Perhaps you have a family of addicts and you have also seen addiction in your own life from time to time. Perhaps you know many people who have sought drug abuse help and for whatever reason they haven’t managed to stay sober even after drug treatment.
But you’ve been able to stay clean and you want to stay that way!
You know that you can’t drink but you’re okay to be around it as long as you continue to say no to it. As long as you drink non-alcohol drinks and abstain from all other sorts of substances you’re okay.
But still, you might feel the temptations from time to time. It might be challenging because you have extensive demands placed on you (work, social, and family burdens) and when Friday evening rolls around, you want to enjoy yourself.
You want to let go of the worries and stresses of your week, but how do you do that without drinking at a bar or club – where everyone around you is getting drunk or intending to get drunk?
Addiction in the Media
Even the media is filled with stories about celebrities who get drunk, who got arrested for a DUI, or who are attending drug treatment. In 2001, for example, Ben Affleck entered rehab for alcohol abuse and remained sober for over a decade.
Lindsay Lohan was arrested twice for a DUI in 2007 and Johnny Depp admitted that he had a serious alcohol addiction that was destroying his life. However, he managed to stop drinking and end his addition.
Creating a Sober Life
Perhaps to help create the best sober life for yourself you can find a way to continue to abstain. You can support yourself by creating a plan that is going to support your sobriety and keep addiction far away. Without a plan, staying sober might be hard, especially if you’re the type of person who enjoys going out with friends on the weekends.
Although most people will want to release their worries and stresses by buying a drink and feeling the freeing feeling of an alcoholic buzz, with a plan you can keep yourself from falling into this pattern. You can have fun, let go of the worries of the week – without alcohol and drugs.
You may enjoy the atmosphere of fun that takes place at the bar, club, or party, but want to stay away from the alcohol and drugs. The following is a list of ideas to help you stay alcohol and drug free even when you want to go out on the weekends and let go of your stress and worry:
Staying Sober While Having a Good Time
- Go out early in the night when most people are still somewhat sober, and leave early before the night gets too carried away.
- Bring only enough money with you to get back and forth from home. If you’re riding with your friends, then go out with as little money as you feel comfortable with. This will keep you from spending money on drinks when you’re tempted.
- If you do decide to participate in the ritual of ordering something at the bar, get yourself a non-alcoholic drink. This way, you can join your friends with a drink in your hand, but not have to manage the hangover in the morning.
- Ask a friend to keep an eye on you so that the allure of drinking doesn’t tempt you. From a distance, it looks fun, but you know you’ll regret it later.
- Stay communicative with your spouse, housemate, or sponsor. Tell them where you’re going and when you’ll be back. This will also be a way of being held accountable to a non-drinking lifestyle.
These are a few ideas of how to stay sober even when you’re at the bar, club, or party. Perhaps you can think of other ways to keep yourself sober while you’re having fun on the weekends. Having a plan for your sobriety and sticking to it will keep you from succumbing to the temptations of drinking and using drugs.
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