Finding Your Anti-drunk

01 Sept 2016

Tips for Finding Your “Anti-Drunk”

Now that you’ve completed treatment and you’re living a new sober life, finding your “anti-drunk”—an activity or hobby you’re passionate about—can help keep your agenda on track. This isn’t a replacement for drinking or getting high, but instead an outlet for your newfound energy and a way to stay focused and motivated throughout your recovery.

Here are a few tips:

Explore your interests. If you love the outdoors, try hiking or sailing. Live in a city? Look into indoor rock climbing or scuba certification courses at a local pool. If you’ve always been into art, try a new medium such as painting or ceramics. If you’re a DIY expert, take on a remodeling project or find vintage furniture to revamp.

Challenge yourself! Step outside of your initial interests. For example, if athletics have never been your thing, try a beginner yoga class and acquire the foundational skills before doing a 90-minute Bikram class. Interest in learning Spanish? Start with the basics—you won’t be fluent overnight. Remember, you have to crawl before you run, so be patient and take your time when learning something new.

Find others who share your hobby. Taking on a new hobby or activity is a great way to expand your network and meet people who are interested in socializing in a sober capacity. Search for local Meetups to find other with similar interests. Whether you’re into running, coding, backpacking or veganism, there’s likely a related meetup in your area. If not, start a new group! Chances are you’re not the only person interested in that topic or activity.

Try and try again. You might not like everything you try and that’s ok. Maybe Crossfit was a little too intense or you couldn’t figure out how to cast on when knitting. At least you tried—that’s the important part. Keep at it and you’ll find the perfect activity.

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