Did you know that more people drink and drive on Halloween than many other holidays?
“Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that Halloween is among one of the most deadly holidays for drunk driving. For the holiday period — from October 30 through 5:59 a.m. on November 1, 2011 — 74 people died nationwide in a crash involving a drunk driver, a 21 percent increase over the average number of drunk driving deaths per day.” via MADD
We understand that Halloween can be a trigger for some people, particularly those who are newly in recovery, so it’s important to create some guidelines and parameters with which to navigate the holiday. If you were once an enthusiastic celebrant of Halloween, doing it sober may cause you panic and despair. Don’t worry, below are some safe, and fun suggestions. Remember, if this holiday is too triggering for you, you can make it a non-event: go to a meeting, hang out with friends, and keep it simple. If it creates stress, it’s not worth it.
- Plan something with people who are committed to being sober
- Surround yourself with people who can hold you accountable.
- Be honest with yourself and with those around you: talk about your triggers if you have them!
- Don’t go to a party where you know there will be drugs and/or alcohol.
- Create a relapse prevention plan using tools you’ve learned at Visions to create a good exit strategy if you should need one.
There are an abundance of sober activities you can do on Halloween, especially as part of the young people’s fellowship. You can:
- Be of service to your family: take your little brother or sister out to trick or treat.
- Have a scary movie night
- Have a monster themed dance party
- You can go on the Haunted Hay Ride with sober friends
- Some fellowships may have a Halloween themed dance or event.
- Host a sober Halloween party with spooky treats and an eerie Halloween music mix
- Make a creepy, crawly scavenger hunt
This list can go on. I trust that you can come up with a fun sober activity! The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself, stay accountable in your recovery, and endlessly tickle that funny bone. Embrace this new side of yourself. Being present and aware is a wonderful thing to behold!
