The Best Tips for Navigating Social Life When You’re Sober

The social scene can be downright overwhelming for teetotalers.

Dara Laine Murray
6 min readApr 10, 2023

When you’re sober, it’s hard to know how to navigate the world of bars and clubs. You may also have trouble understanding why other people feel the need to drink so much, or even why they choose to drink at all.

In this article, I’m going to give you some straightforward tips that can help you navigate your social life as a sober person, whether it’s work-related or just hanging out with friends.

Here are some tips on navigating social life as an abstainer:

The Best Tips for Navigating Social Life When You’re Sober
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Attend sober events.

If you’re new to the sober scene, it can be easy to feel like you’re on your own. But there are plenty of events that cater specifically to sober people, and they’re a great way to meet like-minded individuals who can help strengthen your recovery.

For example, many cities have Meetup groups dedicated solely to sober socializing and networking. These get-togethers could include activities like dancing or going on hikes (but no drinking). Other groups host social gatherings where alcohol isn’t allowed but other drugs are fine—the point is just being able to hang out with other non-drinkers and talk about how awesome life is…

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Dara Laine Murray

Multi-passionate sobriety writer on Medium. Day job: Director of Research at a nonprofit. Stories = sober + stats. Editor: https://medium.com/modern-sobriety