Halloween celebrations provide an opportunity and the freedom to have fun. Many people choose to let loose during this time. It is in the spirit of the celebration since people explore their dark sides during Halloween. For someone who is recovering from addiction, this day comes with its fair share of temptations. Friends will try to persuade you to indulge in drug or alcohol use. If you fall for these temptations, you might end up relapsing. So you should stay away from things that can trigger your relapse. Northern Illinois Recovery Center has tips on how to enjoy a sober Halloween and how to find the right relapse prevention techniques for you.
You’ll need to make sacrifices to enjoy a sober Halloween. This can mean that you’ll have to forgo engaging in some activities with your loved ones. In the short-run, the sacrifices will be painful. But with time, you’ll start enjoying the benefit of these sacrifices. Here are some ideas for enjoying a sober Halloween.
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Choose to Go Solo
Halloween is a period for socializing. Social events or activities have numerous triggers that can make you relapse. If you aren’t confident of your capability to beat the temptations, choose to celebrate Halloween by yourself. Celebrating alone gives you a lot of power over the activities that you engage in.
You can choose to do several things to commemorate Halloween alone. Take the time to reflect on your sobriety journey and how it has affected those that you hold dear. Try reminiscing about the things that you can change to make your recovery more effective. This can be a therapeutic way of having a sober Halloween.
Sober Parties
The concept of sober parties is relatively new and may sound absurd. But these parties exist, and they are easy to organize. Sober parties have all the essentials of a party. The food, the drinks, the music, and all the other activities. The only difference is that the drinks are non-alcoholic.
Sober parties prohibit the use of any drugs at these events. If you decide to go for a sober party, choose the one in which participants are teetotalers. Doing this eliminates the possibility of finding someone who sneaks drugs into the event. Additionally, sober people will never pressure you into drug use.
Celebrate Halloween with Family
Your family members are the closest people to you. They know and understand that you are battling addiction. They will go out of their way to protect you from the need for drug treatment services. It will be close to impossible to find people who will push you into drug use during family events.
Celebrating Halloween with the family has other benefits. These celebrations offer a platform for reconnecting with family members. This helps in rebuilding relationships that crumbled because of your addiction.
Treatment at Northern Illinois Recovery Center
Northern Illinois offers treatment for substance use disorders. Our addiction treatment staff is professional enough to provide the best care services. Some of the plans that we offer include:
- Men’s addiction treatment center: The facility offers detox services for various drug addiction. The gender-specific environment ensures that you only focus on recovering.
- Drug addiction rehab center: This center enables you to get treatment under the supervision of medics. Medications are available to hasten the process.
- Telehealth rehab program: This module ensures you can access treatment even from remote locations. Doctors will contact you and prescribe medication through various channels of communication.
- Dual diagnosis treatment center: This module is established if you have co-occurring disorders because of your condition. You can then get treatment for both disorders.
Visit Northern Illinois Recovery Center for Treatment
Addiction can be devastating. Even if you get treatment, there’s always the chance of relapsing. The world has so many triggers that complicate our relapse prevention effort. Fortunately, enrolling in a recovery center can equip you with skills that can help you remain sober. If you or a loved one is battling addiction, contact Northern Illinois Recovery Center via 855.786.1978. We will help you regain control of your life and enjoy your Halloween this year.
Licensed Physician and Surgeon
Dr. Beth Dunlap, a board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician, and is the medical director at Northern Illinois Recovery Center. She is responsible for overseeing all the integrated medical services at both campuses. Beth completed medical school, residency, and fellowship at Northwestern University, where she continues to serve on the faculty as a member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She has extensive experience in addiction medicine at all levels of care, and her clinical interests include integrated primary care and addiction medicine, harm reduction, and medication-assisted treatment.
© 2023 Northern Illinois Recovery.