Here are some surprising (and not-so-surprising) occurrences that will inevitably happen to your relationships, your identity, even your free time, and how I’ve learned to deal with each one. The life I had before I quit drinking was a lot like Groundhog Day; I was always waiting for it to begin and always reliving the same stuff, day after day, year after year. When I finally walked away from booze at 34, my life opened up. I can honestly say sobriety is the best thing I have ever done for myself. 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.
- Motivational content from SGS showed me I wasn’t alone in my quest to ditch alcohol, while again encouraging me to carve out time to look at my habits and examine what ought to change.
- You’ll be able to enjoy experiences more fully and remember them clearly afterwards.
- If there isn’t something fun for me there, like, say, at a brewery that doesn’t have food or games and only water?
- You need to constantly work on yourself to realize the value of recovery, and to realize that you are worth it.
- What you gain will be personal to you but noticing and recording what you’re gaining rather than what you’re missing out on is a good way to keep yourself motivated.
- It is helpful to be sensitive about this issue, as so much is at stake, but to also remember that it is that person’s own responsibility to manage their recovery.
It’s not going to work if you stop drinking and you think you can cocoon yourself away from the real world and protect yourself from all of the alcohol out there. What you need to do when you stop drinking is to accept that you’re going to be surrounded by alcohol. You’re going to see, hear and smell alcohol everywhere you go. What needs to happen is for you to learn to navigate the world around you with alcohol in it. But I PROMISE you, if you keep moving forward, things in your brain will start to click. And one day, it will occur to you that you’re actually happy and enjoying your life.
How to Stay Sober When People Around You Don’t
Being sober also means being present in every moment without clouded judgment or impaired senses due to alcohol consumption. You’ll be able to enjoy experiences more fully and remember them clearly afterwards. Choosing sobriety is a significant lifestyle change that comes with numerous benefits. Remind yourself of the advantages of sobriety, especially when surrounded by those consuming alcohol.
- At the same time, thought leaders are starting to question if any amount of alcohol is good.
- It’s pretty normal to reduce the entire experience of boredom in sobriety to missing alcohol and believing that getting drunk is the primary way you (and everyone else) have fun.
Enjoy life beyond alcohol consumption, utilize the buddy system, celebrate the benefits of sobriety, and carry reminders. Communicate your concerns respectfully, and seek professional help from healthcare providers specializing in addiction recovery if needed. In addition to this helpline, numerous online platforms offer addiction recovery services. They connect individuals with certified therapists who specialize in addiction counseling via secure video calls or text messages, making professional assistance readily accessible whenever required. If everyone else starts getting drunk, don’t hesitate to leave early.
I’m sober and hanging out with drinkers
They can help deflect attention away from you, provide moral support when needed, and even step in if others try to persuade you into drinking. When you decide to quit drinking, honesty becomes your greatest ally. It’s essential that you’re transparent with your friends and family about this significant lifestyle change. This isn’t just for their understanding; it’s also a crucial part of addiction being sober around drinkers recovery. The buddy system strategy in addiction recovery will be another key topic covered here along with celebrating the benefits of sobriety by prioritizing self-preservation during social gatherings. Lastly, carrying reminders and seeking professional assistance when necessary are vital steps on this path towards staying sober around drinkers which we will cover extensively.
Chaos and fun and laughter and catching up and lots of chats and entertaining kids and activities and stuff. Every day at 5 o’clock the drinks come out (sometimes at lunch too), and it continues through the evening. There are more kids now than in previous years (all my siblings and cousins have been busy breeding!) so it’s less boozy than it used to be, but still the 5 o’clock habit is there.
Finding Sobriety Among Friends Who Drink Is Possible
This isn’t always completely possible, but you can make an effort to do your best. If you live in an unhealthy situation, move if your situation allows it. Don’t go to the same places you used to drink or get high as they can be a relapse trigger. Finally, you have friends that aren’t in recovery, you can let them know that being around them isn’t healthy for your new lifestyle. While this may mean losing some friendships, the ones who are truly your friends will understand. And, support your recovery even if it means they can no longer drink/use drugs around you or hang out with you at all.
It’s ok to miss these people and grieve the loss of these relationships. When you’re a person who drinks, coming across a sober person is often a novelty. Usually, it’s the cranky designated driver, or the well-behaved friend of the group, or someone who’s taking the night easy after a particularly terrible hangover.
So, we provide a number of aftercare programs to help treatment graduates, including our alumni program. This allows past treatment graduates to gain helpful resources, keep up with recovery peers, and even utilize therapeutic services when needed. If you’re in recovery and have been tempted to use due to peer pressure or others using around you, you may be wondering how to stay sober in these challenging situations. Fortunately, there are some things you can consider to help protect yourself and your sobriety.
Learn that you have choices and that you can maintain control. If any area of your life is out of control, it will not help you maintain lasting sobriety. Once you do return to work, it’s important to create a budget and take steps to safeguard yourself as work stress can be a relapse trigger. A structured routine will help you achieve other goals in your life, whether they are short-term (like being on time for work) or long-term (like going back to school and changing careers). Having a chaotic or disorganized lifestyle can also hinder your recovery. It’s important to develop a structured daily and weekly schedule and stick to it.
So what do you do when inviting a guest that is in recovery?
And I always felt so happy when I was lying down resting my lovely sober head on the pillow. Since I’ve got sober I’ve had varying success at navigating my way through this Easter weekend. One year I felt shiny, sparkly-sober, newly-slim & invincible!
It’s allowed me to become a confident, sober woman who isn’t afraid of being the only sober person in the room. In fact, it’s hard—and it’s a decision I have to make every day. When I stopped drinking, I became that sober person I was terrified of. Five years into sobriety, and I’ve learned that the chance of being the only sober person in the room is pretty high no matter where I go. Unless I’m attending a get-together organized by my sober friends, it’s pretty likely that I’ll be the lone sober wolf. Have you ever been on an awkward date, or stuck in an uncomfortable social situation, gritted your teeth and said, ‘I’m going to have to drink through this one’?