To Drink or Not to Drink Around Sober People

It was my jumping-off point into a life I knew I had buried inside of me. I got out of debt, started a company that provides digital recovery, launched a podcast, and am in the middle of writing a book. It can be helpful to talk to other people interested in being sober curious. Having a friend who is also sober curious can make it easier to navigate social situations where drinking is encouraged or expected.

Prioritizing Self-Preservation During Social Gatherings

You can always decline invitations to events where alcohol will be present until you feel more confident in your ability to resist temptation. Despite the difficulty of remaining sober in social gatherings where alcohol is served, it is possible to approach such situations with confidence through proper preparation and a positive attitude. However, with the right preparation and mindset, it’s entirely possible to navigate these scenarios confidently. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website.

Identify Your Personal Triggers

• If you believe you might have a drinking problem or want additional help to abstain from alcohol, consider talking to your doctor or a mental health professional.
• These individuals need maximum support in order to succeed.
• On our five-night trip, we spent two full days at the resort.
• Opioids trigger chemical changes in the brain by accessing sites in the body called opioid receptors.

Remember to care for yourself, seek supportive relationships, and consider seeking help from a therapist. You may also experience what is commonly called sobriety fatigue, which refers to the overall exhaustion that may occur as a result of the emotional and physical stress of staying sober. So, it’s extra helpful to have a alcohol and headaches support network available to you when you need it. If you’re ready to start on your path toward sobriety, American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help. Alcohol.org is a subsidiary of AAC, a nationwide provider of addiction treatment centers offering a combination of proven therapies and services to meet your individual needs.

Drunk people are all secretly Beyoncé’s backup dancers.

Your doctor can supervise your detox, recommend treatment options, and refer you to local resources in your area that can help. They can also prescribe medications that can help with withdrawal, cravings, and abstinence. I didn’t drink mocktails, or even use the term, for five years. I needed to steer away from the symbols of my disorder as well as the culprit of my addiction. The shift seemed to inspire some people in my life, like my cousin, to concoct delicious nonalcoholic drinks on my behalf.

Think about going to counseling or family therapy to help with that and to deal with other personal issues. People in recovery from a substance use disorder frequently have problems meeting work-related responsibilities, maintaining employment, and managing money. If you were active in your addiction for a period of time, you may have developed financial problems. Research shows that if you maintain these types of toxic relationships, your chances of relapsing are greater. To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) involves withdrawal symptoms that persist past the detox period.

Have some sober friends you can invite as your plus-one to a social event like a party or wedding. And stay in touch with your sponsor and call them if you’re feeling anxious or uncomfortable. A big struggle for those in recovery is being sober and staying sober around drinkers.

Avoid Triggers

You have to understand what you’re feeling and WHY you’re feeling this way in order to change it. If you have a willing friend or family member, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/6-ways-to-take-a-break-from-drinking-alcohol/ take them along. I kept a notebook and pen beside my bed in case I woke up in the middle of the night with a brilliant song lyric or poem.

• Don’t let yourself be derailed by a friend who only knows half the story.
• Following the operation, he decided to continue with the new lifestyle, finding the “positives outweighed the negatives”.
• Staying sober around drinkers can be tough, but with the right mindset and strategies, it’s possible.
• Seek out individuals who appreciate and respect your choices.

• That habit continued into college, where the binge drinking lifestyle was pretty normalized, so nothing I was doing seemed wrong or out of the ordinary.
• But also, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and get involved in activities around your community.
• You must be ready to change in order to find the best treatment program for you.
• While the culture around drunken driving has changed over the last three decades, Otte said, it has largely remained the same around boating.

If that’s you, then you’re not alone, and understanding the underlying causes can help you manage it better. “The goal is not to isolate and to socialize in environments where there is no temptation to drink because alcohol is not served or part of the equation,” explains Hafeez. “Exercise will boost mood and decrease anxiety and depression. It’s also a great way to meet people in a sober environment,” says Hafeez.