This article was published on March 26th, 2020
It is important to take a sobriety and substance self-check. How are you doing? Is it time to take a break, clean up your act, and prepare yourself for the times ahead? There is a right way and a wrong way to party; you want to have fun, but you also want to take care of your health and make sure you are able to participate for a long time to come. This means making sure you’re using substances in a safe way, without leading to addiction. Below is a sobriety checklist that you can use to make sure you are having fun responsibly.
Are you using substances daily?
The first sign that you might need to cut back is that you’re using substances, whether they be drugs or alcohol too frequently. Most people keep their substance abuse to the party scene, and you may have just experienced multiple weeks of consumption, which could explain your frequency of use. Be honest and ask yourself if you’re taking substances more often than normal.
Have you neglected social obligations?
A big red flag when it comes to substance, is interference in your daily life. We all have social obligations on the calendar that we don’t want to miss. If you find yourself missing engagements more frequently it might be because you’re too tired or weary from excessive partying. You may be prioritizing drugs and alcohol to the point that it is hurting your social relations.
Are you able to meet your financial goals and obligations?
Partying and substances cost money. Nothing fun in this world comes for free. That being said, it is time to take a step back when you start to find yourself unable to afford them. If you’re investing in substances but not able to pay for the other necessities in life including food, shelter, and your bills, you may have a real substance abuse problem.
Are you feeling burnout?
When you abuse substances, you may start to feel burnout. Your body starts to feel sluggish and less responsive. You may have your senses affected; your tongue may begin to feel thick and taste like ash, your vision may become blurry, etc. You will see these symptoms decrease just by cutting back on the substances you’re taking.
Have you been sick more frequently?
Another major sign that you may be suffering from substance abuse issues is that you are become ill more frequently. Substances of any kind tend to compromise our immune system and can lead to major health issues if abused. If you find yourself falling sick repeatedly or more than normal, the partying may be to blame. Even if it isn’t, you should avoid partying while sick as it will only lengthen your downtime and make it harder for your body to recover.
Taking substances can be fun and add to your experience. But when you do party you want to make sure you’re doing so safely, and that you’re not actually abusing substances. If you haven’t had a break recently, this is a good time to take a couple weeks off and prepare for the season ahead. It never hurts to take a break and do a bit of a mental check in. You will want to be at all the fantastic Pride, circuit, and other events in the months and years ahead.
