Sober Living: Meeting Other People Who are Sober

SOBER LIVING: MEETING OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE SOBER
-XO\ _ :ULWWHQE\$ODVWDLU0RUGH\
2QHRIWKHJUHDWHVWFKDOOHQJHVWRWKHQHZO\VREHUSHUVRQLVPHHWLQJQHZSHRSOHDQGPDNLQJQHZIULHQGV%HFRPLQJVREHUZLOOLQHYLWDEO\FRVW\RXD
IHZIULHQGVDV\RXUHDOLVHWKDWDOOWKHSHRSOH\RXRQFHKXQJRXWZLWKDUHVWLOODEXVLQJGUXJVDQGDOFRKRODQGDUHWKHUHIRUHQRORQJHUDSSURSULDWH
IULHQGVFRQGXFLYHWR\RXUDGGLFWLRQUHFRYHU\6REHUOLYLQJFDQIHHOORQHO\DWILUVWKRZHYHURYHUFRPLQJIHHOLQJVRIORQHOLQHVVLVHVVHQWLDOIRU
SUHYHQWLQJUHODSVHDVORQHOLQHVVLVRQHRIWKHPRVWFRPPRQUHODSVHWULJJHUV
2IFRXUVHIRUPLQJDZKROHQHZJURXSRIVREHUIULHQGVLVHDVLHUVDLGWKDQGRQH7KDWLVZK\ZHKDYHFRPSLOHGWKHVHVREHUOLYLQJWLSVWRKHOS\RX
PHHWQHZIULHQGVZKRVKDUH\RXUYDOXHVDQGNQRZKRZWRKDYHVREHUIXQ
Sober Living: Where to Meet Sober Friends
:KHQZHDUHGULQNLQJLWLVHDV\WRIDOOLQWRWKHIDOVHDVVXPSWLRQWKDWeveryoneGULQNV$QGZKLOHWKHGULQNLQJFXOWXUHisODUJHO\HPEHGGHGLQVRFLHW\
WKHIDFWLVWKDWRQO\RIDGXOWVLQWKH86GULQNDOFRKROUHJXODUO\DWOHDVWRQFHDPRQWK$QRWKHUGULQNLQIUHTXHQWO\FRQVXPLQJOHVVWKDQ
GULQNVLQD\HDU7KLVPHDQVWKHUHDUHPDQ\SHRSOHRXWWKHUHZKRGRQRWPDNHDOFRKRODQGGUXJVDUHJXODUSDUWRIWKHLUOLIHRUHYHQFRPSOHWHO\
DEVWDLQ
%XWZKHUHGR\RXPHHWOLNHPLQGHGSHRSOHZKHQ\RXDUHLQUHFRYHU\IURPGUXJDGGLFWLRQ"2IFRXUVH\RXUUHFRYHU\PHHWLQJVDUHDJRRGSODFHWR
VWDUWDQGPDNLQJIULHQGVDQGJDLQLQJPHQWRUVKLSWKURXJKDUHFRYHU\JURXSLVJUHDW0DQ\SHRSOHPDNHOLIHORQJIULHQGVKLSVZLWKLQWKHLUUHFRYHU\
