Halloween is around the corner. As friends and neighbors prepare for the upcoming ghost and goblin holiday, ‘tis also the season for many to get wasted. Volunteering to be the designated driver may sound like the “best” excuse to stay sober, but if you are new to recovery, is it a good idea to be in a car full of people too drunk to drive? In his article published in Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, Dr. Steven M. Melemis of the University of Toronto asserts that recovery is a process of personal growth, which is comprised of various stages with their own sets of risks for relapses. Many Halloween pointers have been published online, advising people in recovery to volunteer to be a designated driver, but when you think about the circumstances surrounding the individual trying to abstain from drugs and alcohol, it may be better to leave out this “tip” altogether.
You have gotten this far in your recovery…can you handle the temptations around you?
You’re about to celebrate your first year of sobriety. Out of respect for your abstinence from booze and drugs, your friends have asked you to be the designated driver for the Halloween party. While you may not be using, you’re well aware that the point of everyone going to this shindig is to get wasted. To prevent any relapses this Halloween season, keep the following in mind:
Be mindful of your emotions
Although you have not used in a while and have successfully stayed away from high-risk situations where alcohol and drugs may be present, you are still human and are prone to making mistakes. Awareness of your own emotions and attitude toward drugs and alcohol will set you up for success if you can honestly answer these questions: Have you been thinking about dabbling with drugs or alcohol within the last year? If the answer is yes, have you shared openly about your thoughts and attitudes with a substance abuse counselor or your sponsor? Have you been isolating yourself or keeping yourself so preoccupied with other things that you haven’t made time for emotional/mental self-awareness? Have you neglected your diet, rest and social needs to the point that your life lacks work/life balance? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions and you haven’t shared openly and honestly with an addictions professional who can truly help you, then you may be setting yourself up for emotional relapse.
How long have you been fighting temptation?
Mental relapse is about an ongoing battle between two strong desires (to use and not to use). It’s a battlefield of the mind, an internal conflict within yourself, and if you feel like you’ve been battling temptation alone, it is much easier to fall into mental relapse where your resistance to drugs and alcohol is diminishing while your need for escape increases. If you place yourself in a high-risk situation where everyone else is having “fun” but you, you might be setting yourself up for a relapse if your defenses have been wearing thin.
Avoiding physical relapse is more than just saying no
Long before the “lapse” turns into a physical “relapse,” the emotional and mental processes within the inner workings of your mind have a larger influence on your decisions than you may realize. When people relapse, the physical relapse is the result of a long-drawn, back-and-forth thinking about that drug or drink you have been craving. The more you think about your craving, the more you magnify your focus and amplify the power of its allure. If you think you are “strong enough” to handle temptations without accurately assessing the strength of the temptation and your own consistency with your recovery program, you might be heading for disaster.
Should you agree to be the designated driver?
Be honest with yourself and with those who support your recovery. Would you want to be surrounded by everyone who’s drinking when you’ve worked so hard to be sober? Assess your environment, plan ahead, and be aware of the triggers you might face. There are plenty of other ways to celebrate Halloween, such as hosting your own party, having a pumpkin-carving party at your house and handing out candy to trick or-treaters, or having a Halloween Horror Movie Night with your friends.
Relapse prevention is part of dual diagnosis treatment
Developing effective relapse prevention strategies is part of dual diagnosis treatment, which includes evidence-based practices such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and meditation therapy. At New Method Wellness, a top-rated dual diagnosis treatment center in San Juan Capistrano, CA, individuals learn to recognize warning signs, develop critical coping skills, learn self-awareness techniques and embody important principles of recovery. Individuals receive high quality, client centered care from a talented and distinguished multidisciplinary team of clinicians.
For more information about our dual diagnosis treatment programs, contact us today!
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