Like-minded people who are good for you and who you enjoy spending time with. It’s definitely an extra layer of ‘hard’ for us sober people if we have to spend a lot of time around people who are boozing. I don’t most of the time, but every Easter we go away to spend 4-5 days with extended family in a remote location. It’s a holiday weekend that presents a unique set of challenges for me. Christmas really only covers 2ish days and time spent around drinkers is broken up. At Burning Tree, you will find knowledgeable and compassionate professionals that structure treatment to fit individual needs, including the identification of co-occurring disorders.
for designing a life well-lived
Think about the money you’re saving on booze and the new things you can spend it on, the improvement to your health and sleep, all of those gains are going to be ‘really positive’. Although, despite the benefit going sober brings, it isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do. So, to round off Dry Jan, we spoke to a number of sobriety advocates to get their top tips on going sober for the long-run, with one rubbishing the ‘biggest myth’ about quitting booze.
If you believe you or someone you love has developed an addiction to alcohol, now is the time to seek help.
Drinking is a holiday tradition for many families, but traditions can also transform and change over time. Many may not know that about one-third of U.S. adults report consuming no alcohol at all in the past year. You may find that in steering the focus of a social gathering or party away from alcohol to try to help a recovering person, that you are catering to more than just the individual in recovery. Socializing without alcohol can open up new possibilities for connection, fun, and personal growth. Embrace the opportunity to experience social interactions in a different light and create meaningful relationships that go beyond alcohol.
- In fact it can be just as fun being the sober person in the room.
- Living the sober life can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.
- These activities allow you to enjoy nature, engage in physical exercise, and connect with your friends in a meaningful way.
- At the beginning of the year, a new health advisory was issued linking alcohol consumption to increased cancer risk.
It felt like a slap in the face when people were drinking around me, and I was trying to stay sober. “I got to the point where I knew it was something I couldn’t do on my own,” Gilbert said. “Pissed me off to no end and embarrassed me. I’m a pretty strong-willed person but that was the one thing in my life that I couldn’t get to stick.” News, he now sees that sobriety is ultimately a personal choice.
By sharing your journey, you create an opportunity for open dialogue and potentially reduce any potential discomfort or misunderstandings. It’s important to remember that true friends will respect your decision and support you in your commitment to sobriety. For more insights on balancing friendship and sobriety, visit our article on finding your tribe.
Predictable and Unpredictable Events of Alcohol Exposure
Once you arm yourself with some strategies to fend off even the most persuasive drinking friends, you may have come to a point where you’re wondering how to meet sober friends. Should you pick up a different hobby or change your attitude? Several cities worldwide are picking up on people’s need to engage in alcohol-free activities and find a community with like-minded individuals. This old advice can be helpful in this scenario, but it may not mean what you think. For example, many people drink because they love to dance but feel self-conscious dancing in front of a room full of people while sober. Push yourself to do the things you have never done sober and pretend you have the courage and confidence you once believed you had while you were drunk.
Myth #1 – Drinking Coffee
I’ve chatted casually with friends about the reason behind my decision, and they’ve been nothing but lovely and supportive. But in new environments where drinking is the norm, I try to keep the fact I’m not drinking under wraps by ordering a sober house Diet Coke or alcohol-free beer on the sly. From my experience, people don’t ask questions when you’re holding a drink, and I don’t want swerving alcohol to be my defining character trait when meeting new people. Many people have a complex relationship with drinking, and I’ve also had to face what not drinking brings up in others.
Many rehab centers will provide programs that are 30 to 90 days or longer, depending on individual factors, to provide well-rounded help and support. Sometimes, when you’re caught off guard or you’re being pressured to drink, it can be hard to remember why on earth you’re doing this. Keep it in your purse, on your phone – somewhere you can access it easily. Don’t let yourself be derailed by a friend who only knows half the story. You can also talk to friends or family members beforehand and let them know you have your worries about attending and would love their support.
In this trial, it was clear not drinking was working better than only “kinda sorta” drinking.And so that’s why I’ve continued to just not drink. I’m realizing this period of sobriety is helping me reconcile my relationship with distraction and avoidance. I’ll most likely find myself identifying with “sometimes” drinking.
Tips for Socializing Without Alcohol
“I am taking time to focus on my sobriety, personal growth, and being present for loved ones.” For me and many others, it can represent an escape from emotional overwhelm — a way to bypass stress or hard feelings. For this case, I’ve built a stress checklist — a visible list (Notes app for the win!) — of things and people I can turn to when I feel stressed instead of alcohol. Things like calling a friend, going on a walk, or even just taking a shower can get me past the urge to drink about my problems instead of facing them. And, of course, there’s nothing like a journaling session to help me https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ process in the moment. While you don’t have to share your “why,” it’s important to have one.
Establish clear intentions and goals for the gathering, such as connecting with others, having meaningful conversations, or simply enjoying the company. Setting goals can help you get the most out of the gathering and navigate tricky situations. Have an exit strategy if needed, such as checking the nearest bus stop, pre-booking transport, or calling upon a sober friend. Many people have a perfectly healthy relationship with alcohol and can either drink in moderation or enjoy an odd binge and that works fine for them. Although in the early days it might sometimes feel like you’re depriving yourself of something, it’s really important to focus on what you’re gaining rather than what you’re losing. We gain so much more by living sober than we do by drinking.
- ” I said, clinking glasses of wine with members of the Communist Party in Vietnam’s National Assembly, the equivalent of the U.S.’s White House.
- 2) I pre-plan my non-alcoholic drinks and make sure that I make an effort to fix myself something nice.
- I’ll keep monitoring the Members Feed throughout the days and updating/interacting with people here, so I’ll feel very connected to the online recovery community which will be AWESOME.
- One patient told me that his father — who he knew liked a drink — always abstained when they were together in drinking situations out of solidarity and support for his son.
- The IBX Insights Team is here to provide tips on using your health insurance and living a healthy life.
One of the biggest challenges in maintaining a sober-curious lifestyle is handling social situations where drinking is implicitly expected. While you don’t owe anyone an explanation for your personal choices, “just say no” isn’t as simple as it seems. We want to feel like we belong in a group, which often means participating in group activities and behaviors.
That’s because drinking can also be about sharing an experience, says Sheinbaum. The thing is, your shared experience doesn’t have to be with alcohol. You can expect that some people will be curious, says Young. But, it might also come with seemingly some discomfort or disappointment from friends. Those moments can be thought of as a “them thing, and less of a you thing,” says Shani Gardner, LCSW, a therapist at Soulful Grace Therapy.
You need to have control over when the time is right for you to leave. Remember that you don’t have to carry this burden alone; reach out for help, whether that’s from a professional like a therapist or addiction specialist, a support group, or a friend or family member. These boundaries shouldn’t come as a surprise; it’s important to tell your loved one ahead of time that you’ll be making changes based on specific actions or behaviors. Sometimes people refer to boundaries as “tough love,” in which there are consequences for not making a change.
