You might make some mistakes—like drinking when you didn’t intend to or arguing with someone who offers you a drink. But you also might discover that you are happier when you aren’t drinking, or that you really enjoy conversations with people more when you’re sober. If you’re in recovery and feel especially fragile or are craving alcohol even after you leave the environment, be sure to seek help. Call a trusted friend or family member or go to a meeting at a nearby support group.

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. There are numerous reasons why you may want to avoid alcohol. Whether it’s to improve your physical health or state of mind, it can be beneficial to explore the role alcohol plays in your life. In such instances, it may be best to make no special accommodations for the individual; doing so would only increase a potentially unwelcome focus for that person.

Key Differences Between Casual Drinkers & Alcoholics

A sober alcoholic is someone who has been sober long enough to not be suffering from withdrawal symptoms or cravings. For lack of a better term, it’s someone who has their addiction “under control.” For many people, they reach this point in their recovery after a year. If you go out with people who are drinking and you’re not having fun, or you’re really tempted to drink yourself, then you’ll want to leave early. This is especially important if you’re going somewhere where you used to always drink before. The bar or the same nightclub you used to frequent while drinking may be a trigger for you.

I am intuiting that this group may be a holdover from college, or that you work together? Perhaps you fear feeling rejected or seen as “wimpy” for not drinking. You don’t sound judgmental and your decision is sound; anyone judging you is not much of a friend. being sober around drinkers For many recovering alcoholics, it’s too difficult to be the only nondrinker in the room. Whenever possible, ask a friend or relative to attend a social event with you sober. “Many spouses or partners will voluntarily stop drinking,” Willenbring says.

Tips for Staying Sober Around Drinkers

After that first hour, I started to relax, enjoyed some of the conversations I had and even met someone I got on really well with and who made me laugh. I was able to get through that first hour because I knew I had an escape route in place. Alcoholic beverages contain ingredients called congeners, which give many types of alcoholic beverages their flavor and can contribute to hangovers. Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and bourbon, than in clear liquors, such as vodka and gin.

Soothing voice of Mark Williams guiding me through some mindfulness exercises. A calmness and sense of pride that I am not lying in bed hungover feeling like utter garbage as I have so many times in the past. 2) I pre-plan my non-alcoholic drinks and make sure that I make an effort to fix myself something nice. For my 5pm drinks ice cubes are a must, as is sliced lemon.