Halloween is soon to be upon us, and with it comes the endless invites to social events and parties.

This can be a challenging time for those with newfound sobriety, as well as those who have been sober for a long time. Keep in mind these 5 reasons to stay sober this Halloween.

Reason #1

You’re an inspiration to someone. While you may not know it, someone likely admires you for your choice to be sober. More often than not, your story has affected someone more than you know. Don’t shatter that by giving in to peer pressure (especially for a holiday made up by the candy companies!)

Reason #2

Remind yourself that your life is better this way. You got sober because your life was not what you wanted it to be. If you pick up a drink or decide to use, this will be the case again. Don’t let uncertainty, or a bad decision take that away from you. Keep a level head and avoid situations you'll have a hard time coping with.

Reason #3

You’ll want to remember this time later on. A few weeks or even years down the road, you’ll be glad you have positive experiences that your able to hold onto. These mold you into the person that you are becoming and every day you can add a new one is a huge treasure.

Reason #4

You’ve worked hard for your sobriety. In fact, it's probably fair to say that you've harder for your sobriety than you've worked for most things in your life. The worst thing you could do would be to throw that all away. Because that’s all it would be—a few hours—and then back to reality. It’s not worth it.

Reason #5

You won’t have to explain yourself.  You've kicked shame and guilt out of your life, don't let it back in.  You have a huge fan club of supportive people from your friends and family to your brothers and sisters in sobriety that are invested in your and your long-term recovery and want you to succeed more than anything.  Remember those who have invested in you!

You've come this far... keep going!  Stay strong, stay sober!  Happy Halloween!