A Dallas doc’s 5 top ways to enjoy the holidays without drinking

You don’t have to drink to enjoy the holidays. Really. Just check out these top five tips from Dr. Stephen Garrison, a pediatrician and addiction specialist and medical director at Caron Texas.

1. Create A Safe Holiday Space: Eliminate alcohol from your festivities. Instead, serve refreshing blends of lemonade, ice tea and juice – and keep the focus on family.

2.Use The Buddy System: Seek a supportive friend who can join you for outings. Knowing you have someone with you who understands your goals will help you keep them.

3.Be Safe: If you’re not drinking alcohol but you’re attending parties and you’re not driving yourself, make sure a sober friend is the designated driver or keep taxi numbers on hand so you are not vulnerable to someone driving under the influence.

4.Help Others: Volunteering in your community is a great way to experience joy during the holidays. It can really help you feel better to pitch in and usually alcohol is not an issue in those type of activities. You can also meet like-minded people, which can be a great support year-round.

5.Get Creative: Give yourself permission to think out of the box during the holidays. If you have kids, delve into some art projects with them that can be meaningful presents to other family members. Make a photo book online to help remember your favorite moments from 2013 and think about the memories you would like to make in 2014

Dr. Garrison, I understand what you're going for here. Trying to be that stand up citizen who preaches well but we all know that once the eggnog starts flowing you're the first one there throwing em back. You're like the health teacher who preaches don't do drugs but carries an ounce in your back pocket at all times. So i'm going to do you a favor and translate what you were going for.

1. Create a safe holiday space: If you're celebrating your holiday by doing edward 40-hands create a safe holiday space by removing as many fragile objects from tabletops as possible. Also, keep lots of bandages and a broom nearby for uncle carl when he decides to smash them together at the end.

2.Use The Buddy System: Before the festivities begin, initiate a buddy system. Pair each lightweight family member with a heavyweight drinker. This will encourage competition among pairs as well as guarantee that all of the lightweights will be throwing up by the end of dinner. Also, if you happen to have any hot step sisters or 5th cousins...here's your chance to really get close.

3.Be Safe: Put the car keys away. If somebody has to drive, make sure its Grandpa. Old people can't get in trouble with the law. 

4.Help Others: If you see your 16 year old cousin Tyler struggling bring him to the bathroom and make vomiting sounds until he throws up. 

5.Get Creative: Make Christmas fun for a change! Throw on some popular Christmas tunes and have everybody sing along. If somebody messes up, they drink. Any time Grandpa swears or calls the gay family member gay, take a drink. Maybe even shake it up and play a little dreidel.