6 Tips to Avoid Alcohol Use in Social Settings for Those in Alcohol Rehabilitation

Parties often mean unlimited drinking and booze. Everywhere you turn, someone offers you drinks. Someone asks everyone else to play a drinking game. Someone says you need to drink for the penalty when you play. These are common sights at many parties. How do you avoid them? Or do you even avoid them at all? If you’re struggling with alcohol abuse and you’re in rehab, here’s what you can do to keep from knocking back those drinks.

Don’t Attend the Parties

The tried-and-tested approach is the simplest option. Say no to the parties. Don’t go. Tell them you can’t come. Invent an excuse. Avoidance is a strategy, and you can put it to good use in this case. If you have only started to attend sessions for alcohol rehab in Arizona, it would be best for your recovery efforts and peace of mind to turn down those invitations.

Attend But Decline the Drinks

Avoidance won’t work forever, though. And it won’t work for all those invitations. Sooner or later, you will need to go to a party where people will be drinking alcohol. Sooner or later, you will need to face your biggest fear. When someone asks you if you’d care for a drink, will you have the resolve to say no? One way to ensure you don’t relapse is to be mentally prepared. If there’s drinking at the party and you decide to go, make sure you can politely decline all those offers of a drink. Practice it if you must. Don’t be stiff or take offense if someone offers you a drink or asks why you aren’t drinking. Have a ready response, so you can gracefully get out of potentially awkward situations.

Hold a Non-Alcoholic Beverage

People are less likely to ask you if you’d like a drink if you already have one. The trick is to hold a beverage that isn’t alcoholic in nature. Before you drink that punch or the beverages that have been prepared, ask if they’re alcoholic or not. That way, you’ll know what drinks to avoid. You can also find which non-alcoholic drinks are to your liking.

Have an Escape Plan

If at any time you feel tempted or uncomfortable, leave. Remember, recovery is your priority. Don’t jeopardize what you’ve worked hard for in rehab just to spend a few hours in a party that hardly will anyone remember anyway. Make sure you have an escape plan that you can put into action at any time.

Bring Support

Don’t go to that party alone. Bring someone who knows that you’re in rehab and working on your recovery. Having that one person who understands can make a difference and allow you to finish the party with your sanity and sobriety intact.

Remember Why

Remind yourself why you’re doing this, what is at stake, and why you want to take your life back. Addiction recovery is hard, but it isn’t impossible. Knowing your reasons can keep you strong against temptation, so your efforts won’t go to waste.

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