5 Sober Friendly Ways to Celebrate Halloween

Sober Activities for Halloween and How to Avoid Addiction Triggers

Triggers that may result in addiction relapse can come in many forms. It may be certain smells, events, specific moods, physical environments, situations, songs, or the stress that comes with family obligations and holiday rituals. Even a “fun” holiday like Halloween can cause a person to feel stress, loneliness, overstimulation, or other triggering emotions, and being in the wrong place at the wrong time may result in your taking actions you may regret.

Contact The Detox Center of Los Angeles today at (888) 346-4350 to learn how to access our addiction treatment programs.

If you know that Halloween may be a trigger for you, plan to attend a support group meeting that night. Spending time around others who feel the same way will remind you that you are not alone, and it will keep you on track with your sobriety.

It is best not to attend parties that will include alcohol and drugs or go to past “haunts” like bars or the homes of old friends because putting yourself in the way of this dangerous temptation can too easily lead to relapse. If you find yourself in a triggering situation, it is best to say, “no thank you” and leave. There are plenty of people you can spend time with who will respect your sobriety and many other ways to have fun this Halloween.

Ways to Celebrate Halloween Without Drugs and Alcohol

In the United States, media and popular culture always show Halloween night as a teen or adult to be a night where everybody is dressing up and going out to bars or parties to get absolutely trashed. This is not really true, and it is usually a small percentage of people who party hard on Halloween. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy yourself during the spooky season without using alcohol or drugs. Some fun sober activities for Halloween for adults include:

1. Go out to a family-friendly location that is throwing a Halloween event, like a bowling alley, a carnival, a hayride, a parade, a bonfire, a haunted house, or an escape room. These types of events will still provide fun and ambiance in a sober-friendly environment.
2. Stay in and have a horror movie marathon with friends or loved ones. You don’t need to go out to enjoy the scary night. For additional Halloween fun, bake Halloween-themed treats together, or have a pumpkin-carving contest with a prize for the best carving.
3. If you have kids, or if your friends or relatives have children, go trick or treating with them. Being around children will remind you what this holiday can be about: the excitement of an ever-growing collection of candy, the fun of being in disguise inside a costume, and the thrill of being out late on the spookiest night of the year.
4. Work with friends to create the scariest house on the block. You can make it as elaborate as you want, either a simple outdoor maze for the neighborhood kids to try as they trick or treat, or you can go all-out and make an adult-only haunted house with real jump scares and horror scenes.
5. Volunteer at an event for the night. This way, you can be of service to your community, have fun, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Halloween while being busy and working, avoiding the temptation to use substances.

Just because you are not drinking or using drugs this Halloween does not mean it needs to be boring. Plan ahead, and really think about what types of activities you enjoy doing, so you can have fun your own way. If you like dressing up, create the best costume you can. If you like the candy, get some of your favorites. If you enjoy the ambiance of a Halloween party, throw your own sober bash the way you want to. The sky is the limit, and you are the only person who can choose what is the right way for you to celebrate this holiday. You and other sober friends can start your own Halloween traditions that will become as special to you as any other holiday practices.

Alternatively, if you are just not feeling it this year, you can also pretend it is not Halloween and do something normal. Host a potluck, go to the movies, or take a shift at work. It really is only another day in the year, and if you find the thought of celebrating Halloween to be too difficult, then simply…don’t.

What to Do if you Relapse

First of all, if you relapse, do not be hard on yourself, and do not give up. Everybody has periods of ups and downs when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction recovery. One little mistake does not need to define who you are or how the rest of your life should go.

If you relapse and start using drugs or alcohol again after quitting, you must act as soon as possible. You can:

• Talk to family and friends or other sober people you know for support and to figure out what to do next
• Go to a meeting or peer support group. These non-judgmental spaces will give you a place to discuss your relapse and learn how others have coped with similar situations
• Stay away from triggering people, places, and things so you can regain your sobriety headspace, and set healthy boundaries that will remove dangers to your sobriety from your life
• Self-care, like exercising, sleeping well, getting therapy, and reducing stress in your life will help you be more able to see things clearly and act in your own best interest
• Be honest with yourself and know when it is time to go back to rehab. There is no relapse too big to overcome, but sometimes you may need professional help and therapy to get there again

Addiction Treatment at The Detox Center of LA

The Detox Center of Los Angeles is an inpatient drug and alcohol detox and rehab center, located in Los Angeles, California, a city known for wild celebrity parties, drugs, and drinking to excess. We know that behind the veneer of glamor, this type of substance abuse leads to addiction, mental health problems, social problems, physical ailments, financial problems, and much more.  

Whether it is your first time in rehab or if you have relapsed several times, when you come to our treatment facility, we will provide you with the personalized integrated treatments and long-term connections to sober living resources you need to overcome your addiction and stay clean long-term. You will heal your body, mind, and spirit through treatments like:

• Medical detox programs with 24-hour care and an on-call medical doctor
• Medication-assisted treatment plans (MAT) to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms through medication and therapy
• 12-step program integration
• Behavioral therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy
• 40 to 47 hours per week of group therapy
• Meeting with a case manager who will help you create a long-term housing and recovery plan
• Holistic treatments like exercise therapy, breathwork therapy, yoga, acupuncture, art therapy, mindfulness, meditation, and experiential therapy
• Healthy nutritious food and nutritional counseling
• Individual therapy, with a meeting with your primary therapist every day
• Family systems therapy if appropriate to your unique situation

Please contact us today to find out more about our comprehensive treatments, our comfortable and safe medical detox program, and how we can help you quit drugs and alcohol and move forward in your life as a happier, healthier person who is in control of your own future.