In modern times the traditions of Sober St Patrick’s day are celebrated on March 17, typically by drinking a lot of alcohol. For someone who is suffering from alcoholism or an alcohol use disorder, this can be a triggering time. There may be memories of times that you drank green beer, but green beer is gross, and who likes green beer anyway? Also, the legend of St Patrick has nothing to do with drinking.
Unfortunately, our society has a high tolerance for cultural acceptance of drinking. If you are someone who has a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, then you may not be someone who can simply do “moderation on holidays” when it comes to drinking. Rather than thinking, can I have sober fun on holidays? Learn sober planning resources for next sober St. Patrick’s Day.
What is Sober St Patrick’s Day?
Simply put, a sober St. Patrick’s Day is having sober fun for St Patty’s celebrations. You can still enjoy the holiday, eat traditional Irish feast fare, as well as cheer Slainte and traditional Irish terms, without drinking alcohol. You may not realize it yet, but it might even end up being more fun than the years you spent blackout drunk before.
Official Events of Sober St Patrick’s Day
Sober St. Patrick’s Day is a legitimate event that has been happening for over a decade. It is essentially holidays and sober support planning, but because of its association with binge drinking and public intoxication, it has only alienated members of the community. Not only does it alienate teens, children, and senior citizens, but also the growing number of people in the recovery community. Sober St. Patrick’s Day was created by the NACOA to provide an alternative for the drunken madness that St. Patrick’s Day has traditionally been. One of the yearly events is the sober St Patrick’s Day running event attended by many people around the country.
Navigating a Party Atmosphere Sober
Going to a party is fun, but sometimes it becomes less enjoyable once you are sober from alcohol. Whether this is because you always drank at parties before, or for other underlying reasons, navigating the party sober is something you will need to learn to do if you want to keep going to them.
Have Your Answer Ready to Go
Most often if you go to an event and it is in an atmosphere where people are drinking, someone is going to ask “where is your drink” or “do you want a drink?” If this is the case and you feel uncomfortable saying that you are sober, be sure to have your answer ready to go. Whether you want to mention that you are driving, doing a “dry March”, or even on a diet, just have your answer ready.
Go into a Situation Knowing Your Triggers
If you are going into a situation that will be with alcohol, be mentally prepared. Be sure to know your triggers and how you are going to react to them. Some people have a trigger of anxiety, which pushes them to drink a lot more than they should. The best thing you can do is to pour yourself a cup of something non-alcoholic and try to relax. If you feel you are drinking along with everyone else, your anxiety might quiet down, and you may not have as much of an urge to drink.
Remember Your Reasons for Sobriety
If you are in a situation where people are drinking around you, be sure to remember why you are sober in the first place. You most likely have reasons, whether that is for your family, children, or because you do not like who you become when you drink. You should also remember how much it means to you to stick to your commitment to sobriety. Remember that feeling and how it is worth it.
Think About How Bad the Hangover is
If you have ever had a bad hangover, then you may want to remind yourself of that before you fall back into drinking. This may not work for everyone, but it can work if this sounds like you. Remember how guilty you feel in the morning after drinking, all of the embarrassing things you might do while drinking and remember how you broke a promise to yourself not to drink.
Keep Relapse Prevention and Resources Handy
Knowing relapse prevention techniques can be incredibly helpful. Not only can you use them, but you might also consider them in the back of your mind before a relapse occurs. Having resources such as AA, or another type of sobriety network might be the difference between sobriety and relapse.
Try to Make Peace with Your Sobriety
One of your triggers might be when you are around drunk people. This would make sense because it reminds you of how it felt before. Drunk times were most likely not all bad times, so it can be easy to remember the good parts, (and most often you were probably blacked out during the bad parts).
Sometimes it can be about being uncomfortable around other people sober. If you can look into why it bothers you to be out sober, you may find that it is because you are not comfortable with who you are. If you are always trying to get drunk to like who you are, then this is a serious problem with how you accept the real you. Once you make this peace, you may realize that you can be yourself and go out sober, even when around drunk people because you like the real you.
Benefits of Rehab for Alcohol Use Disorders
Because alcohol addiction is complex, identifying the causes of your addiction in rehab might be your best bet. During treatment, you will have medical staff members available to you at all times. You can relax knowing you are safe, and you will have somewhere to focus on your sobriety. At The Discovery House, we offer a place to separate from the distractions of everyday life. We provide you with the privacy you deserve, as well as the support you need.