High-Risk Situations

As a therapist who works with clients who are in early recovery from drug/alcohol addiction, I feel it is important to be aware of high-risk situations in early recovery. A high-risk situation is an event or circumstance that could put you in a tricky spot. This tricky spot could very well be that you are in front of or around substances, you are around people who pressure you, or it could be a scenario you aren’t fully confident in handling just yet.

Knowing what would be considered high-risk situations for yourself is a wonderful start because each person’s definition will be different from another. A high-risk situation for one person could be spending time with their father after cutting communication for 4 years, whereas another person could say that going to an engagement party might be a high-risk situation for them. The point here is to be aware of what emotions it will bring up for you, as we know that emotions often drive our responses and behaviors.

Working with your therapist, sponsor, or support network to identify what could happen, what might come up emotionally, as well as what you need in those moments is important. While we can’t predict the future, we can be realistic about what we know about ourselves, those in our lives, and how we handle emotions. The next blog post will talk about what to do in those high-risk situations and how to protect yourself.