How To Stay Sober When Everyone Is Drinking

“I think sober curiosity is more exploratory; it doesn’t conform you to a side and has less finality than ‘going sober,’” Kumar says. For some, this may mean giving up alcohol for a few weeks or a few months, only drinking from time to time, or avoiding it indefinitely. Ultimately, the goal is to become more aware of your drinking habits, understand why you might be drinking alcohol in the first place, and learn how to be more mindful of your alcohol consumption. Overcoming an addiction to alcohol can be a long and bumpy road. If you’re ready to stop drinking and willing to get the support you need, you can recover from alcoholism and alcohol abuse—no matter how heavy your drinking or how powerless you feel. And you don’t have to wait until you hit rock bottom; you can make a change at any time.

This may take some careful vetting to find one that works best for you. Put together a playlist, turn on a disco light, and grab your dancing shoes. Or craft an elaborate snacking spread full of your favorite fruits and cheeses (if that’s your thing) and watch a game at home with your friends. Plan a date night around cooking a new dish together. It can be as elaborate as you’d like—just put on your favorite playlist and enjoy doing something tactile with the person you love.

What works depends on how much you drink

While everyone drinks, take comfort in the fact that you will have a productive morning because you chose sobriety. Having a drink in your hand is often the first line of defense against pushy friends and colleagues when you are avoiding alcohol. Try to choose something other than water so that you feel like you are having a treat. A soda or tea works, but a mocktail is even better. Mocktails can be made to taste like a wide variety of cocktails and served in a fancy glass, only sans alcohol (so they taste even better)! Virgin mojitos are especially tasty and look like the real thing if you are trying to avoid prying questions about your beverage choice.

Fifteen participants completed Survey 3 and were interviewed. The remaining five did not consent and complete the study (no reasons given). Raw scores of the SPS-24 and Flourishing Scale were linked to each participants’ pseudonym to provide a descriptive account of the student’s well-being (flourishing) and perceived social provisions. Microsoft Word software was used for analysis. Transcripts were familiarised by EC by listening to the audio recording of the interview during transcription then reading the typed transcripts several times. Interesting features of data relating to the research project were identified, interpreted, and noted in the margin of the Word document.

I gave up booze and am having more fun than ever. These seven tips could help you do the same

Hopefully, some of your friends will support your decision. In fact, some of them might also be thinking about cutting back on their own alcohol use and be inspired by you. Contact Gateway Foundation today to learn more about the programs and being sober around drinkers services that best meet your needs. As humans, we tend to surround ourselves with people who share common interests, ideas and hobbies. We’re hard-wired for seeking similarities in others — it makes us feel heard, comfortable and safe.

I read your book, and your anxiety post-blackout is my same anxiety post-blackout. Your justification of one, or two, or fuck it four more drinks, is what I do all too often. Express your concerns in a caring way and encourage your friend or family member to get help. Try to remain neutral and don’t argue, lecture, accuse, or threaten. Treatment should address more than just your alcohol abuse.

Drunks make people feel awkward.

Aisha described her Muslim identity no longer felt ‘valid’ as a reason for not drinking. This contradicts Zhou and Heim’s (2016) idea of a ‘fractured in-group’, where religion should https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/5-reasons-sobriety-tattoos-are-a-terrible-idea/ constitute a valid reason. These results may be due to the modernisation of faith and an increase in the proportion of people of the Muslim faith who drink (Hurcombe et al., 2010).

There are many opportunities to participate in a variety of ways. The best place to start getting involved is through an A.A. Participating in a group helps ensure that when a person reaches out for help, A.A. If you’re doing a dry January or skipping booze as part of a health regimen, don’t automatically assume that you know what a person in recovery is experiencing. There’s no need to draw attention to what a person is or isn’t drinking. “Simply don’t bring up me not drinking unless it’s directly relevant,” says Sean, 36, who’s in recovery.

Data Availability Statement

Alcohol withdrawal typically lasts about five to seven days. If you experience any symptoms of dependence, once you stop or cut back your drinking, you might need specialist treatment or ongoing support to prevent going back to heavy drinking. Two participants described pre-empting perceived opinions by joking about their behaviour. By acknowledging their outsider position as a non-drinker in a drinking environment, they tried to divert potential stigma and control the narrative.

Holistic practices give you ways to ensure your sobriety when clinical practices are unavailable. For example, going for a walk is a holistic healing technique and an easy way to get yourself out of a given scenario and clear your mind. Any general advice posted on our blog, website, or app is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace or substitute for any medical or other advice.

For Michael, who says he was “a functioning alcoholic”, drinking never seemed a big problem. He hadn’t been excessively drunk since he was a teenager, and got up at 5.30am every day to exercise, but the daily consumption of beer and wine was adding up. “You kid yourself that it’s fine,” he says.