Jim makes a positive decision to participate in a fun, sober activity…

The holidays can be a very difficult time for many of us, let alone our youth. Some of our young people can go home for a visit with family for a night, but many of them can’t for various reasons. Because so many of our youth don’t have family or social supports during the holiday season staff in our Crisis Program try to engage them in Christmas events out in the community. It can be a hard and lonely time and we work hard to make it fun and special.

This Christmas season, one of our residents has been struggling with his alcohol addiction. He has come back to us again and again this fall and winter. Most recently because his addiction has begun to significantly affect his health and has made him want to work towards going to treatment.

Jim was struggling with not drinking after four days of being abstinent. Jim came into the office and opened up about his struggles. Jim talked about his friends being triggers to go use alcohol and that he struggled with being bored when he wasn’t working.

A youth worker was bringing a group of youth to get some hot chocolate and go to the Hyatt Hotel and go look at “Gingerbread Lane” a display of intricately decorated gingerbread houses. Since Jim was bored, and staff were concerned he was going to go meet up with friends to drink, it was suggested he go on the outing. Jim made the positive decision to go out with the group for the Christmas activity.

It was a small step for Jim to participate in a fun, sober activity, and by the end of the night he had connected with a few of the other residents, and was having good conversations with some of them on the way back from the outing. It may not seem like a big thing, but I think it gave Jim a bit of a sense of possibilities of connecting with others without alcohol.

Shared by Deegy, Team Leader at the Crisis Program