Year-end parties can intensify emotional triggers and substance use

The energy of year-end parties is also a complex emotional terrain for millions of people facing challenges with substance use. 

A recent study by the Freeman Recovery Center with over 1,000 adults in the United States sheds light on how the November and December period can become a time of emotional resistance, intense temptations, and triggers that often go unnoticed by those who do not live this reality.

The burden of joy

For many families, parties fill their eyes with joy. But for others, the year-end can resonate with difficult feelings. 

According to the research:

45% of people reported that the desire to drink or use substances increases during parties, reaching 73% among those with a history of problematic use.

Half of the respondents said they drink before family gatherings as a way to “emotionally prepare”.

These numbers are not just statistics: they represent people carrying stories, losses, anxieties, and expectations that mix with festive traditions in a way that does not always show up in the photos of the feasts.

The weight of hidden emotions

The year-end is also a time of memories, both good and painful. The research shows that:

• 73% of people feel emotions linked to losses during the holiday season.
• 74% report feeling lonely, even amidst parties and gatherings.

Losing a loved one, spending the day surrounded and feeling empty inside, or even experiencing others' joy while facing an internal struggle: all of this can trigger deep emotions. 

It is a reminder that emotional health care needs to go hand in hand with holiday rituals.

Stress, expectations, and “invisible triggers”

In addition to the emotional, other silent factors also appear:

• Financial stress related to purchases and gifts can push some people to seek relief in drinks or other substances.
• About 1 in 4 people avoid family gatherings precisely because of fear of social pressure to drink or use, or because they feel they cannot maintain control.

These triggers that can often be financial, social, emotional, are not always mentioned in year-end conversations, but they are there.

Strategies that nurture hope

For those who live or interact with someone in recovery, navigating the holidays requires more than willpower: it requires planning, support, and open communication.
The research points out that many people find strength by:

• Avoiding events where substances are the main focus;
• Creating signals with friends or family to ask for help when needed; 
• Relying on routines, allies, or practices that reinforce well-being. 

These simple actions, such as setting aside a moment for oneself, choosing who one truly feels safe with, or just talking to a trusted person, can make the year-end a time of care, and not just survival.

In the end, what the research reveals is human: parties are not always light for everyone. There are those who celebrate with a bright smile and those who face an internal battle that no one sees.