Navigating Early Recovery During Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Mardi Gras in New Orleans is renowned for its vibrant parades, lively music, and festive atmosphere. However, for individuals in early recovery from addiction, this season can present unique challenges. Understanding these obstacles and implementing effective strategies can help you maintain sobriety while still enjoying the cultural richness of the celebration.
Challenges Faced in Early Recovery During Mardi Gras
1. Pervasive Alcohol Presence: Mardi Gras festivities often involve widespread alcohol consumption, with beverages readily available and socially encouraged. This environment can be particularly triggering for those striving to maintain sobriety. From billboard ads to witnessing intoxicated friends and strangers imbibe, the triggers are literally around every corner.
2. Social Pressure: The communal nature of Mardi Gras may lead to situations where individuals feel pressured to partake in drinking or using to fit in or enhance the celebratory experience. Mardi Gras is a time for friends and connections to come together, and that might mean folks who aren’t positive for your recovery (e.g. old using or drinking friends), contacting you at a time when you could be feeling left out and vulnerable. New Orleans is also a small city - it’s not completely unheard of to cross paths with negative influences while seemingly just minding your own business.
3. Emotional Triggers: The heightened emotions and sensory overload associated with large crowds and constant activity can be overwhelming, potentially leading to anxiety or stress, which are common relapse triggers. Fat Tuesday is also all about “letting loose,” and if you’re in a rough place emotionally, feeling tension or frustration from everyday life, your addiction will try everything it can to make you believe it’s totally fine to have “just one” and unwind a little bit!
Strategies for Maintaining Sobriety
1. Attend Sober-Friendly Events: Seek out alcohol-free zones and events specifically designed for individuals in recovery. For instance, Avenues Recovery hosts a “Sober Safe Spot” along the parade routes, providing a supportive environment free from alcohol and drugs. These events are especially helpful for those in early sobriety, as they offer additional accountability and opportunities to connect with other sober folks who can turn into lifelong friends and supports.
2. Plan Ahead: Establish a clear plan for the events you wish to attend, including identifying exit strategies if situations become challenging. Communicate your intentions with friends or family members who support your sobriety, or see if those supportive people can accompany you into riskier situations.
Beware of making “seemingly irrelevant decisions” (SIDs) that bring you closer to situations in which you have to rely on willpower to say no. This is a good time to review all of your decision-making with sober peers and support systems. It may seem innocuous to RSVP to a coworker’s crawfish boil, but after talking with your sponsor or others who know you, you may identify risks your addiction preferred you not think about.
3. Engage in Alternative Activities: Explore the rich cultural aspects of Mardi Gras that don’t center around alcohol. This can include attending family-friendly parades, visiting museums, or participating in community art projects. This is also a great time to get creative and engage with sober folks in your community to find some fun or get active outside before the sweltering summer heat arrives.
4. Utilize Support Networks: Stay connected with support groups or recovery communities during the festivities. Regular check-ins can provide encouragement and accountability. If Mardi Gras has historically resulted in a short ride to self-destruction on the Hot Mess Express™ for you, this could be a season to call or check-in with your sponsor or sober peer groups more frequently. Even daily!
5. Practice Self-Care: Prioritize activities that promote physical and emotional well-being, such as adequate rest, healthy eating, and mindfulness practices. From Krewe rehearsals to overindulging in the local cuisine (perhaps a king cake or two) to getting stuck in parade traffic, the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras can be a chaotic and hedonistic season. As it’s meant to be!
Stay on track with the things you know are foundational to your recovery and keep you centered, including sleep, regular exercise, and staying connected to your recovery community. Regularly stop to reassess how you’re feeling to ensure balance; this could look like an evening journal routine or setting up a mental health app’s notifications to encourage you to stop at the same time every day and mindfully log what you’re feeling.
Community Resources
Several organizations in New Orleans recognize the need for sober spaces during Mardi Gras and offer resources to support individuals in recovery:
• Avenues Recovery’s Sober Safe Spot: Located along parade routes, this spot offers a drug- and alcohol-free environment for those in recovery to enjoy the festivities safely.
• Sober Fest: An annual family-friendly music festival celebrating sobriety with live performances and local food vendors. Benefiting Bridge House/Grace House of New Orleans, it’s traditionally held in November, and serves as a testament to the city’s commitment to inclusive celebrations.
By proactively planning and utilizing available resources, you can navigate the Mardi Gras season successfully, embracing the spirit of community it represents and maintaining your commitment to sobriety.
Remember, you can prevent a relapse from derailing your life. If you have a slip during Mardi Gras, your fight is NOT over and you are not alone. Stay tuned for more information on how to overcome feelings of shame to get back on track.
