Holiday Substance Use: How to Celebrate Without Losing Control

Holiday substance use often rises because celebrations combine easy access to alcohol, social pressure, stress, grief and broken routines. You can protect your health by deciding your limits in advance, planning for triggers, having a ready way to say no, and knowing when drinking or drug use has become a pattern that needs professional help rather than willpower alone.

This guide is for adults who want to keep alcohol or other substance use in check during holiday seasons, for people in recovery, and for family members who are worried about someone. It offers a step-by-step plan, phrases you can use, warning signs and where to find treatment. It applies to any holiday season, from year-end celebrations to summer weekends.

Why does substance use increase during the holidays?

Substance use often increases during the holidays because alcohol is everywhere, celebrations can be stressful and normal routines are disrupted. Parties, family gatherings, travel and time off work all reduce the structure that usually keeps habits in check.

Emotions play a large part too. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) notes that unrealistic expectations add to holiday stress and its holiday advice also addresses grief and loss. Some people drink or use drugs to cope with family tension, loneliness or loss. Others feel pressure to keep up with the group. If social settings are the main trigger, our guide to holiday work party social anxiety may help.

How much drinking is too much?

Drinking is too much when it goes beyond low-risk limits or when it causes problems in your health, safety, relationships or responsibilities. As of October 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes moderate drinking as two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less for women, and heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks a week for men and eight or more for women.

The CDC also counts any drinking during pregnancy or under age 21 as excessive use, and notes that excessive alcohol use can lead to mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. People in recovery, and those whose medicines interact with alcohol, may be advised not to drink at all. If you take psychiatric medication, ask your prescriber whether alcohol is safe for you.

What are the signs that holiday drinking or drug use is a problem?

Holiday drinking or drug use is a problem when you cannot control it, it continues despite harm, or your body has started to depend on it. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) lists signs of alcohol use disorder that include drinking more or longer than intended, trying and failing to cut down, continuing to drink despite problems and experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

Other warning signs, for alcohol or other drugs, include:

• Thinking about the next drink or use much of the time
• Strong cravings, especially in places linked to past use
• Missing work, family duties or plans because of use or recovery from it
• Needing more to get the same effect
• Hiding use or feeling defensive when someone asks about it

For a broader look at how alcohol affects mood and recovery, read our article on alcohol and mental health recovery.

How does drinking affect anxiety and mood during the holidays?

Drinking can make holiday anxiety and low mood worse, even when it seems to help in the moment. Alcohol may ease tension for an hour or two, but it often disrupts sleep and can leave people more anxious, irritable or flat the next day. Over a season of parties, that cycle can build.

The CDC lists depression and anxiety among the mental health conditions linked to excessive alcohol use. If you notice that you drink mainly to get through social events, to quiet worry or to numb grief, that pattern is worth discussing with a clinician. Treating the anxiety or depression underneath can make it easier to cut back. Our article on how alcohol affects mental health explains the connection in more depth.

Step by step: a holiday substance use plan

A simple plan, made before the first event, makes holiday substance use easier to manage:

1. Decide your limit. Choose a number of drinks, or none, before you arrive, and write it down.
2. Know your triggers. List the people, places and feelings that tend to lead to heavier use.
3. Plan your drinks. Bring or ask for non-alcoholic options and alternate them with any alcoholic drinks.
4. Eat first. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach.
5. Arrange transport. Decide in advance who is driving or how you will get home safely.
6. Set an exit time. Leaving before the late, heavy-drinking part of a party is a valid choice.
7. Bring support. Tell a trusted person your plan and agree on a check-in signal.
8. Review the next day. Notice what worked and adjust for the next event.

The CDC's limits for moderate drinking are a useful ceiling for step one, but choosing not to drink at all is always an option.

If you are considering a longer pause, see our guide to taking a break from alcohol.

What can you say when someone offers you a drink?

You can say a short, friendly no and change the subject; you do not owe anyone an explanation. The NIAAA's Rethinking Drinking site lists building drink refusal skills among its tools. Practise a few lines before the event:

• "No thanks, I am good with this." (Hold a non-alcoholic drink.)
• "I am driving tonight."
• "I am taking a break from drinking. How have you been?"
• "I have an early start tomorrow."
• To a persistent host: "I appreciate it, but my answer is still no."

The APA also reminds people that it is OK to say no during the holidays, whether to a drink, an invitation or an extra commitment.

How can people in recovery protect themselves during the holidays?

People in recovery can protect themselves by leaning on their support systems more than usual and limiting high-risk situations. The holidays can bring old social circles, family stress and constant reminders of past use.

• Schedule extra meetings, therapy sessions or check-ins with a sponsor or support person.
• Host or attend sober gatherings, or arrive late and leave early.
• Keep regular sleep, meals and exercise.
• Have a plan for cravings, such as calling someone or stepping outside.
• Set boundaries with relatives who push alcohol; our article on setting holiday boundaries can help.

The NIAAA notes that evidence-based treatments for alcohol use disorder exist, and a setback during the holidays is a reason to reconnect with support, not a reason to give up.

How can you help a loved one who is using too much?

You can help a loved one by speaking privately and calmly, describing specific behavior you have seen, and offering support rather than ultimatums. Pick a moment when they are sober, not in the middle of a party.

Try: "I noticed you had a lot to drink at the party and drove home. I was worried about you. Can we talk about it?" Offer to help find treatment information. The SAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service in English and Spanish that families can call too.

When is holiday substance use an emergency?

Holiday substance use is an emergency when someone cannot be woken, is breathing slowly or not at all, has a seizure, or is a danger to themselves or others. Call 911 right away.

The CDC explains that naloxone can help reverse an opioid overdose and advises giving naloxone if it is available and then calling 911. Do not leave an intoxicated person alone to "sleep it off." If someone talks about suicide, call or text 988. If you drink heavily or use substances daily, talk to a medical provider before stopping suddenly, because withdrawal can need medical supervision.

Where can Texans find substance use help?

Texans can find substance use help through national locators, local mental health authorities and outpatient providers. FindTreatment.gov, run by SAMHSA, is a confidential and anonymous locator for substance use and mental health treatment across the United States, and Texas Health and Human Services lists 24/7 crisis lines run by local mental health authorities for each county.

Rules on treatment, prescribing and telehealth vary by state, so check that any program you choose serves patients in Texas.

Getting support in Texas

Lyte Psychiatry is an outpatient practice. It does not provide inpatient care, crisis or after-hours coverage, medically supervised detox, or intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization programs. If you need detox or a higher level of care, start with the SAMHSA National Helpline or FindTreatment.gov.

For anxiety, depression or stress that sits alongside drinking, Lyte Psychiatry offers therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management in Texas. In-person visits are available at Lyte Psychiatry's clinic in Pantego, in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, and telehealth is available to patients physically located in Texas. All Lyte Psychiatry services are available in Spanish. Availability, insurance and clinician fit require confirmation. Learn about therapy and psychiatry or read about substance use recovery.

If you are in a mental-health crisis in the United States, call or text 988. Call 911 for immediate danger.

Educational information, not a diagnosis or individual treatment plan.