You have worked so hard to get clean, but staying clean can be a challenge in itself. In the short-term and long-term future, you will come across different triggers, events, or emotions that may make you want to pick up bad habits again. While it may be a struggle, it is possible to make it through while staying clean. There are different steps you can take to help keep yourself from relapsing.
How-to Keep Yourself From Relapsing: Prevention Steps
Be Aware of Triggers
Everyone will have different things that trigger them, but there are some triggers that are more common than others. It is important to know these in order to help keep yourself from relapsing. First, being around old friends who are still using drugs or alcohol and have no interest in getting sober can be a relapse trigger. It is difficult to keep all of your old life the same without falling into the same bad patterns too. Certain locations that you used to engage in substance abuse can also be a trigger.
Other common triggers include isolation, relationship issues, uncomfortable emotions like feeling hungry, lonely, or tired. Some people are overconfident in themselves, thinking that they do not have a problem, or that the issues are all behind them. This overconfidence can actually create the perfect scenario for relapse.
Stages of Relapse
One of the best ways to keep yourself from relapsing is to understand the stages of relapse. This way you can already know what to be mindful of. Relapse is usually a gradual process, and can even start months before the actual relapse event occurs. The different stages of relapse are emotional, mental, and physical.
Emotional Relapse
With emotional relapse, you’re not actually thinking about using. However, your emotions and behaviors can set you up for a potential relapse. Some of the signs include anxiety, mood swings, not asking for help or going to meetings, anger, and isolation. Change your behavior and practice self-care. With emotional relapse, it is the easiest to get back on the right path and stop yourself from actually relapsing.
Mental Relapse
Mental relapse is when part of you wants to start using again, and the other part does not. You are being pulled two different ways. Some signs of this include lying, hanging out with your old friends and thinking about people and places in your past. It also includes glamorizing your past use and even fantasizing about using again.
If you are struggling with mental relapse, talk to someone and tell them what you are going through and thinking about relapsing. This could be a friend or even a support group. Urges won’t last for too long, but just make sure to distract yourself by going on a walk, or calling someone to chat. Remember to take each day at a time so that the process does not feel so overwhelming.
Physical Relapse
Lastly, the best thing is to try and catch yourself from relapsing before you get to the physical relapse point. Once you start thinking about relapse, it does not take long to get to physical relapse. This is when you actually physically relapse again. So, pay attention and react to the warning signs so that you do not make it to this point. Get help before it is too late.
If you’re looking to get sober, then outside support is going to be very important. Still, you want to make sure you don’t surround yourself with people who may encourage negative behavior. There’s a few traits in particular you’ll want to make sure they have…
Outside Support: Find Positive Help
Be there when you need them
Good outside support will consist of people who’ll be there when you need their help. The last thing you want to do is rely on people who are unreliable. It could be that they either ignore your calls or texts, or always have an excuse as to why they can’t help. While there may be times where they are genuinely busy, it shouldn’t be that they can never help you when you ask.
Instead, you want to ask more reliable friends and family for help. There are the people who will be there practically any time you ask. This is important, because things like withdrawal symptoms can go from being no issue to severe very suddenly. Knowing you have people you can consistently rely on is key for your recovery.
Hold you accountable
It’s also important that your outside support holds you accountable. While you want to live a healthier lifestyle, that can be easier said than done. It’s possible that your cravings can get quite bad, and you’ll be tempted to relapse. However, having people who will help you stick to your goals can keep you on the right path.
When things get tough, your support system should give you some positive reinforcement. At the same time, they should also be able to ask you if you’re sticking to your plan and keeping clean. If they themselves went through what you’re dealing with, then they can also offer you some advice which you might find valuable.
Avoid bad influences
One thing you don’t want your outside support to do is influence you in a negative way. Usually, this happens if they themselves continue to drink or take drugs. It’s possible that they could try and pressure you to stop trying to get sober, rather than help you keep clean.
In these situations, the best thing to do is to cut these people out of your life. It can be tough, especially if you’ve known them for a while. Still, you don’t want to put your own efforts at a higher risk than necessary.
