Porn Addiction and Christmas Booze

The festive season is finally upon us and whilst this can be a time of enjoyment for many, for those struggling with sex or porn addiction, it can bring about some challenging emotions and be a hot bed for triggers. One reason for this is that Christmas involves a huge amount of socialising in environments that are rife with triggers. Think rowdy Christmas parties in clubs and bars where the booze is flowing non-stop, and many people are open to hook-ups. For those in recovery from sex or porn addiction, this will be a huge test and potentially, the catalyst for relapse.

Christmas, alcohol and mental health

According to a recent survey, almost two-thirds of UK drinkers plan to drink more alcohol over Christmas than they typically would at other times of the year, and over half of them expect to have more spontaneous drinking sessions. During December, people enjoy more social events and more alcoholic drinks than ever, often regardless of the time of day or week. In short, Christmas gives people licence to be “extra boozy, extra loosey” and we very much take advantage of that. The problem is that alcohol remains just as harmful at Christmas as it does during the rest of the year and going overboard during December is going to damage our mental health and potentially our relationships. It will certainly have an impact on recovery and set us up for the worst January blues.

We know for a fact that drinking alcohol (even in relatively small amounts) increases anxiety and depression which can lead to feelings of isolation, worthlessness and despair. We also know that alcohol causes people to get into accidents, injure themselves or others, and it also causes a loss in inhibitions and directly impairs our ability to make sensible decisions.

Alcohol and porn addiction

For someone with sex or porn addiction, an excessively boozy Christmas will significantly increase their chances of relapse by making it harder to manage difficult emotions. Christmas is not a joyful time for everyone and can trigger difficult emotions that people may want to soothe through alcohol, perhaps as an alternative to sexual acting out. But drinking through the pain will only exacerbate those feelings and plunge us further into a downward spiral of potentially acting out.

Alcohol also makes it harder to make wise decisions as it lowers our inhibitions and impairs rational thinking. Even without the burden of porn addiction, alcohol is the third most common reason given by those who have cheated on their partners, so it’s even harder with someone struggling with compulsive sexual behaviours. Moreover, often alcohol is consumed in social settings which means we may have more triggers and, if we drink a lot, less resilience.

If you’re in early recovery from sex addiction or porn addiction, it would be wise to have a booze-free Christmas, or at least, cut down considerably.

How to stay sober and stay in recovery  

So here are some holiday survival tips to help you cut back on your booze, maintain your recovery from porn addiction and remember your December.

1. Embrace all the other special treats that Christmas brings

Believe it or not, Christmas isn’t all about the booze. Although you may not believe in Santa Clause anymore, you can still enjoy the magic of Christmas through exploring the markets, shows and fun fairs. Think ice-skating, beautiful light shows and delicious, sweet treats and you’ll be amazed how much Christmas spirit can found without alcoholic spirits.

2. Utilise alcohol free options

The alcohol-free drinks market has vastly improved over the past few years. If you don’t want to spend your evenings sipping on a lemonade, there are now plenty of genuinely good-tasting alcohol-free options to enjoy from mulled wine to a huge variety of different flavoured beers. Nowadays, there are also some delicious low alcohol (2-3%) beers available which can help if you simply want to pace yourself a bit rather than cut out alcohol entirely.

3. Treat yourself and devote time to self-care

If you experience feelings of loneliness at Christmas, remember to spend some time taking care of yourself. This is especially important if you are struggling with sex or porn addiction as you look to new, healthier methods of self-soothing. You’ll be surprised how much money you save whilst not drinking so why not treat yourself to something else you might enjoy like tickets to a show, a nice meal out or maybe that new Xbox game. Christmas can be about self-care as well as other people so make sure you’re being kind to yourself.

4. Focus on the positives

January blues? What January blues? If you decide to have a booze-free/low-booze Christmas, that also means a hangover-free, hangxiety-free and (most likely) guilt-free Christmas too. Instead of feeling the need to do an extreme detox come 2025, you’ll be feeling light and fresh and ready to take on the new year with a stronger and healthier mind and body. Not only that, but the lack of alcohol also means you will have been more present throughout Christmas, and your relationships may improve because of it.

For those struggling with porn addiction, avoiding alcohol over the festive period will help keep triggers at bay. Of course, you may still find yourself battling difficult emotions or cravings but, (at the very least), you will be far better equipped to handle them and stay strong. You will be able to trust yourself more, relax and spend more quality time with your friends and family and even with yourself – mind, body and soul. So perhaps this Christmas: eat, don’t drink, or drink less… and be merrier than you thought possible.

If you’re looking for an extra boost in your recovery from porn addiction and you haven’t tried our course yet, why not look at our free Pivotal Recovery Taster Course. You can also read some of our reviews here or reach out via our contact form.

The Christmas period can also be an especially challenging time for partners of those struggling with porn and sex addiction. If you’d like to learn more about how you can support your partner, take a look at our Helping Your Partner course.