Knowing how to avoid drinking in social situations is important if you are in recovery. It can be difficult to know how to handle parties or dates when drinking isn’t an option. If you are comfortable being in places that serve drinks, you need to have a plan for staying sober. One thing you can do is simply be honest with the people you are with. Another option is to offer to be the designated driver. You can say “no” without much explanation as well. And Finally, you can order a virgin drink and not discuss the issue at all. However, you choose to handle it, make a plan ahead of time, and stick to it.
How-to: Avoid Drinking in Social Situations: Plenty of Options
Be Honest
One approach you can take with how to avoid drinking in social situations is to simply be honest. That means telling the people you’re with about your recovery. One benefit to this is that you might find a great support system. Your friends or date might even be willing to find new ways to hang out that don’t involve drinking. That can help you with future get-togethers. Another benefit of this is that you might be helping somebody else out. Maybe you have a friend that secretly has been trying to quit drinking too. If you’re brave enough to talk about it, they might be brave enough to take the first step towards recovery too. And they might really need a friend to talk to!
Be the Designated Driver
You can easily avoid drinking in social situations by offering to be the designated driver. This approach is a win-win for everybody. You don’t have to make any excuses for not drinking. Also, your friends won’t be at risk for driving under the influence. This way only works if you are comfortable being around others who are drinking. If you are not that far in your recovery, it might be better to go with another option. But if you can resist drinking while being around others who are, then you can be everybody’s favorite and drive.
Just Say No
One option you can take to avoid drinking in social situations is simply saying “no” without explanation. People in recovery often worry that others will wonder why they aren’t drinking. They think they need a reason to explain why they aren’t joining in. But it really isn’t anybody else’s business. Also, a lot of people really don’t like to seem nosy. Therefore, they won’t push you for any explanation. After all, there are so many reasons why somebody might not drink.
Pretend
If you want to avoid drinking in social situations but aren’t comfortable explaining why you can drink a virgin drink. Just ask the bartender to serve you a soda or water in a low-ball glass. You can also order mocktails that are delicious and look like real drinks. Here are some other helpful tips for non-alcoholic drinks that look like alcohol.
No matter which approach you take, knowing how to avoid drinking in social situations is key to recovery. You can’t stay isolated forever, so eventually, you’ll need to know how to be in social gatherings without alcohol. The best thing you can do is to make a plan ahead of time, and then stick to it. If you take out the surprise or unknown factors, you can be more successful!