With no reasons to lie, you can have prepared reasons why you cannot. Be the designated driver, or take on other responsibilities that require you to be sober. In the event you feel a relapse coming on, leave the function immediately. Call your sponsor if you have one, or a supportive loved one to give you the support you need.
Mental Health and Loneliness
Unless you elect to be the DD, if you keep ordering back to back soda’s or water, eventually you’ll start to either feel boring or like a big kid. If that’s something that you know will bother you, then live it up with virgin drinks. There are ways you can hit a bar on a Saturday night and still share laughs and have fun with everyone while staying completely sober.
What It Takes to Stay Sober Long Term
Look for events that focus on activities rather than alcohol. Join sober social groups or clubs, and seek out community events that promote health and wellness. Many communities have resources and organizations dedicated to supporting sobriety. It’s easy to be afraid of what we don’t know, and loads of people have no clue how to attend social gatherings without a drink or drug. Identifying personal triggers and working with professionals and loved ones is necessary to have a plan to navigate triggering situations without turning to the use of drugs or alcohol. Overcoming these events and continuing to maintain sobriety is difficult.
Be able to keep up with the activities drinkers like to do
It can help if you accept some of it is going to be inevitable. Long-time pro-drinking friends may tediously bring the issue up every time you go to a bar or party together. It is unfortunate for a teetotaller to find himself or herself at one of these events where alcohol is not just present but at the very centre of attraction. Whatever your reason for being there, stick to your guns and you’ll be able to master the occasion like a vegetarian at a barbeque. Try not to be a sour puss at the sidelines and be enthusiastic with other people’s appreciation of their drinks. The most important thing is to show that you can have fun and what is Oxford House be the life of the party, with or without alcohol.
Alcohol addiction is a continuous and treatable medical condition that involves your brain, genetics, and environment. Even after admitting you have an alcohol problem, you may question whether that’s true. It does not need to be rigorous exercise, it does not even need to be long.
When combined with counseling, this approach is proven highly effective. Excessive drinking has numerous impacts on your body and mind, ranging from mild to severe. Learn which signs to look out for, and how to care for your well-being. Knowing what you now know about yourself around addiction, you can live and let live today, and hang out away from drug use at the party. So go with whatever works best for you—just decide on your answer before you leave the house to avoid feeling put on the spot and/or freezing in the moment.
- Returning to a routine you’re familiar with — when you were engaged in alcohol — isn’t healthy.
- And while many people enjoy the numbing of pain, sadness, and fear…
- You’re there for LIFE, not the hardship and accelerated death that active addiction brings with it.
- Over the following months, I gently cut ties with a lot of people that were just using friends.
- Have the phone number of a supportive, sober friend to call if you feel tempted.
- In that case another popular strategy is to be mildly deceptive to make everyone leave you alone.
- You love hanging out with your friends like anyone else so you want to go but you’re also a recovering alcoholic who doesn’t want to hang out around the booze.
- Similar to getting a new job, another way you can fill your time is volunteering.
- They can help you ground yourself in reality and stay focused on not drinking.
Practicing assertive communication and preparing responses can ease the pressure of explaining sobriety to others. Simple, straightforward responses like “No, thanks” or “I’m focusing on my health” can be effective. Ria Health offers several FDA-approved medications for alcohol how to stay sober when everyone else is drinking use disorder.
Seek Alcohol-Free Activities
They served a purpose for me; I knew they would always be down to party. In sobriety, I’ve come to realize that in order to have a good time in a party setting, I need to feel comfortable around the friends I’m with. I don’t normally go out to party with random people anymore. They understand I don’t drink and they are there for me if I need support during the night.
Take Care of Yourself
Some people don’t want to be dishonest, and think they shouldn’t have to resort to hiding their non-drinking. Others are fine with it, and feel it’s just an easy, practical way to avoid getting bothered. That said, it’s often pretty hard to avoid alcohol altogether. Whenever you get a group of people gathered for some special occasion, it’s probably going to appear. Even the most sophisticated art showing will likely serve wine. Overall though, you can keep drinking out of your life most of the time if you try.