MiraVista Doctor Shares Holiday Sobriety Tips, Encouragement

HOLYOKE — As the holiday season brings celebrations, stress, and countless social invitations, Dr. Dean Singer, an opioid treatment physician at MiraVista Behavioral Health Center who has extensive experience supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use, offers practical guidance and heartfelt encouragement for sustaining sobriety through the weeks ahead.

“The holidays can be meaningful and joyful, but they can also be complicated,” Singer said. “Changes in routine, emotional triggers, family dynamics, financial stress, and events where alcohol or other substances are present can all raise risk — especially for people who are early in recovery or rebuilding stability. The good news is: a plan makes a difference, and support is available.”

Singer encourages people in recovery — and the loved ones supporting them — to focus on preparation, connection, and self-compassion:

1. Make a plan before you need it. Know where you’ll go, who you’ll be with, what you’ll drink (non-alcoholic options), and how you’ll leave if you feel uncomfortable.

2. Bring backup — your people and your tools. Save supportive contacts in your phone, identify meetings or groups you can attend, and keep coping strategies handy (walks, breathing, journaling, music, grounding techniques).

3. Practice the “no, thanks” in advance. A simple response is enough: “No, thanks,” “I’m good with this,” or “I’m driving.” You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

4. Watch your HALT signals: hungry, angry, lonely, tired. These can lower resilience quickly. Eat, rest, and stay connected.

5. Create new traditions that protect recovery. Schedule small moments you can look forward to like a morning coffee with a friend, volunteering, a movie night, or a quiet reset day.

6. If you slip, don’t disappear — reach out. A return to use does not erase progress. Getting support quickly can prevent a brief setback from becoming a dangerous spiral.

Singer also reminds community members that MiraVista Behavioral Health Center provides several substance use treatment options designed to reduce barriers and meet people where they are, including an Intensive Outpatient Program, walk-in access to the Opioid Treatment Program, the Massachusetts Impaired Driving Program, and second offender classes.

To further reduce obstacles to care, free transportation is available to help individuals access treatment and maintain consistency.

“MiraVista’s Opioid Treatment Program is intentionally life-friendly,” Singer added. “That means hours that work for real life, quicker access to take-home bottles when clinically appropriate, and a treatment team approach rooted in dignity, partnership, and respect. Recovery works best when care is built around people—not when people are forced to build their lives around care.”

For those struggling quietly during the season, Singer offers a message of hope. “If the holidays feel heavy, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to muscle through it by yourself. Support is real, treatment is available, and recovery is possible. One step — one call — can change the direction of someone’s season and their life.”

To learn more about MiraVista’s substance use treatment programs, visit www.miravistabhc.care.