CHRISTMAS. It's a day usually spent with family and friends, at the beach or at church, playing backyard cricket, eating lots of food and opening presents.
But for Adam*, 34, it will also mark the first Christmas since childhood that he hasn't had a drink.
"I had my first alcoholic drink at the age of 11 at a family New Year's Eve event," Adam tells news.com.au. "I was aware that alcohol was just for the adults, but I was an inquisitive child and I was eager to know what it felt like to be 'happy' and drunk. I drank until I became very sick. I do recall that the feeling of comfort and euphoria I experienced when I was intoxicated far outweighed the hangover of the following morning, which was brutal."
Adam, who lives in Melbourne, says the occasional drinking session as a child soon became a regular occurrence.
"I started drinking whenever I got the chance. I would sneak drinks at every opportunity, of which there were many as I'm from a traditional European family background.
"We left Australia when I was thirteen to live in Europe. I used alcohol as a social lubricant in the following years to make new friends in a new country. I felt as though it made me the life of the party, and I could keep my anxieties at bay and also forget the pain of leaving my old comfort zone.
"As an adult my drinking became a part of my everyday life, and appeared to be quite socially acceptable. I assumed everyone in my family and at work drank the way I did. I only realised this may not be the case after a traumatic event in my life saw me turning to alcohol more frequently, and to recreational drugs on a regular basis. I needed to numb the pain, so I began to drink in the mornings just so I could deal with the day. It became a form of self-medication.
"The demise of my six year relationship was the most shocking and final straw. I had lost the most precious thing in my life. I didn't see any reason to keep going and I just gave up on myself and the world. I was at rock bottom. I was drinking on average 1-2 bottles of 750ml Russian standard vodka per day in the last six months of active addiction. Along with that, I was eating a couple of grams of speed every day to allow me to still function in some way at work.
"Drinking and drugs had brought me to my knees. I wanted to die. It wasn't until I actually considered taking my own life that I was faced with the gravity of how far I'd let this go," he says.
In a "fleeting moment of clarity", Adam realised he needed help. Propelled by the desire to remove himself from the environment he was stuck in, he checked in to The Cabin Chiang Mai, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility based in Thailand. The Cabin sees an increase in admissions after the Christmas and New Year period, and the beginning of 2013 saw an unprecedented 32 per cent rise. Adam was one of these people - he spent two and a half months in primary care and then four and a half months in their halfway house. He has now been clean and sober for nine months, and although he is "very positive about the future...this will be the first Christmas since I was a child that I will spend sober.
"I will be faced with social situations that for me, in the past, revolved around drinking," he explains. "My family members enjoy a festive drink but as an alcoholic in recovery I've learnt I can't do that. It is hard to be around drinking at any time, but Christmas in our family is a big celebration. Drinking is such a socially acceptable part of this holiday, it will probably be impossible to avoid it completely without isolating myself - which is a dangerous thing it itself for an alcoholic or an addict."
Cameron Brown, Addiction Psychologist and Aftercare Provider at The Cabin, agrees.
"There is a level of acceptance around pushing the limits of binge drinking at this time of year and encouragement to drink excessively," he says. "Christmas is seen as a chance to 'blow off steam' at the end of a work year. For people with a problem with alcohol, this can represent a perfect opportunity to justify their excess drinking.
"There is an increase in parties and events for both work and family at this time of year, and as a result the opportunities to drink increase. Inhibitions are lowered overall for everyone. A further issue for those who have a problem with alcohol is that a lot of recipes tend to include alcohol in them. Triggers of alcohol use do not come purely from drinking alcohol, but also from the food around them," says Brown.
So if you are hosting Christmas lunch at your house, what can you do to be sensitive to those people around you who struggle with alcohol?
"Be supportive of people who are having problems," suggests Brown. "One of the issues that those who are not drinking have is that they feel that they are relegated to a lower status because they aren't engaging in the same behaviour that everyone else may be. Use Christmas gatherings to bond over activities that don't involve alcohol or drinking.
"If there will be alcohol, don't offer or force drinks on them, and don't buy rounds, which increases drinking overall. Have places or times that are alcohol free at events and gatherings.
"Also, make sure that those who are having troubles have someone supportive to talk to. This doesn't have to be formal counselling or hand holding, but rather a simple social conduit that can help encourage healthier choices," he says.
If you are an employee and you have your office Christmas party coming up, Phillip Collins, Head of Workplace Services at the Australian Drug Foundation, puts the onus on you to protect your employees.
"We all have stories about work functions turning ugly when colleagues have too much to drink," Mr Collins says.
"There are many simple things you can incorporate into your function, from serving non-alcoholic drinks, making sure your bar staff are RSA trained, and providing plenty of food.
"Plan a day that's not focused just on drinking. If you have an event that is really well organised, with lots of entertainment and activities, your guests will naturally drink less and you are less likely to have your party turn into a health and safety nightmare," he says.
Download the Australian Drug Foundation's workplace party checklist here
Being newly sober, Adam says he's focusing on how far he's come in the last few months, rather than what he'll supposedly missing out on by not drinking over Christmas and the New Year.
"I will definitely avoid potentially dangerous situations such as parties, where I know drugs may be involved," he says. "I plan to stay focused on my recovery and my future by going to meetings and keeping in close contact with my sponsor [from The Cabin] during Christmas. It helps that I now have a deeper understanding of my triggers and how to deal with them, and that is thanks to The Cabin, Chiang Mai program. I have learnt that if I focus on results, I will never change. But if I focus on change, I will get results."
