Tips for Sobriety Around St. Patrick’s Day

Some days are tougher on sobriety than others. Sobriety on St. Patrick’s Day in Phoenix, AZ can be particularly challenging. This holiday has become less about lucky shamrocks and cute leprechauns and more about green beer and drinking fests. So how are you supposed to resist while everyone around you is imbibing? Use these tips.

Know your triggers

What events and activities surrounding this holiday might prompt you to take a drink? Maybe a meal of corned beef and cabbage won’t seem right without a beer. Or maybe you know you can’t hang out with your Irish cousins without being tempted to get drunk with them. Be aware of these triggers, then make plans to avoid them on St. Patrick’s Day.

Use humor

Recovery and sobriety are serious things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a sense of humor about this holiday. T-shirts sporting slogans such as “Green and Sober” are more and more popular. Show your friends and family that you can have a good time—without drugs and alcohol.

Choose the right crowd

Plan a non-drinking get-together with others who prefer not to spend this holiday swimming in alcohol. Invite others from your sober support group, or look for a party hosted by a 12-step group in your area. You want to surround yourself with people who will help you stay on track with your sobriety on St. Patrick’s Day in Phoenix, AZ.

Get support

Consider attending a meeting (or two) around this holiday to beef up your support and commitment surrounding your sobriety. You may want to set up a meeting with your sponsor, too.

Plan ahead

Don’t let invitations surprise you. You know this holiday is coming, so plan how you will decline invitations ahead of time. Write down all the reasons why you need to decline invitations to activities that you know will challenge your sobriety. Then, practice declining invitations, so you won’t feel guilty or embarrassed when those moments arise.

Make an exit strategy

Even if you carefully plan to avoid situations that involve drinking, you may find yourself in a tempting situation. Decide in advance what your “out” will be.

Maybe you plan to meet up with a friend or sponsor, so you have an excuse to leave a party. You might offer to be the designated driver so you can use this explanation when you turn down drinks at dinner. Or maybe you are comfortable discussing your sobriety and simply tell people you are an alcoholic in recovery. The point is to know how you’re going to deal with it ahead of time so you don’t feel at a loss in the moment and make a poor decision.

Get more tips

If you’d like more tips about how to maintain sobriety on St. Patrick’s Day in Phoenix, AZ, contact Advanced Sober Living. We are a halfway house like no other. Set in a comfortable, home-like environment, our sober living program is designed to support men through the challenges of early sobriety and assist them in developing skills that will prepare them for independent living. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you or your loved one.

Categorised in: Clean and Sober Living

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