Focus on enjoying non-drinking activities and order non-alcoholic beverages. 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.
- Alcohol has become peripheral – it has faded into my background.
- Milestones in sobriety (e.g., 24 hours, a month, three months) are celebrated to recognize the incredible hard work that’s been accomplished through staying sober for a certain length of time.
- Some people in recovery do a great job of asking for what they need and communicating their boundaries.
- Some people experience many setbacks before they find lasting recovery.
- Activities and hobbies like these can help you find sober friends.
Individualized, evidence based treatment, to fit your needs.
By recognizing potential triggers, you can take the necessary steps to avoid temptation. Figuring out what brings on the urge to drink can be a great aid in staying sober. The best way forward for your recovery from alcohol or substance use is to incorporate a wide variety of strategies that will help foster success. Remember to care for yourself, seek supportive relationships, and consider seeking help from a therapist.
Risky Driving
If these emotions become excessive, they can hold you back from recovery. If you are trying to maintain a sober lifestyle, those feelings can become toxic and contribute to relapse if you don’t deal with them properly. For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger. Talk to your therapist, other healthcare provider, or sponsor about how to deal with your anger in ways that won’t cause you to harm yourself or others or turn to alcohol or drugs.
Build Healthy Relationships
Learn about opportunities to help change the conversation around mental health. For people who are concerned about their use of alcohol or drugs. Can also be being sober around drinkers applied to other behaviors, like gambling or self-harm. It felt like a slap in the face when people were drinking around me, and I was trying to stay sober.
- In these moments, I have to remind myself that recovery isn’t just about not drinking; it’s about remembering that I am first and foremost responsible for advocating for my own well-being and boundaries.
- This might seem like a terrible thing; this is not a terrible thing.
- Share your personal reasons for staying sober with your friends and loved ones, whether it’s for health reasons, personal growth, or simply to challenge yourself.
For example, if you value being an effective and helpful employee at work, how does alcohol get in the way of that? You might notice that alcohol negatively affects your sleep and leads to fatigue the next day, which impacts your performance at work. Many aspects of some cultures revolve around alcohol — networking events, date nights, celebratory champagne toasts — so it isn’t always easy to avoid alcohol entirely. Multivitamins have some benefits for healthy adults, but the supplement isn’t a cure-all. She then makes me something fun, like crushed mint and a dash of ground harissa in club soda with ice. These quiet acts make me feel safe, loved and respected while they happily enjoy their evening libation.
To participate in Dry July, individuals sign up on the official website and pledge to give up alcohol for the month of July. They can then set up a fundraising page and share it with their friends, family, and colleagues to encourage donations. Participants can also join teams or create their own teams to support each other and compete for fundraising goals.
For over 50 years, our compassionate team of professionals has helped individuals overcome addiction with evidence-based, personalized, and life-saving addiction treatment. After recovering from alcoholism and becoming sober, the goal shifts to maintaining recovery and avoiding relapse. Being around friends who drink is one of the challenges and triggers you might face in everyday life that could lead back to alcoholism and addiction. Nonetheless, it’s possible for you to maintain your sobriety while continuing friendships with people who drink. However, even if you are not experiencing these types of negative outcomes from alcohol use, heavy drinking can affect your life in a number of detrimental ways in both the short- and long-term.
