A search for “addiction + resolution” turns up a plethora of websites offering a bounteous selection of literature for the benefit of those who want to make 2026 different from all the preceding years. One source has been chosen simply because its information is so inclusive, enumerating every possible alternative mentioned on many similar websites. This one belongs to Casco Bay Recovery, and it lists the generally agreed-upon ingredients necessary for a sustainable sobriety journey.

A huge element is the support network, which can include family members, friends, professionals, sponsors, and fellow members met in recovery groups. New routines, like brisk daily walks, are important to replace old routines formed around alcohol or other addictive substances.

A person needs to accept that different seasons and circumstances will call for different coping mechanisms, and be prepared to switch techniques to fit the ongoing reality. A person in recovery needs to understand that progress will not be linear: The path has ups and downs, and sometimes it includes tricky twists.

Recovery is not simply about dropping harmful old habits, because success depends greatly upon creating and cultivating totally different new habits. A massive amount of change is involved, which is often more than one person can handle unaided, at least at the start. The individual might best begin with a partial hospitalization program, or an intensive outpatient program, and it is better to acknowledge this from the jump, rather than risk the pain of a failure that might totally discourage the impulse to seek sobriety.

The individual in question might derive sufficient benefit from even a flexible and infrequent support program, or might need to begin with medication-assisted treatment for a while. Of course, educated advice is very important at this stage. Some of your individual circumstances include the underlying causes of your substance use, your mental health glitches, and the coping mechanisms you may already successfully (or unsuccessfully) be employing.

The reason for starting out with professional backup is not because you are just like everybody else, but because a highly trained person can help assess your individual areas of strength and weakness, which are different from anyone else’s:

Trained clinicians help you identify triggers you might not recognize on your own and teach you practical skills to navigate high-risk situations.

Let’s pause for a moment, here on this page whose publication date is the 2nd of January. This is not anybody’s cue to say, “Aw shucks, I missed the deadline. Guess I’ll get on the ball and quit drinking next New Year.” News flash: There is nothing magical about January 1, and a person can change their life any day of the year. Whenever someone might read this, tomorrow would be an excellent day to start. Here are the meaningful factors:

Understanding the intricate nature of addiction

Recognizing personal triggers

Building sustainable support systems

Seeking professional guidance

Also, while on the subject of copping out and making convenient baloney excuses, please give this one a miss:

When someone views a single slip as complete failure, they often abandon their recovery efforts entirely rather than treating it as a learning opportunity. This black-and-white perspective ignores the reality that recovery involves growth, setbacks, and continuous learning.

The road to success involves defining actionable steps, and plenty of guidance is available on how to do that. “I don’t know how” is a huge lie to tell oneself, when so many excellent resources and genuinely caring, helpful people are available to teach us how.

Willpower and motivation are pretty much synonymous, and they are undependable allies. A person whose pursuit of sobriety is guided by how they feel on any given day is heading for calamity. The Casco Bay staff lists the challenges: There will be physical cravings, of course. Emotional situations will trigger responses that are no longer numbed by substances. Social situations will generate more difficult moments than you can presently imagine. And your special brand of mental ill-health will become harder to conceal.

We are also provided with a roster of “Common Mistakes When Quitting Alcohol During New Year Resolutions.” The world is full of triggers, and the quitter’s job is to steer clear of them, rather than lie to ourselves about how bravely we will resist their power. Here are three big, huge, potentially destructive pitfalls equivalent to waving a red cape at an enraged bull:

Underestimating Environmental Cues

Falling into the Isolation Trap

Neglecting Personal Triggers

We lie to ourselves in so many ways. For instance, we hang out in the same old dives with the same old drinking buddies, and pretend it’s gonna be okay. If challenged, we resurrect that legendary phantom, Will Power. As a crude friend once (approximately) said,

Try this. Poop in one hand, willpower in the other, and see which one fills up first.

So… no excuses. And in particular, please avoid that ever-nagging temptation to make excuses to yourself. To shovel baloney into the ears of friends and associates is bad enough, and ought to be avoided at all costs.

But the worst possible error in this situation would be lying to oneself. Help is always available, whether from a fancy full-service inpatient facility if you can afford it, or a free support group like the Anonymous organizations. Help can be found on January 3, August 21, or any other day of the year.

Written by Pat Hartman. First published January 2, 2026.

Source:

“New Year’s Resolution Sobriety: Why It Fails,” CascoBayRecovery.com, December 22, 2025.

Image Copyright: u_ts7o2f2332/Pixabay.