The summer months are hard right now for me in terms of seeing people drinking on the beach or casually going to happy hour on a patio. I know the reality for me is that I can never drink “casually” but the want to do it is still there. And that scares me that I still get cravings to go and do that. Cravings just scare me. They make me feel weak and out of control if that makes any sense.
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Understandable. I was the same way first time I got sober and was sober for 6 years. At first I was jealous. After some time though I was able to go with friends and hang out on the beach and patios without drinking. What helped was I just needed something in my hand. Any type of drink that wasn’t alcohol as long as it was in my hand it helped. Now they have a lot more options which is pretty cool. They have mock tails in cans all over the place. They even have sober vacations where the resort is only people that are sober for that week and the bar has a whole bunch of cool non alcoholic drinks.
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A sober vacation sounds really cool. I’ve never heard of that!
Yea there’s a bunch online. I’ve seen a lot, and they make sure that nobody that is drinking is there. It’s all people sober. Dancing and having a good time together doing games and stuff like that. They make all these cool drinks without alcohol. I went on one like 8 years ago by myself, And I actually didn’t know that the whole side of the resort was all sober people until I got there.
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I get this whole heartedly! The want to drink is still there. Camping, beer gardens, river hopping, jazz in the park…. All the things I would sit with friends in the summer, and drink. I had to learn it was ok to still go and have a great time. I was aloud to have fun. Mocktails have been helpful. But the mindset was key. I have to be cognizant that when I order my “drink” or pack the igloo… no alcohol. You can get there, trust yourself.
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Went to a BBQ last weekend and felt a little awkward being the only one not drinking until someone was kinda embarrassing himself and I drove him home knowing that used to be worse.
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