Summertime, with its longer days and pleasant weather, usually means more outdoor events and parties. From pool parties to weddings and backyard BBQs, these events often have one thing in common — alcohol.
While alcohol and summertime socialization may go hand in hand for many individuals, this combination can prove tempting for recovering addicts. It can remind them of “the good old days” when they consumed alcohol to party or relax. Naturally, it can make it much harder to continue through rehab or the long-lasting road to recovery.
Because alcohol is more available and harder to avoid during the summer, here are some tips on how to enjoy sober living during the warmer months.
How to Avoid Alcohol During Summer Events
To help you get ready for all those summer events, here are some ways to avoid substance abuse while still enjoying your summer:
- Reflect on your journey: Before you start getting flooded with invites, try reflecting and reminding yourself about why you are sober. Thinking back on your journey, celebrating past successes and figuring out where you’d like to see yourself in the future can encourage you to resist temptation.
- Keep a balance: Even though you may be invited to many events, try to keep a balance between attending parties and doing other kinds of summer activities. If you are constantly putting yourself in environments with heavy alcohol consumption, it may be too overwhelming and harder to resist as time goes on.
- Plan ahead: When you do attend a summer event, someone will likely offer you a drink. This is why it is important to plan ahead and know what you will say when this happens. Having a script helps you feel prepared instead of having to come up with words of rejection on the spot. Part of planning is also knowing how to leave if needed. Put an exit strategy in place so that you have a way to escape if the temptation becomes too overwhelming.
- Stay busy and distracted: Keep yourself busy at the party, so you can keep thoughts of drinking away. Also, having a drink in your hand, even if it’s just water, a soda or a mocktail, tends to keep others from offering you alcoholic beverages.
- Host your own party: One way to control alcohol availability is to host your own summer party. This allows you to enjoy socializing with friends and family while controlling what you serve.
Join an Alumni Group at the Gateway Foundation
For over 50 years, Gateway Foundation has been helping clients achieve freedom from addiction through our drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.
Following rehab, joining an alumni group can play an important role in achieving long-lasting addiction recovery — we even have educational programming and social activities during the summer months.
To learn more about our alumni group or any of the treatment programs we offer, please fill out our form and we will get back to you!
