Living in San Diego, there’s fun to be had everywhere you turn. Delicious food, sunny beaches and those night clubs that make you want to get out and dance the night away. However, for some, it’s riddled with temptation, too. Bars and nighttime establishments call to you, saying just one won’t hurt.
The truth is alcoholism is a major problem in the United States, and San Diego is no exception. Those who live there or even visit on vacation have to take great care to avoid the temptations. The good thing is there are plenty of things to do that don’t involve liquor.
Recovery
Becoming a recovering alcoholic is just the first step in the process of living the rest of your life clean and sober. It can become difficult and that’s after you deal with the withdrawal symptoms. Now that you’ve managed your symptoms and are on a straight and narrow path, you have to stay that way and that includes avoiding peer pressure.
In this blog, you’ll find a few tips for helping you stay sober and where to hang out in San Diego, California while maintaining your sobriety.
Risky Situations
It’s impossible to stay sober if you’re constantly around people who are drinking. While you might feel that you have great willpower, the truth is that, once you’re an alcoholic, you’re always an alcoholic. While this might mean not hanging out with the buddies you hung out with when you were still drinking, think about how you felt for a second. Is it worth risking everything you’ve fought so hard for, just to hang out with friends that drink? Find new friends, so you can avoid that trigger and stay sober for yourself and the ones you love. Or, find new places to hang out … San Diego is rife with establishments that don’t serve liquor. Go to dry restaurants (yes, they do exist!) or hang out in a park, play sports and tell your buddies to leave the alcohol home.
Strong Support Networks
You can’t and shouldn’t have to do this alone. When you were in rehab you had a strong support network, but now that you’re back at home, you might start floundering again. That’s why it’s important to build a strong support network that you can depend on. Lean on your close friends and family for support, even if those relationships aren’t as strong as they used to be. They love you and will be willing to be there to support you so that you don’t pick up a drink again. After all, the one thing you can depend on when you’ve lost everything else is the family that loves you. San Diego also has a few rehab centers and AA groups that offer weekly meetings if you find that your support circle is lacking.
Managing Your Urges
No one ever said that giving up an addiction was going to be easy. You must learn to manage your urges if you want to stay on the sober track. There are many triggers associated with alcohol. You need to learn what these triggers are, and then work to manage your urges. Staying busy is a great way to manage the urge to drink. Whether it’s journaling, taking long walks through Harbor Island or Balboa Park, or immersing yourself in a hobby that you used to love. You should even consider trying something you’ve never tried before, but always wanted to explore. Managing your urges is a sure way to help keep you from backsliding and picking up the bottle again.
Relax
You have got to learn to relax and try to stay as stress-free as possible since stress is a powerful trigger for an addict. Here are a few different methods that can help you relax that you might want to try.
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Reading
- Massages
- A bath
- Music
- A walk in nature
- Practicing breathing exercises
These are a few of the pastimes that have helped many addicts relax and manage stress. There may be other things that work for you. The trick is to find the one that works and stick with it.
These are just a few tips for staying sober once you’re on the road to recovery and a few ideas for avoiding alcohol while out and about in San Diego. These tips will help you stay on the road to success.