The holidays are coming, and that means visiting friends and family, attending parties, and indulging in festive foods and drinks. There are parades, crowded stores filled with holiday shoppers, and indoor gatherings. However, with the pandemic this year, is any of that even possible? This year, there are more things to consider for these gatherings than just drunk drivers after a holiday party. Before you invite all of your friends and family over, it is important to know how to safely host a holiday gathering during Covid.
How-to: Safely Host a Holiday Gathering During Covid: Be Wise and Considerate
Reconsider
The only guaranteed way to safely host a holiday gathering during COVID is to reconsider having a get-together this year at all. COVID is certainly not a holiday gift that anyone wants to receive. The more people you are around, the higher your risk is for getting COVID. While it is not replacing gathering in-person, many medical professionals recommend finding virtual substitutes for family holiday traditions. While masks and social distancing can help, the only way to completely reduce the risk of infections is to remain separated.
Testing and Precautions
If you do choose to host a holiday gathering during COVID, there are some added precautions you can take. For example, your guests can agree to quarantine before the event. This will reduce the risk that they will contract the virus from someone else who has it, then bring it to you. You do run the risk that your attendees may break the quarantine or not be as diligent as you would like.
Another option would be for you to have your guests take a COVID test as close to the event as possible. Then, they should quarantine up until your event. This may be easier to ask for a family gathering than it would be for friends attending a party. Neither of these options is guaranteed to prevent COVID, but they can lower the risk.
Meals and Logistics
You may need to rethink the menu options you have at your holiday gathering during COVID. Instead of a buffet-style set up, a better option would be to serve individual plates of food. This keeps the number of people coming into contact with the food to a minimum. The person plating the food should be wearing a mask. When possible, use touchless garbage cans during cleanup.
Instead of opting for an indoor gathering, hold your event outdoors. However, this is not always possible depending on where you live. If your event has to be indoors, invite fewer guests. Also, have your guests wear masks when they are not eating.
While there is no perfect way to have a holiday gathering during COVID, these tips can help keep you and your guests safer. However, it’s good to remember that the best way to reduce your risk of COVID at a holiday gathering is to make it a virtual gathering instead.
Drunk drivers are a serious risk to others when they’re on the road. That’s why DUI detection is an important part of a police officer’s job. Knowing these methods could help you in identifying potential drunk drivers as well…
DUI Detection: How Police ID Drunk Drivers
Driving behavior
A person’s driving behavior plays a large role in DUI detection. Due to the effects of alcohol, drunk drivers will tend to drive much more poorly than their sober counterparts. These changes in driving behavior can then indicate to an officer that something might not be right with the driver themselves.
There are plenty of ways in which driving can indicate whether a person is impaired. However, some tells stand out more than others… For example, constant swerving in-between lanes is a common sign of a drunk driver, as is following other drivers too closely, or aggressive speeding.
Sobriety tests
Driving behavior is a good way to pick out potential drunk drivers. However, officers will need to perform a more in-depth look at the driver before making any decisions. That’s why they’ll use other methods of DUI detection as well, such as field sobriety tests.
Field sobriety tests tend to focus on some key areas that alcohol negatively effects. These include a person’s balance, tracking skills, memory, and decision making. These tests give the officer a better indication of whether or not the driver is impaired. After concluding these physical tests they will decide whether or not to move onto a breathalyzer test.
Breathalyzers
Breathalyzers are another form of DUI detection. Often times, offices will use these devices alongside a field sobriety test. That way, an officer will have some “hard” data to help them determine their course of action. The way that a driver performs on their field sobriety tests, combined with their BAC, and other factors will help officers make the call in terms of DUI detection and arrest.
Of course, you can use some of these detection methods as well. Of course, you won’t be pulling anyone over if you see them driving poorly. However, if they appear to be under the influence, you can make the call and let emergency services know what is going on. Knowing what officers look for can help you know what to look for as well.
As St. Patrick’s Day fast approaches in Charlotte, NC— most people are getting ready to hit the streets for Rich and Bennett’s annual bar crawl. This coming Saturday, March 16th is a day we write down in our calendars— prepping for weeks in advance to make sure that we spend the day with good company, drinks, and a solid schedule for bar hopping. While the objective of the day is to drink and be merry— there is some strategy that goes into doing it well…
St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl: Drink Smart
Start your day with a solid breakfast
Don’t forget to pick up your bar crawl shirts at any prepay event, or the morning of the crawl, to avoid pesky cover charges!
