Ways To Celebrate New Year’s Eve Safely and Soberly in Dallas, TX
At Lighthouse Recovery in Dallas, we know the holidays can be especially challenging to navigate if you’re recently (or not so recently) sober. So many of the outings seem to revolve around drinking, and you may have triggering, painful memories of past New Year’s Eves where you took things too far, blacked out, or just weren’t present because of your addiction. We encourage our graduates of our Sober Living Program and Intensive Outpatient Program to proactively find ways to enjoy major events, like New Year’s Eve, safely and soberly. A good, clearly communicated plan to friends and family can help prevent relapse and allow them to support your sobriety and hold you accountable.
Here’s a few ways you can safely enjoy New Year’s Eve in Dallas without alcohol or drugs:
- Top Golf
Top Golf is a great choice to get out and about in Dallas without being in the intense pressure of a bar. Top Golf offers food and drink while you play a golf-themed game, but you reserve a private bay with a small group and just order what you need. There’s no tightly packed people in a crowded bar, and you simply order what you want. Make sure you reserve a bay ahead of time, and talk over with your guests how you do not intend to drink. For addicts currently in outpatient rehab in Dallas, Top Golf is a fun choice to attend with peers from group therapy for extra support.
- Host a murder mystery party
A fun way to purposefully bring people together is through a murder mystery party. There’s a variety of online vendors who provided instantly downloadable murder mystery packages, and plenty of tips for how to host. You can choose a theme that matches the type of mystery party, and prepare for a night of detective work! This is a great choice for those in sober houses or other drug and alcohol rehab facilities in Dallas where you don’t have as much flexibility to get out.
- Plan a progressive dinner or appetizer party
Another way to enjoy your friends and get out of the house on New Year’s Eve is by getting a group to throw a progressive dinner party. The idea is each house hosts one course of a meal; so, house #1 would serve appetizers, house #2 serves a salad course, house #3 an entree, and house #4 desserts (or however many courses you choose!) The benefit to doing this with sober friends in Dallas is there’s no risk for driving under the influence between houses.
- Make a reservation at one of Thrillist’s best Dallas restaurants
Menus can be prefixed or come with an alcohol pairing on special nights like New Year’ sEve, so double check your restaurant of choice before booking. Avoid any that require an alcohol surcharge, so you don’t feel any pressure to imbibe. A nice dinner is a perfect excuse to get dressed up, and out and about in Dallas, without feeling the pressure of a bar to drink. Make sure your company you invite supports your sobriety.
- Test your problem solving skills at an Escape Room in Dallas
Book a private escape room for New Year’s Eve evening, and you’re guaranteed to be so distracted solving riddles and puzzles that you won’t miss the usual champagne toasts of the last day of the year.
If you’re still in Dallas outpatient drug or alcohol rehab this holiday season, talk with your house manager or recovery coach about potential pitfalls and strategies for avoiding relapse this holiday season. Since sobriety is so new, it can be extra challenging to celebrate New Year’s Eve; however, with the right support system and sober activities, you can do it! If you’re enrolled in one of the rehab facilities in Dallas this year, maybe plan something with your peers from group therapy so you can keep each other accountable! New Year’s Eve might look a little different this year, but you’ll be thankful you have clear, positive memories and experiences and can look forward to more to come. If you’re not yet sober, but are looking to start the new year on the right foot, give our team at Lighthouse Recovery a call to see if one of our drug and alcohol programs would work for you.
