As the holidays approach, we have to take into consideration the decisions we make due to the experiences we have had. For some people the holidays can be a big trigger and that can make us make decisions that aren’t in our best interest. Some of us will choose to get high and some of us will try to feel connected to someone else in search of filling a need we have within and some of us will spend money to fill those voids in our lives. When we struggle with these feelings we can also compromise our health by having unprotected squishy so that we can feel connected to somebody or get high to forget all the expectations or disappointments we have of others and ultimately fill our lives with in-adamant objects that never really fill our needs.
Harm reduction is about reducing the harm in the activities that we choose. For the holidays, I think about harm reduction as giving my time to others with no expectations, defining my own family because mine doesn’t meet my expectations, making gifts instead of going into debt from buying up everything in the stores and online, and managing my drinking. For others it might be not taking too many substances or using their own equipment, using with a friend to prevent overdosing by yourself, going to a meeting, and finding other ways to spend your time when you are triggered. It is important to find many ways to include harm reduction in our lives to keep ourselves safe, especially during the holidays. If it isn’t substances that are harmful to you but the relationships that you engage in; then it might be about finding healthier outlets with your significant other, having protected squishy to prevent contracting HIV and STDs, choosing risk reduction options, finding other ways to get our emotional needs met, and communicating our needs. Lastly, we often don’t think about our financial health during this time of year, so we can employ harm reduction in this aspect of our lives. Many people talk about going into debt during the holidays from buying presents for their loved ones but if that impedes you from paying your bills, causes extra financial stresses, filling your living space with things instead of people, and jeopardizing our overall financial stability throughout the upcoming year.
I hope that you are able to find ways to implement harm reduction in your life during the holidays. As we approach the new year, we can consider the activities and relationships that are not healthy for us and ways that we can incrementally implement change and risk reduction. Wishing you healthy outlets and communication, risk reduction activities, and living within our means. #squishytalk
Happy harm reduction holidays,
SquishyLady
Original Post: Dec 20, 2015 @ 14:37