the side and not deal with them. At the same time, you need to get through the day without thinking about intense feelings or the need to use an SUD. Instead, work to incorporate a new coping mechanism into your life.  Learning to cope with stress is a core part of your addiction recovery process. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares that you can find and manage what triggers these stressors, and it often comes down to the right combination of healthy techniques that work for you, specifically.

Choose one of the following, for example, as a way for you to work towards building a healthier future.

  • Start a journal. If you have some downtime this season, take a few minutes to start journaling. You can create a journal right on your phone. Document how you are feeling. Express yourself openly. Let it out what is on your mind.
  • Find a creative outlet. Let your emotions flow through a creative outlet. It could be painting or sculpting. It may, instead, be turning up the radio and singing. No matter which outlet works for you, this creative expression becomes a way to express your pain.
  • Head into a group meeting. When you work with your team, you’ll gain one-on-one support when you need it the most. Go to a local meeting if you cannot get in to see your therapist. Find out what other people are doing to reduce their risks.

Finding healthy ways to reduce your stress is critical, but it’s not always easy to do. When the holiday pressure is building, recognize the need to get help.

When to Get Help to Avoid Relapse

Relapse happens, and it is often a normal part of healing. Yet, whenever possible, it’s critical to do all we can to prevent relapse so you’re not starting from scratch. That means you need to recognize when your SUD requires more than just meditation or yoga. If you’re feeling any of the following, don’t wait to contact us for immediate help:

  • Strong cravings to use substances right now.
  • Feeling ill or suffering from some of the withdrawal symptoms you’ve experienced in the past.
  • Intense emotional trauma that’s become too much to control.
  • Thoughts of using the substance again, even if it isn’t favorable.
  • Feeling like the memories of using substances were “good times” or feeling positive about those experiences.

If you’re feeling these elements, now is the time to seek help. With the guidance of our treatment specialists, you may be better prepared to avoid the outcome. Use these relapse warning signs as indications that professional help is necessary.

Turn to Our Team for Immediate Help When You Need It This Holiday

You don’t have to face the holiday stress and emotional turmoil on your own. Instead, let our team at Victory Addiction Recovery Center become your guide. Contact us now for the one-on-one support you need.