Summer Celebrations and Sobriety

Summer is in full swing, which means means friends, family, barbecues and booze! Whether it’s a holiday, a casual get together, or a throw down with all of your closest people— summer celebrations come in all shapes and sizes. However, most all shapes and sizes comes with a cold one. But if you’re getting sober, or even trying to stay sober, it can be hard to get through these kinds of events. But, we’re here to help.

Summer Celebrations: Staying Sober

Keep Your Thoughts in Check

Celebrating the summer without drinking isn’t a bad thing. People do it all the time: whether they’re recovering, underage, or just don’t like the taste of alcohol. Try to remember that this is an important step you’re making in your life. Choosing to go out and commit to your sobriety shows just how strong you are. However, you may forget that throughout the night. If you do, keep reminding yourself that summer celebrations are about more than drinking. They’re about friends, family, good times, and remembering it all the next day.

Plan for What You Can Handle

We all love our friends and family, but we also know that some of them can be a little over-the-top or even just pushy when it comes to drinking. When you’re making plans for summer celebrations, take into account what you can handle. There’s no shame in avoiding an environment where you have to say ‘no’ one too many times. No one is saying to stay in. Merely, plan accordingly when it comes to your new boundaries.

Pushy People

As we began to explain earlier, pushy people are everywhere. No matter where you go, there’s always someone saying “come on… just take one shot with me.“ Even when you take the more mild approach to summer celebrations, there might just be that one pushy person in the crowd. It’s up to you on how you handle this situation and what you say. Your sobriety is your business to handle as you see fit.

Have an Escape Route Ready

If the summer celebrations you had in mind end up being too much, you don’t have to stay there. You are free to leave anytime you want. With that in mind, come up with an exit plan before you arrive! This can include what to say to people when you want to leave and boundaries you don’t want crossed. 

In addition, make sure you always know where your keys and wallet are for a swift exit. Remember: leave when you feel you must! If all else fails, coming up with a good exit plan will ensure you have a sober July 4^th.

The Fourth of July is a stressful holiday for a lot of people. Some people have to wonder what food and drinks to buy for guests. Other people have the goal of a sober July 4^th. If this is your goal, it’s such a good one to have and you can reach it! Remember: choose which party is best for you, know what to say to push people and leave when you want.

Post-Rehab Life: Plan and Prepare

Rehab centers are a very useful tool for treating alcoholism. However, stays are only temporary, and it’s important to prepare for your post-rehab life. Properly planning ahead can help ensure you remain away from alcohol. That way, you can begin your alcohol-free life the right way…

Post-Rehab Life: Taking the Next Step

Use other resources

Rehab centers are great because they offer a wide variety of resources to patients. Not only do they provide an alcohol-free living space, but they also can offer support groups and counseling as well. That’s why an important part of your post-rehab life should be making use of these other resources as best you can.

For example, groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can really help you with sticking to your sobriety. Talking with other people who have experienced what you have can really give you the confidence boost you might need. You can also continue counseling too. In fact, many rehab centers will allow you to continue to make use of things like counseling, even after you leave. 

Practice self-care

Your post-rehab life is a great time to really start taking care of yourself. Having the motivation of self-improvement goes a long way for helping people avoid things like alcohol. This can be done in a number of ways, from getting enough sleep, to eating better, to just treating yourself every once and a while.

However, it can be very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stuff and forget to practice that self-care. That’s why it helps to take a moment and ask yourself “Am I feeling okay, and what can I do if I’m not?”. Putting your well-being at the forefront can help you remember to take the time to care for yourself.

Make some social changes

Having a good support network is important for people who are trying to sober up. It’s also very important for your post-rehab life. You’ll want to make sure you surround yourself with the right kind of people going forward.

This may require you to make some tough decisions. If you have friends who you fear might pressure you to drink again, or will be negative about your efforts, then it might be time to let them go. After all, good friends will be the ones who have and will continue to support your recovery. 

Alcohol’s Effects Over Time

In 2017, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that over 14 million Americans were dealing with alcohol use disorder. As a result, these people had to deal with alcohol’s effects both in the short- and long-term. In fact, there are many different ways in which alcohol can effect your body. Knowing these effects can help your determine when it might be time to cut back on your drinking…

Alcohol’s Effects: The Short- and Long-Term

Short-term

Alcohol’s effects in the short-term are probably the most well-known. These effects tend to usually show up when someone has more than one drink per hour. However, it depends on many factors, such as a person’s age, weight, gender, and overall health. Some of the more milder effects can include flushed skin, dulled vision, and trouble with coordination and concentration.

However, there are some more severe short-term effects to watch out for. These can include vomiting, lower body temperatures, and passing out. Lowered inhibitions might be one of the most dangerous short-term effects. This can cause a person to make some pretty poor decisions while they’re under the influence.

Long-term

Alcohol’s effects in the long-term can take some time to show up. Unlike short-term effects, the long-term ones gradually happen over time as you drink. They are especially prevalent in heavy alcohol drinkers. These are the drinkers who drink nearly every day, and usually in heavy amounts.

Long-term effects tend to show themselves in potential physical and mental health issues. These can include memory loss, high blood pressure, and cancer in places like the mouth, throat, and stomach. The most common place to see these effects in is the liver. Liver damage is all too common in those who experience the effects of long-term drinking.

Possible benefits?

Recently, there has been some study into if some of alcohol’s effects can be positive. For instance, alcohol’s social use makes some see it as a valuable tool for helping people relax and talk to one another. Some studies also think alcohol could be linked to things such as lower risks of heart attacks, stroke, and diabetes. 

However, this only applies to moderate drinking. Excessive drinking will only cause you problems. Also, don’t start drinking and think you’ll receive these benefits. Not only are they not 100% confirmed, but there are healthier, safer ways to achieve similar results.