5 Ways to Enjoy Being Sober When Everyone Else is Drinking

Being sober doesn’t have to mean giving up your social life, yet managing sobriety in a social setting can be a bit of a challenge. You may have a lot of concerns about going out after quitting drinking. 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. Almost66%of chronic severe alcoholics have sought help for their alcoholism.

Unless drinking is an integral aspect of your event, it’s best to avoid alcohol in front of your newly sober loved one. Not drinking will show your support and help prevent your friend or family member from feeling socially isolated by remaining sober throughout the event. If you are living with a recovering alcoholic or have a friend who recently enteredrecovery for alcohol addiction, you may wonder if it’s okay to have a drink in front of them. While alcohol is a large part of our everyday lives, it can be extremely triggering for those who recently entered or completed rehabilitation services. By educating yourself and talking to your loved one, you can effectively support them on their journey toward sobriety. I made a rule for myself early on in sobriety that has worked out really well for me. I gave myself permission and the means to split if I was ever uncomfortable being around drinkers.

Sober Curious? Why People Who Aren’t Alcoholics Give Up Drinking

If you are a friend, family member or concerned party to someone who may be suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder, confronting someone about their drinking habits is one part of the process. The next is monitoring their behavior and drinking habits to see if it has changed. If it hasn’t, that’s indicative of someone suffering from AUD. A sober alcoholic is someone who has been sober long enough to not be suffering from withdrawal symptoms or cravings.

Short-term sobriety is a temporary period of sobriety. Movements like Sober September serve as a reset or cleanse after periods of heavy drinking. It may be a way to kick off long-term sobriety or test out what staying sober might feel like.

Sober People Make Drinkers Feel Drunker

(You shouldn’t be drinking anything that resembles alcohol if you’re an alcoholic, even if it’s alcohol-free.) They can be a positive addition to a sober curious lifestyle, though. These are common questions among people who are cutting back or quitting drinking. Answers may not come until you have made lifestyle changes. However, there are guidelines for staying sober and keeping your friends. On a deeper level, living a sober lifestyle can mean you choose not to drink alcohol for the long-term. That can be because of substance abuse issues or you just want to live healthier.

It seems that setting boundaries really is crucial in staying sober. Its one thing to say hey I’m managing this but without any solid lines in the sand it can be easy to fall back which of course is true about most things. So I’m working on setting boundaries around these sorts of events, particularly with my husband. I don’t want to serve as his default DD any more. If he chooses to drink and wants to stay out after the point that I am ready to leave, he needs to figure out how he is going to get home. We haven’t really tried this yet though, so we’ll see how it goes. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone — If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, your ego may be eager to prove that you’re stronger than your urges.

Drunk people be like: IDGAF.

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. Balancing holiday parties with guests in recovery. As you can imagine, sobriety drastically altered my turn up. You should no longer feel any hangover side effects by the 2nd or 3rd day. You may find yourself liking this new sobriety thing, as you’ll feel and look better from the inside out. Emotional sobriety has also become a popular self-growth tool outside of alcohol for anyone who wants to get more in tune with what makes them tick. It makes it tough to be around them sober so in just gonna have to fly solo for a while.

According to the National Institute of Health, more than 14 million Americans have an alcohol use disorder, while Alcoholics Anonymous estimates more than 1.3 million Americans in its community. In many being sober around drinkers cultures, learning to drink — well and responsibly — is a rite of passage that marks the transition from adolescence into true adulthood. Have an exit strategy, even if it is a made-up strategy.

How to Navigate Your First 90 Days in Recovery: Part One

It’s about identifying triggers for alcohol use, like stress, sadness, or boredom, and coming up with coping skills or alternatives to drinking when faced with those triggers. Early recovery means that the individual has just entered treatment or recently completed a treatment program. If you are around someone who has recently started or finished recovery, it is rarely okay to drink in front of them or even have alcohol present. Alcohol will always be a trigger for those in recovery, and it is significantly more triggering for those who recently started or ended treatment. This subreddit is a place to motivate each other to control or stop drinking. We welcome anyone who wishes to join in by asking for advice, sharing our experiences and stories, or just encouraging someone who is trying to quit or cut down. Please post only when sober; you’re welcome to read in the meanwhile.

• Some changes need to be made to fit a new way of living.
• Get in touch at your convenience, and our team of experienced and compassionate professionals will offer you all of the guidance you need.
• For me personally, it is important for me to remain social while sober because being alone is a big trigger for me.
• How do you prepare for life after treatment, and what kind of help do you need?
• When I am around people who are overdoing it, that’s a little different.

In other words, people evaluate their own levels of drunkenness by comparing themselves to other people around them. And when they’re surrounded by drunk people, they’re more accepting of being drunk.