Recovery At Year’s End, 2015

This post falls between the long holiday weekends of Christmas and New Year’s, which can be a very challenging time for those in recovery, particularly those who are going through it for the first time. Abstaining while family and friends around them are using can make relaxing and enjoying oneself very difficult. For some, being sober allows them to see with painful clarity the problematic level of use by others. Responding to questions about the reasons for not using is often awkward and deciding about how full a disclosure to make is not an easy task. This can make it hard to maintain recovery at year’s end.

On the positive side, people in early recovery — whether in treatment programs or community support groups – do have the benefit of being surrounded by others who have more recovery experience to share with them to ease these days. I am aware of many others who are still actively using and whose holiday season is significantly more painful and lonely despite the company of family and friends.

As “Modern Addiction Recovery” has evolved this year, we have made an effort to enrich the site with guest articles and interviews, which we hope our readers have found to be of interest. I am grateful to the time and focus that our guests have given. The interviews were conducted by Apryl Motley, whose help I very much appreciate. Our plan in the coming year is to continue to provide this variety once or twice a month.

My thanks also go out to those of you who have read these articles and hope that you will continue to do so in the coming year. We want to help people stay in recovery at year’s end and beyond.

Happy 2016 to you all.

George Kolodner, M.D.

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