(C) Verite News New Orleans This story was originally published by Verite News New Orleans and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . For most, Mardi Gras means fun. If you’re sober, it can be a different story. [1] ['Drew Costley', 'More Drew Costley', 'Verite News'] Date: 2024-02-01 Brian Hirsius got out of rehab in February 2010, a few days before the Super Bowl and a few days after Krewe du Vieux. His first week back was a raucous time in New Orleans. Not only would the Saints go on to win their first Super Bowl, they would do so in the middle of Carnival season — the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras. “You can imagine the cavalcade of parades, celebration, debauchery … that us New Orleanians were very happy to engage in,” Hirsius told Verite News, “Because to us pigs had flown and hell had frozen over, to quote Jim Henderson.” Brian Hirsius is a clinician at Imagine Recovery, an addiction treatment facility a few blocks from Audubon Park. Credit: Photo provided by Brian Hirsius Hirsius’ family had held an intervention with him the previous Christmas, and he went into treatment shortly after. Now, he was newly sober and trying to stay that way during a time when the city was partying hard, even by its own very high standards. “It was very challenging for me early on, to not participate in a lot of the fun and organized chaos that came with the [Super Bowl] celebration, and then we segued right into Mardi Gras season, where the party continued,” Hirsius said. Hirsius was likely just one of many trying to stay dry during the wettest time of year in New Orleans. When Hirsius got sober back in 2010, there were an estimated 275,200 people over the age of 12 with substance use disorder in Louisiana, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, a nonprofit that helps people with addiction. In 2021, the same organization estimated that there were 698,000 people 12 and over with substance use disorder throughout Louisiana. Doctors, counselors and people who run inpatient facilities all told Verite News that there is an uptick in admissions to hospitals, rehabs and detoxes during and right after Carnival season. Emergency room doctors from Ochsner Health and University Medical Center said there’s also an increase in people experiencing injury or illness related to excessive alcohol or drug use. “I can understand how it’d be extremely difficult for somebody who is trying to stay sober…and now they’re in a group of people, in a crowd, everybody’s drinking,” said Jeffrey Elder, associate chief medical officer of emergency management at LCMC Health. “I can see how that can be tough and we definitely see some of that.” Partying through Mardi Gras Hospitals, rehabs and detox centers all coordinate with each other, along with the New Orleans Health Department and Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to prepare for the increased need for medical services during Carnival season. Local doctors said they prepare their staffs for the season in much the same way that they would for major emergencies like hurricanes or wildfires. “We know that there’s going to be a large uptick in pretty much every medical issue that we see,” said Daniel Sessions, chief of the medical toxicology division for Ochsner Health and emergency room doctor at Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway. “Then from an emergency department standpoint, we sort of live in disaster preparedness, so we’re prepared to have a larger influx of calls that may involve alcohol use, motor vehicle accidents and assault, things that tend to occur when large groups of people are intoxicated.” Elder said LCMC brings in extra staff members on shifts that coincide with parades in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. He added that the sheer volume of people coming into the city for Mardi Gras means there will be a surge in patients seeking treatment for alcohol- and drug-related injuries and illness. In order to meet the increased need for medical services, the New Orleans Health Department uses volunteers to staff first aid stations that operate along the parade route on Fat Tuesday. Sessions and Elder both encouraged the public to try to moderate their drinking and drug use during Carnival season if they are going indulge. But for people who are struggling with substance use disorders and have not yet sought treatment, that may be unlikely. Dan Forman, CEO of NOLA Detox, said that there’s a 30% increase in admissions to his West Bank addiction treatment center in the month after Mardi Gras compared to other times of the year. “People try to party their way through Mardi Gras and wait to go to treatment. They delay treatment so that they can have one last hurrah,” Forman said. Of course, Forman said, his facility advises people against that, as the delay could result in a loss of interest in treatment, injury or even death. Sober and safe Hirsius survived Carnival season in 2010 with his burgeoning sobriety intact. In December 2023, he celebrated 14 years without drinking alcohol or using drugs. Several years after he stopped drinking and drugging, he started working in the recovery industry, where he’s helped people early in their recovery from addiction navigate Mardi Gras. These days, he’s a clinician at Imagine Recovery, an addiction treatment facility a few blocks from Audubon Park. He said people in early recovery who haven’t done therapeutic work to understand their relationship with alcohol or drugs might find it “very tempting” to regress into substance use, especially during a time of heightened partying like Mardi Gras. “But anybody who is struggling with alcohol use disorder can tell you: it’s never just one or two drinks,” he said. Hirsius and Forman both said that people with aftercare plans, support from medical professionals, friends and family and connection with community have a better chance at getting through the season without relapsing. “The successful patients [are the ones] that we see go out with a plan or strategy,” Forman said. “Many times that means sober living and outpatient care. But the most important piece for remaining sober during Mardi Gras is community.” In order to help people enjoy Mardi Gras while staying sober, addiction treatment facilities have an array of events and spaces planned for the season. Alumni of Avenues Recovery, a rehab with locations in Metairie and Covington, is hosting a sober safe space, marked with a white flag and a spiral logo at Napoleon Avenue and St. Charles Avenue from Feb. 3 through Feb. 13. Imagine Recovery is sponsoring multiple events, one during the Krewe of Barkus parade at Armstrong Park on February 4 and another during the Krewe of Thoth parade at 728 Nashville Avenue on February 11. And NOLA Detox brings in musicians and food trucks for its patients to be able to celebrate the holiday while receiving treatment on Woodland Drive. “It is very possible to stay sober during Mardi Gras. There’s a lot of people out there who are sober and enjoying Mardi Gras,” Forman said. “And typically the success comes from a healthy community of support.” If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use or mental health issues, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration at 1-800-662-HELP(4357) or visit the New Orleans websites for Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Related Stories Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. [END] --- [1] Url: https://veritenews.org/2024/02/01/mardi-gras-sobriety-addiction-rehab/ Published and (C) by Verite News New Orleans Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/veritenews/