1: You know what they say about breakfast… it’s the most important meal of the day. The morning of your St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl is no different. In fact, it’s even more important than usual. You already know what your day looks like: boozy. So, set yourself up for success by putting a good layer of food on your stomach. We suggest something like avocado toast, potatoes, and bacon or sausage. You want something of substance; not too greasy, and filling enough to soak up that alcohol— but not drag you down. After all, longevity is the main objective.
2: Don’t take liquor lightly…
If you’re doing the Rich and Bennett’s St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl, you might be familiar with the annual specials: $4 16 oz. Bud Lights, $5 Tullamore Dew, and $5 New Amsterdam. You might have noticed that 2/3 of those drink specials are liquor. Therefore, it might be tempting to start your day with a few vodka or whiskey drinks. However, as we’ve mentioned, longevity is the goal. If you want to make it until that 10:00 p.m. mark, or even carry on until the bars close— save those liquor drinks until later in the day… Or maybe skip them altogether.
3: Stick with the group
While we have plenty of rules on how to drink smart and make your buzz last— realistically, we all know there comes a time when you’re going to feel those drinks. Therefore, it’s important that the people you start with, are the people you stick with throughout the entire St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl. At the very least, make sure you stay in groups of two or more. Being drunk, surrounded by green, and all by yourself? This is not only ill-advised, but it also has the potential to be very dangerous.
4: Lastly, get home safely
The most important thing you can do in terms of planning your St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl— is to make plans for your ride home. Find a hotel in the city, ride the Light Rail, take an Uber, Lyft, taxi, or set a designated driver. Whatever your plans are, make them in advance. Don’t find yourself stranded without a plan. Instead, take some time out from making those Jell-o shots, and have a serious conversation with your friends. Making plans for the end of the night ensures your safety, gives you peace of mind, and limits your chances of ending up with a DUI charge.
Have fun, be safe, eat, and enjoy your holiday weekend!
Driving is something we mostly all do on a daily basis. Furthermore, most of us are aware that there are certain things we could do to become better, and smarter drivers. When considering your New Year’s resolutions, you might consider making some in terms of your driving— and even riding. While we drive all the time, that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re good at it. So, let’s think about ways we can improve…
New Year’s Resolutions: Driving Smarter and Safer
Back seat driving
While this New Year’s resolution doesn’t directly apply to something you do while driving, it’s definitely something that can make a big difference for those you frequently travel with. Something to consider if you know that you are, or even have been called, a backseat driver— is how productive your advice really is.
There’s a certain line between making the driver aware of impending danger— such as a red light, or someone speeding through the intersection. However, giving random directions, pointing in their face, or making unnecessary suggestions often does more harm than good. In fact, it could even cause an accident.
Cell Phone Use
It’s actually quite surprising how many drivers continue to use their cell phones when driving— especially given the new, strict laws that prohibit it. Distracted driving in any capacity is quite dangerous for other drivers, and yourself too. There are many statistics that go to show how dangerous being on your phone while driving can be— similarly as dangerous as drunk driving. If you find yourself spending too much time on your phone, especially when behind the wheel— making that your New Year’s resolution might be a positive change worth making.
Drunk Driving
Furthermore, and just as important a New Year’s resolution as using your cell phone, is drunk driving. Drunk driving is a dangerous, reckless, and sometimes fatal decision to make. While you might do it regularly, and avoid police or accident, there’s no saying when that luck might run out. Therefore, turning the tide for yourself might be the difference between hurting yourself, someone else, or getting a DUI.
Becoming More Aware
Lastly, and a strong one to consider, is getting becoming more aware of your surroundings. Many of us function by using a GPS on a daily basis. Maybe you know your direct area, but not much more than that. Therefore, when the GPS dies, you might find yourself stranded. Consider taking a few hours on your next weekend off, and driving around your city. Get familiar, and become a better driver in the process. Being better aware of your surroundings is one of the best New Year’s Resolutions you can make…
