5 Ways to Enjoy Being Sober When Everyone Else is Drinking

This means I’ve made a few early goodbyes, it also means I make sure I can get myself home and don’t have a lot of other people depending on me for a ride or anything. (Because drunk people never! want! the party! to end!) This is why I recommend that the newly sober person does NOT become the designated driver. I am starting to get to place where I have a good time hanging out with friends who are drinking even if I am not. This is a big deal for me because before I quit I genuinely did not know if I could have fun in social situations without alcohol.

A big component of long-time drinkers is that alcohol suppresses excitatory neurotransmitters. What this means is, the brain ends up working much harder to produce these neurotransmitters so that it can maintain a normal level of brain function. As a result, the brain is working twice as hard to operate at the same level it has been without alcohol. “Stranded on lucid island” is a beautiful way to describe the sensation — or being https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the only one not walking around in a personal fogbank. My hard-won emotional clarity, honed through recovery and therapy, only makes it more obvious that others’ sense of me is muffled in chemical batting. Instead, it’s an increasingly fuzzy outline of that person — usually more distracted and less compassionate, less intellectually agile. I am alone on an island in my lucid state, and they are off in a world of blurry laughter.

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You can still celebrate the holidays and have fun—just remember that the most important thing is that you stay safe, take care of yourself, and that you do what is best for you. You should also make sure you have a safe way to get home. If you are traveling to the party with friends who will be drinking, be sure you know how being sober around drinkers you will get home. It is also a good idea to practice saying the exact response you want to give people when they ask why you are sober, or why you don’t drink. But, preparing a simple line, such as, “I’m sober now,” or “I just don’t drink anymore,” can help you remember to say something short, sweet, and just walk away.

I will have a craving just as often when there is no alcohol around. 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.

Am I Ready to be Around Alcohol?

Being in recovery however means that the addiction is — for lack of a better word — in remission. Being in recovery in many ways means just that, being at peace. The «drinking behavior» is especially important to note because many alcoholics will admit to having a problem and promising to quit or change, but do not.

This is why it is important to treat the whole person. In the next section, we will discuss co-occurring disorders and why they are important to understand. For many people who suffer from addiction, drugs and alcohol are temporary “solutions” to these problems, before they become bigger problems themselves.

Using the term “sober” could be offensive to some in recovery

When you get together with such people, you’ll likely find that they do plenty of activities that don’t involve alcohol—like hiking, skiing, playing games, or fishing. And you might even find that you enjoy doing these types of things much more than activities that involve alcohol. If you go out with people who are drinking and you’re not having fun, or you’re really tempted to drink yourself, then you’ll want to leave early. This is especially important if you’re going somewhere where you used to always drink before. The bar or the same nightclub you used to frequent while drinking may be a trigger for you. Obviously, you aren’t likely to avoid alcohol all the time.

• If you could be relapsing, having support may help you get out of a dark place.
• My sober fun consists of running , playing with my daughter, learning about meditation and observing my own mind- it’s like a sitcom inside my head!
• Addiction specialists recommend that those who have recently completed inpatient treatment transfer directly into a sober living environment.
• Depending on how you decide to stop using alcohol, you may be going throughdetox, attendingaddiction treatment, or participating in AA or NA meetings.

And, equally if not more importantly, spending time alone and working on creative projects and/or watching movies and shows I like. I’m a big fan of activities where drinkers can also drink. They tend to get less drunk because there is something to do, and us sober folks aren’t just twiddling our thumbs. My husband still drinks and all of our friends drink. Almost every social gathering revolves around drinking.