The truth is, even in sobriety, there is no avoiding temptation. You would have to move to the farthest reaches of remote living and even then, there wouldn’t be a guarantee somebody wouldn’t show up with some kind of alcohol. In the beginning, it will be challenging to see alcohol everywhere and know that you cannot partake. Your brain will still be able to remember how good alcohol feels and create strong signals of craving. As your brain heals and the last drink gets further away, the brain will stop noticing it so much. Most likely, you’ll find yourself amazed by just how much society and culture focus on alcohol and how it truly is everywhere. More importantly, you’ll find yourself proud of the fact that you aren’t tempted anymore the way you used to be.
Drinks At Work
Workplaces enjoy creating bonding among employees through drinking. Many young offices today have beer on tap available all day long. Drinks after work drinks during work, or drinks to get through work is common. Work can cause a lot of stress which causes people to turn to alcohol to relieve stress. Work events or networking events can be uncomfortable social settings, which is why there is alcohol. “Office parties” are renowned for their celebration of binge drinking. Encountering alcohol at work is to be expected. All you have to do is say no or volunteer yourself as a designated driver to other coworkers for the night.
Drinks With Friends
Friends drink to celebrate, to mourn, to come together, to say good bye and for more. Drinking is not a requirement for friendship. Many sober friendships will come to fruition throughout your recovery. People who drink, however, drink together. Your true friends will have no problem with your sobriety. Being friends who know, love, and support you, they are going to be happy about your recovery and encourage your abstinence. Other friends might not be so sensitive or supportive. True friends will understand you don’t drink anymore and that’s that. Don’t be surprised when others don’t understand- alcoholism can be hard for people who aren’t alcoholics to comprehend.
Drinking In Culture
The bottom line is, humans drink. Humans like to drink and many humans like to drink a lot. Drinking is a normalized and celebrated part of culture. Drinking alcohol has be a part of social, cultural, religious, spiritual, culture since alcohol was discovered. Alcohol is discussed throughout history, playing a significant role. Drinking will be everywhere. The alcohol industry spends hundreds of billions of dollars every year on advertising their products to encourage people to drink. Multi million dollar movies are produced based on storylines which revolve around drinking.
At Cypress Lake Recovery, we are offering excellence in addiction treatment. Rejuvenating the mind body and spirit, our residential treatment programs help clients create balance in their lives while building confidence. For information on our dual diagnosis programs, call us today at 866-217-2636.
