Alcohol Kills the Holiday Magic

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Ah, the holidays are approaching. Christmas lights, caroling, and giving thanks. Also, blankets, hot cocoa and fireside dreams. But if you are in early sobriety or struggling with alcohol, the holidays can feel anything but warm.

It can feel like FOMO (Fear of missing out), deprivation and constant triggers. It can feel like social pressure, access to alcohol everywhere/anytime, and regular mentions of it on social media and the news. It can feel like a nightmare time of year.

I quit drinking the week before Christmas. Nothing felt right about it. I felt like I was in my own self-imposed prison. But here’s what I didn’t understand about drinking during the holidays that I now know to be true. Alcohol kills the magic of the holidays. If you worry about FOMO over the holidays, think again. Drinking is how you really miss out, and here’s why:

1. Alcohol dulls our senses. All of them. That delicious food? Dulled. That smell of fire embers and cinnamon? Subdued. And the magic — oh the magic — the glint in your children’s eyes opening gifts. Catching that smile on your partner’s face as they take in the scene. Seeing your aging parents bask in the holiday spirit as you recognize these days are so fragile and fleeting. These moments get lost. You miss them when you’re drinking, or already buzzed, or obsessing over your next drink. Your priorities shift. What really matters melts into a pool under a bridge of “I need a drink.”