Staying Sober in a Culture of Alcohol

Girl playing with glasses

The UK has possessed an extensive drinking culture for a very, very long time. All major cities have hundreds of bars, and alcohol is served in the majority of restaurants, as well as sold in supermarkets, corner shops and petrol stations.

On top of this easy availability, there is an extensive amount of advertising that bombards a person throughout their life. With this combination, it is easy to see how alcoholism continues to plague so many people.

Legality and Acceptability

Throughout the country, drinking is unfortunately considered an acceptable practice. Being tipsy or even drunk is not a disgrace in most circles, and most people will take no notice of a drunk staggering down the street. Society only seems to begin to crack down when a person drinks and drives, neglects or harms his children or abuses his or her partner. The legality of this addictive substance influences attitudes about the drug. ‘It’s legal, so it can’t be that bad, right?’ is a common thought.

Maintaining Sobriety in Today’s World

In a world that is so full of alcohol you can barely turn your head without seeing a place to drink or buy it, it can potentially be a tough task trying to remain sober, or regain sobriety.

Most restaurants have an extensive wine list, cocktails and beer but only have about 5 soft drink options, things like coke, sprite and fizzy water. It can be very frustrating! All supermarkets have an extensive alcohol section, and so do even small corner shops. Advertising for whisky appears in the tube stations along with a host of other drinks.

With temptation at every hand and an atmosphere of normality about drinking and drunkenness, some people wonder if there is even a purpose to avoiding alcohol and remaining sober.

I won’t today extoll the virtues of sobriety as there has already been plenty written on the subject, but let’s just acknowledge that sobriety brings a host of health benefits, an increase in life expectancy, an increase in general well-being as well as a lessening of dangers from such things as accidents and injuries.

Two girls

So how to go about it?

Well the first piece of advice we have seen to be successful, is get support. It can be difficult to be sober alone. This goes for someone in recovery, or someone just trying to break the mold and not drink regularly. With a support network or even just a friend or two, when you are finding it tough or wanting to lean in to temptation they are there to help you through, and to encourage you to stick to your target.

The second option, as a variation to the above is to get a sober buddy. This means the two of you are both not drinking. This helps at restaurants or parties where you don’t have to feel like the odd one out, and supporting each other through, or making a game can bring some fun to the situation.

The next piece of advice is to be aware of yourself and what you are thinking. You need to notice if you start thinking a drink won’t be too bad, or if life is getting you down or you are stressed. You need to notice fast enough to get yourself some help, early enough so that you don’t turn to alcohol instead. Maybe it is just chatting things through with someone, or maybe a call to a support officer. Whatever the correct help is, it all needs to be preceded by awareness.

Another option is to attend only non-alcoholic events, this could be until you are more firmly established in a sober routine, or at times that just feel a little tougher. This can seem difficult, but there are dry bars out there, restaurants that serve a host of non-alcoholic options, or activities that are totally alcohol free can make excellent and different options.

For more help and advice regarding alcohol, or rehabilitation, please contact us on

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Narconon UK

Welcome to Narconon United Kingdom At Narconon, we are dedicated to one thing: helping you overcome addiction for good. Part of what makes this possible is the Narconon environment. Every detail has been taken into account to give you the stability and comfort to help you free yourself from addiction and rebuild your life without drugs.

NARCONON UNITED KINGDOM

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION