Fun Activities Without Drinking or Drugging
People who have changed their lives from taking drugs and drinking did it to stop the madness in their lives, so how do you have fun without it?
The problem of how to have fun like former drinkers and drug users used to can seem impossible to replicate, but it is not, and here’s why. Having fun, clean and sober will ultimately reflect the person’s progress in recovery. Have they grown enough to find helping others to be enjoyable? Has the individual found peace of mind through a higher power or other established practice? People in recovery can have fun without drugs and alcohol if they have a positive mindset and have evolved on how they view life in recovery.
The most important rule of recovery is that a person does not achieve recovery by just not using. Recovery involves creating a new life in which it is easier not to use. (NIH)
How to Tell If Someone Is Positive About Addiction Recovery
People who have changed their lives from taking drugs and drinking did it to stop the madness of their lifestyle. Most drugs are illegal and lead to arrests and crime. Abusing alcohol inevitably leads to DUIs and other trouble. The signs that someone is optimistic about their recovery can often be evident in these ways:
- Works a program of recovery and talks about it
- Shows up to life and responsibilities (work, kids, AA meetings, church, social events, etc.)
- Offers to help friends and family, aka less self-centered
- Expresses gratitude for their sobriety to friends and family
- Is honest and humble like never before
What Should a Person in Recovery NOT Do For Fun?
A person in recovery should NEVER accept an alcoholic drink or a drug even if offered and do not plan to ingest it- they will be tempted. The disease of addiction means that once the substance enters the body, this person cannot stop. They will lose everything and can quickly die within days or the same day.
Therefore, it is not wise to ask clean and sober people to attend events where drinking and drugging are overwhelmingly present. No one is safe regardless of how solid their program is if drugs or alcohol enter their body. Bars for most people in recovery are off-limits as the main focus is drinking, as are parties where everyone uses drugs.
Are Concerts a Safe Place for Recovering Individuals?
Yes! Music events focus on music, and although many people drink and some use drugs, it is a public setting with police and other security, so the vibe is less appealing to the hardcore.
However, to go to a concert as a sober person, it will be much more fun if they go with a group who is also sober. This way, they can support each other if one gets triggered. They can offer to leave with them or move to another location where the trigger is gone. The person must assess their mind and emotions honestly before going. Are they okay with being in a location where alcohol might be served or dugs nearby? It is normal not to be for many years, so not going until you are ready is the best way to avoid missing the old life and not having any fun while there too soon in your recovery.
Three Ways To Have Fun Sober: Cruises, Live Theater, Team Sports!
There exists an industry that puts on sober cruises for profit. The internet is where to find them. They are ideal as they promote recovery on the cruise, take travelers across the seas, and provide meetings and support. Another gem for having fun that is closer to home is live theater. Comedians and plays and musicals can be an exciting and new experience that will have anyone sober or not laughing and entertained.
Finally, team sports as a sober team is in trend among many 12 step fellowships and other groups in the community as a family event that does not promote drinking or drugs. Softball teams, volleyball teams, golf clubs, running clubs, and more are about health and fun, not alcohol or drugs.
What Do Addiction Experts Say About Having Fun and Recovery?
The National Institutes of Health describe why being able to have fun sober is part of the therapeutic process of recovery. Without counseling, thoughts of using occur.
One of the important tasks of therapy is to help individuals redefine fun. Clinical experience has shown that when clients are under stress, they tend to glamorize their past use and think about it longingly. They start to think that recovery is hard work and addiction is fun. They begin to disqualify the positives they have gained through recovery. The cognitive challenge is acknowledging that recovery is sometimes hard work, but addiction is harder. If addiction were so easy, people wouldn’t want to quit and wouldn’t have to quit. (NIH)
Evoke Waltham Programs Promote Having Fun While Sober
We have helped chronic drug and alcohol abusers learn how to feel happy and to have fun and peace without substances. In many ways, the goal of treatment is to get the individual stable and secure and satisfied with life clean and sober.
Let us help you or your loved one arrive at a place of well-being. It is easy to start a program today. Call now for information and priority admission to our evidence-based treatment center.
