Halloween in Recovery
With the arrival of fall, comes the changing of the seasons: sweaters are brought out and iced drinks are exchanged for warm ones as the temperature drops. The month of October not only brings sweater weather and changing leaves, but also the highly anticipated holiday of Halloween. With Halloween comes the thoughts of costumes and trick-or-treating, exciting topics for most, but ones that can be difficult to navigate when recovering from an eating disorder. Halloween can be challenging to those in recovery, but there are steps you can take to ensure that you still get to enjoy the fun spirit of Halloween without feeling too overwhelmed.
Candy and Treats
With the stores stocking up and advertising Halloween decorations and bags of candy, this time of the month can often feel overwhelming, especially to those who experience disordered eating. Candy is often portrayed as a “bad” food by society, that should be cautiously consumed, but labeling these foods as “good” or “bad” is promoting diet culture, and can be detrimental to your mental health. By practicing intuitive eating, you can still enjoy some of these Halloween treats without feeling guilt or shame. Individuals with Binge Eating Disorder (BED), might find it particularly triggering during this time. It is important to be kind to yourself, and practice mindful eating habits, while focusing on what is good for your body.
Costumes
Costumes are a fun way to celebrate Halloween, but society’s emphasis on dressing up as something ‘cool’ or ‘sexy’ can make costumes feel overwhelming. It can become easy to compare yourself to others, so it is important to focus on yourself during these times. Dressing up for Halloween shouldn’t have to feel scary. Focus on yourself and find a costume that helps you feel comfortable in your own body. Whether that is adapting a costume to show less skin, or simply wearing a themed t-shirt, you can still dress up to celebrate the holiday. If costumes feel like they might be too challenging, you can still celebrate by wearing a pair of fun-glasses or cat ears: you don’t have to overthink it! Simple things such as adding small accessories or dressing in fall colors can help you feel in the Halloween spirit while still being comfortable. Halloween-themed articles of clothing. Dressing in fall colors, or wearing Halloween accessories, will allow you to feel in the Halloween spirit, while still being comfortable.
Celebrations
Halloween can sometimes be anxiety inducing, especially when it comes to celebrating it with your friends. You can sometimes feel the pressure of needing to attend a Halloween party or go out to drink with friends. While there is no need to drink alcohol at these events to have a good time, drinking in moderation is important to avoid any harmful triggers that might arise if you do choose to drink. Setting a limit of one or two drinks will allow you to approach drinking with a healthier mindset, while avoiding any potential detriments to your recovery. If you feel being in a situation surrounded by alcohol is too difficult, stepping away from the situation might be the best way to avoid these triggers.
While Halloween parties can be fun, many of these parties can come with triggers that might affect you in recovery. Many of these parties might have triggering costumes, foods or alcohol. In these situations, it is important to set boundaries and focus on yourself when you go. Understanding things that might be triggering to you are important in this situation, and can help you navigate around them. Limiting the amount of time you spend at the party is important as it will allow you to have a good time, and be able to leave confidently when you feel like you’ve had enough.
Surround yourself with support
If you do choose to attend a Halloween party, or go out to celebrate, having individuals you trust to support you at some of these events is valuable, and they can help you navigate the environment and work past any triggers that might exist. They can help set boundaries in conversations, and look out for you when you’ve had enough. Having a set support group is valuable, and will let you enjoy yourself more in this setting. However, enjoying Halloween doesn’t have to be going to Halloween parties, or dressing up. If any of those sound like they might be too triggering, spending time at home watching Halloween movies, carving pumpkins, or handing out candy to trick or treaters, are ways to still celebrate the holiday, and enjoy yourself this Halloween.
References
Halloween with an Eating Disorder Can Be Scary. (2021, October 27). Veritas Collaborative. https://veritascollaborative.com/blog/halloween-with-an-eating-disorder-can-be-scary/
McGuire, J. (2016, October 26). Trigger-or-Treat: Halloween in Recovery. Eating Disorder Hope. https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/trigger-treat-halloween-recovery
Robinson, L. (2021, October 27). Support, Stigma and Recovery this Halloween. First Steps ED. https://firststepsed.co.uk/support-stigma-and-recovery-this-halloween/