You should also avoid the people, places, and things that could tempt you. Prioritizing your mental health and seeking the support of your family members and loved ones will allow you to feel more comfortable honoring your boundaries. Surrounding yourself with “protective resources” while at summer events and parties will help keep you accountable to the people who understand your plight. Also, it offers you the opportunity how to survive summer parties and boozy bbqs to surround yourself with like-minded individuals and create a support network of sorts, which should keep you from feeling awkward about being the only person not drinking. Summer is a time of fun and relaxation, but for those in recovery from addiction, it can also be challenging. With pool parties, barbecues, and beach days often involving alcohol, it’s important to have strategies in place to stay safe and sober.

How to Avoid Alcohol During Summer Events

As a sober community, it’s important to us that we share helpful resources and expert content created for those who need support and continued education in their ongoing recovery journey. SEO and Digital Marketing ExpertJim Sugel is an SEO and Digital Marketing Expert in addition to having achieved the coveted Google Partner status for PPC expertise. Jim now lives in beautiful and sunny Orange County, California. At  Greenbriar, we stand ready to support you every step of the way. Our dedicated team is committed to providing the care, resources, and encouragement necessary to ensure your recovery is successful and sustained. Together, we can overcome summer challenges and continue on the journey to a substance-free life.

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However, doing it again for specific summer-related triggers can also be important. For example, what people are you likely to see, what situations are you likely to be in, what about the weather? It’s always a good idea to have an emergency contact you can call in case you are having trouble. We provide helpful recovery resources to support our brand mission and provide educational resources to the bigger recovery community.

• Be aware of supports you can contact by phone including positive supports or a sponsor.
• Mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools for stress reduction, offering a way to stay present and reduce anxiety.
• In fact, it’s likely that you will find yourself having more fun this summer than you ever did when you were drinking or doing drugs.

Best Sobriety Podcasts

Members of your support network can help remind you why you decided to choose sobriety in the first place and why you should stay committed to your recovery. If someone pressures you to drink or engage in other risky behaviors, calmly but firmly explain why that won’t work for your new lifestyle. It’s completely okay (more than okay, actually!) to say no to events or activities that might jeopardize your recovery. Whether it’s family, friends, or a recovery group, having people who understand you and your journey will provide you with strength and encouragement. Attend regular meetings, call your sponsor frequently, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need extra support. It’s summertime and that means a whole new challenge for those in recovery – navigating the summer party.

• There’s nothing fun about alcohol binges and chances are, you don’t have any other way to consume alcohol.
• In some cases, if you’re worried about having fun, making sure you have a role in the BBQ can also help a great deal.
• In Sanskrit, the native language of yoga, “ohm” means “primal sound,” aka one sound to rule them all.
• It’s completely okay (more than okay, actually!) to say no to events or activities that might jeopardize your recovery.
• A couple of “check-in” calls from a support resource could be all you need to stay aware of what and who you are as a recovering addiction sufferer.

Host Your Own BBQ or Get Together

Once you’re at the party, see if you can find anyone else who’s not drinking – other folks in recovery, pregnant women, or others who simply choose not to drink. If it’s the type of party that has kids there, remember that chatting with kids helps their parents,  the hosts, and can be very entertaining. It’s important to keep in mind that not every party is going to be safe for you. If you’re going to a BBQ and everyone but you is planning to get blackout drunk, you’re not going to have a good time. That means choosing your friends and the people you hang out with care.

The best is to drive yourself or ask a trusted sober friend to come with you. Agree in advance that if either of you wants to leave, you will. If you ever find yourself in Brooklyn (and why wouldn’t you?), I strongly recommend stopping by Kava Social if you’re booze-free. Their decor also makes it a great scene to be at, considering it has vibrant colors from the floor (aquamarine) to the ceilings. New York City’s Upper East Side has loads of activities for sober folks.

If you feel confident in your answers, that’s great, but if you don’t feel ready or don’t have clear answers, that’s okay, too. It’s better to be honest with yourself and know your limitations than get into a potentially dangerous situation. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Jim Sugel is an SEO and Digital Marketing Expert in addition to having achieved the coveted Google Partner status for PPC expertise.

E.g., even work parties can largely end up being nothing but an excuse to get drunk. That means looking at the people you’re going with and the party to make sure it’s a safe space. There’s nothing fun about alcohol binges and chances are, you don’t have any other way to consume alcohol. Fortunately, you can prepare for a sober summer, so you don’t have to miss out on things you enjoy (and so you can remember them fondly the next day). There are plenty of ways to mix summer and sobriety while having a great time with the people you love.

• Whether it’s family, friends, or a recovery group, having people who understand you and your journey will provide you with strength and encouragement.
• If you are aware the party will be focused primarily on drinking alcohol or using drugs, consider skipping it.
• Have your own plan for transportation or have a friend or family member available to pick you up if needed.
• Being mentally prepared to be around alcohol is often an important factor in staying in control.
• For example, some community events actually ban drinking on the premises, and various sober organizations offer festivities of their own.

Choose Safe Spaces

• Another way to stay sober at summer BBQs is to talk to your friends in advance.
• American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.
• Try to count how many streets you recognize from a Scorsese movie during the stroll between sugar doses.
• If they don’t want to leave out the alcohol altogether, chances are they won’t try to pressure you to join in the drinking.
• If you’d like some help and support to quit drinking, click here for details of my online course.

What summer wouldn’t be complete without at least one invitation for a barbecue on the beach, or drinks on a sunny patio? To succeed in your recovery, plan events and activities yourself in the summer that you can enjoy with your positive supports. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Make active plans where the focus is on the activity rather than on substance use, such as biking, swimming, or hiking. Over the summer months, make sure to continue to attend your meetings and consider getting support from a therapist.