I was shy, awkward, and lonely until my mid-twenties and created this site to be the kind of guide I wish I’d had at the time. You are sober, clean and alive, finally fully alive after stumbling through life in a drug induced coma. In trying to maintain his activity level, he has discovered a sober group for hikers where they go off on two to three day camping trips. He is now working out at a gym that caters to those in recovery.

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Social functions are times to relax, enjoy friends and family and have fun. If you’re someone in addiction recovery, staying sober during these occasions may feel like a cloud hanging over the experience. There are ways to have sober fun at social functions, and this article outlines a few tips and tricks to have a good time without endangering your sobriety. Finding ways to connect with others is an essential part of the addiction recovery process. Sober socializing, however, can sometimes be challenging for individuals who have struggled with drug or alcohol addiction. A few helpful hints can go a long way toward learning how to socialize when sober especially for those that are new to the sobriety lifestyle.

Ideas For Alcohol-Free Social Activities

This is a great way to socialize if you loved partying before and don’t want to feel like you’re missing out on the fun. Many people who they say they want to avoid alcohol in their social life aren’t opposed to all drinking among their friends. They just don’t like events that hinge on hanging out and getting drunk, and they often don’t enjoy the loud, rowdy, crowded parties and clubs where that usually happens. They’d have no problem if their friends had a glass of wine or two during a low-key dinner party, or nursed a beer over an afternoon at a board game cafe. Finding ways to connect with others is essential to the addiction recovery process.

  • But it can also be a huge challenge if you’re sober.
  • So if you’re looking for a way to rebuild your social life post-rehab, joining a sports league is a great option.
  • If you’re lucky, you’ll have other things in common with your old drinking buddies besides getting drunk.
  • Whether it is an alumni program or a sober living home, invest in relationships supporting you through different recovery stages.
  • Warren is a Licensed Master Social Worker, who specializes in substance abuse and mental health treatment.
  • You can host fun, sober nighttime activities right in your living room.

The fact is, none of us are in AA because we’re capable of having one sober networking and feeling happy. We’re here because when we have one drink, we immediately have an insatiable urge to have more and more drinks. As an alcoholic myself, simply having one drink and being happy sounds cool. My dog learning how to speak English and having full conversations with me also sounds cool, and that’s about as likely as me being satisfied with just one drink. If you sit in the Timbers Army section at Providence Park and drink/pregame beforehand, try sitting in the family section of the stadium and have a sober friend there. Friendships were directly intertwined with our drinking/drug use. We have been accredited by The Joint Commission since 1974 as a specialty hospital and are a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.

Trust your feelings.

The only reason you find it difficult to have fun without drinking is that you haven’t built yourself up into the kind of person thatcansay no. Your environment is full of people who don’t support each other’s decisions to drink. Sure, it’s a bad idea to get blackout drunk at live music, but they still allow you to buy alcohol there. Ellevate Network is a networking group, for instance, that has chapters throughout the U.S. and abroad. They offer various jam sessions, such as “How to Grow as a Leader Through Travel Experiences” and “Coffee, Chat, and Go,” which can help connect you to like-minded individuals. Going to wine tasting after wine tasting as a nondrinker is likely to get old fast, so consider mixing up your outings with other activities as well. “If you are doing a booze-related event, please send me an invitation anyway and let me decide if I’m up for that — being excluded is no fun, either,” says Alex.

  • Answering questions about where you’ve been or your recovery makes you uneasy.
  • Once you have started getting out there and doing things that might otherwise feel nerve-wracking, you should analyze how this makes you feel and why.
  • Often, people who have been in recovery for a while have a good sense of humor about it, which can be infectious.
  • However, when you are trying to quit alcohol, you no longer have that crutch you rely on to feel comfortable in social situations.
  • As someone who leans more toward introversion, I’ve always relied on alcohol to get me through awkward social situations, which means basically all situations.

Keep it simple because one hello can turn into full-blown conversations. You could eventually be that person who leads other newcomers into feeling welcome – one day at a time. Likewise, social lubrication from drinks can help people feel more comfortable in social situations, easing the flow of conversation and lowering inhibitions. However, when you are trying to quit alcohol, you no longer have that crutch you rely on to feel comfortable in social situations. If you’re trying to stay sober, there may be times when you’re faced with pressure to drink alcohol. Whether you’re out with friends or at a work event, it’s important to know how to decline politely.