JURXSVDQGPDQ\JURXSVRUJDQLVHIXQVREHUDFWLYLWLHVRXWVLGHWKHWLPHVSHQWWRJHWKHUDVDVXSSRUWJURXS
+RZHYHUUHFRYHU\JURXSVDUHQRWWKHRQO\SODFHWRPHHWRWKHUVREHUSHRSOH(VSHFLDOO\LI\RXDUHUHDG\WRVWDUWGDWLQJLQUHFRYHU\\RXUVXSSRUW
JURXSPD\QRWEHWKHEHVWSODFHWRORRN(QWHULQJDURPDQWLFUHODWLRQVKLSLVDELJVWHSZKHQ\RXDUHLQUHFRYHU\ZKLFKLVZK\LWLVQRW
UHFRPPHQGHGIRUDWOHDVWRQH\HDU%UHDNXSVFDQSXWSHRSOHDWULVNRIUHODSVHDQGLIDEUHDNXSDOVRPDNHVDSODFHWKDWZDVRQFHDVROLGSDUWRI
\RXUUHFRYHU\XQFRPIRUWDEOHWKLVULVNJHWVHYHQJUHDWHU
7KDWEHLQJVDLGKHUHDUHVRPHRWKHUSODFHV\RXPLJKWPHHWVREHUIULHQGVRUHYHQIOLUWZLWKSRWHQWLDOVREHUGDWHV
1. Sober meetups.
7KHUHDUHVREHUPHHWXSVSRSSLQJXSDOORYHUWKHZRUOGDQGWKH\PD\EHRQHRIWKHEHVWSODFHVWRPHHWRWKHUVREHUSHRSOHRXWVLGHRIUHFRYHU\
JURXSV0HHWXSVDUHHYHQWVDLPHGDWEULQJLQJOLNHPLQGHGSHRSOHWRJHWKHUWRPDNHQHZIULHQGVDQGGRIXQWKLQJV6REHUPHHWXSVLQ\RXUDUHD
FRXOGLQFOXGHJHWWLQJWRJHWKHUWRSDUWLFLSDWHLQVSRUWVRXWGRRUDFWLYLWLHVFRQFHUWVWUDYHORUVKDULQJD%%4ZKHUH\RXNQRZHYHU\RQHVKDUHVDW
OHDVWRQHWKLQJLQFRPPRQ²VREHUOLYLQJ
2. The gym.
2IFRXUVHQRWHYHU\RQH\RXPHHWDWWKHJ\PZLOOEHOLYLQJVREHUEXWVRPHRQHZKRKHDGVWRWKHJ\PDIWHUDORQJGD\DWZRUNLQVWHDGRIDEDULV
PRUHOLNHO\WRKDYHKDELWVDOLJQHGZLWKVREHUOLYLQJ*\PVDOVRRIIHUFODVVHVZKLFKKDYHWKHDGGHGEHQHILWRIFRQVLVWHQWO\PHHWLQJWKHVDPH
SHRSOH²ZKLFKFDQEHKHOSIXOLQFUHDWLQJORQJODVWLQJIULHQGVKLSV
3. The library or bookstore.
7U\KLWWLQJXSDOLEUDU\RUERRNVWRUHRQD6DWXUGD\QLJKW,I\RXHQMR\UHDGLQJWKLVFDQEHDJUHDWSODFHWRPHHWOLNHPLQGHGSHRSOH(YHQLI\RX
DUHQRWDKXJHUHDGLQJIDQEURZVLQJPDJD]LQHVRUKDYLQJDODWHQLJKWGHVVHUWLQWKHERRNVWRUHFDIpFRXOGOHDGWRFRQYHUVDWLRQVZLWKRWKHU
SHRSOHZKRZRXOGUDWKHUQRWVSHQGWKHLU6DWXUGD\QLJKWJHWWLQJZDVWHG
4. Volunteering.
1RWRQO\LVYROXQWHHULQJJUHDWIRUWKHFRPPXQLW\DQGJUHDWIRU\RXUZHOOEHLQJLWFDQDOVREHDJUHDWSODFHWRPHHWQHZSHRSOH/RFDODQLPDO
VKHOWHUVDUHRIWHQLQQHHGRIGHGLFDWHGYROXQWHHUVRUFKHFN\RXUORFDOSDUNIRUDQRUJDQLVHGFRPPXQLW\FOHDQXSGD\:KHWKHU\RXDUHZDONLQJ
GRJVRUVHUYLQJWKRVHLQQHHGDKRWPHDOSHRSOHZKRDUHZLOOLQJWRJLYHWKHLUWLPHIRUDJRRGFDXVHPD\VKDUHotherYDOXHVZLWK\RX²OLNHVREHU
OLYLQJRUDWOHDVWDOLIHQRWIXOO\LPPHUVHGLQDOFRKRO
5. Go online.
:KHWKHU\RXIUHTXHQWRQOLQHUHFRYHU\FRPPXQLWLHVWRFKDWRQOLQHRUEURZVHVREHURQOLQHGDWLQJVLWHVWKHUHDUHWRQVRIRQOLQHUHVRXUFHVDQG
VXSSRUWIRUXPVIRUSHRSOHLQUHFRYHU\,I\RXSODQWRPHHWSHRSOHIURPWKHLQWHUQHWLQSHUVRQKRZHYHUMXVWEHVXUHWRH[HUFLVHFDXWLRQ$QGLI\RX
WKLQN\RXDUHUHDG\WRVWDUWGDWLQJEHVXUHWRIROORZRXUJXLGHOLQHVIRUGDWLQJLQUHFRYHU\
5HPHPEHUWKDWWKHUHDUHDORWRISHRSOHRXWWKHUHZKRFKRRVHQRWWRGULQNRUXVHGUXJVDQGWKHUHDUHPDQ\SODFHVWRPHHWSHRSOHEHVLGHVDWD
EDURUFOXE3XW\RXUVHOILQVLWXDWLRQVZKHUH\RXDUHPRUHOLNHO\WRVWDUWFRQYHUVDWLRQVZLWKQHZSHRSOH²VXFKDVE\WDNLQJDFODVVRUYROXQWHHULQJ
²DQG\RXUFKDQFHVRIILQGLQJOLNHPLQGHGIULHQGVZLOOLQFUHDVH
:KHQPHHWLQJSHRSOHRXWVLGHRI\RXUUHFRYHU\JURXSLWLVDOZD\VZLVHWREHSUHSDUHGWRWXUQGRZQRIIHUVWRJHWDGULQN,WLVXSWR\RXLI\RXZDQWWR
GLVFORVH\RXUUHFRYHU\WRQHZDFTXDLQWDQFHVEXW\RXGRQRWRZHDQ\RQHDQH[SODQDWLRQDVWRZK\\RXGRQRWGULQNDQGPRVWSHRSOHZKRZRXOG
PDNHSRVLWLYHIULHQGVZLOOUHVSHFW\RXUFKRLFHRIVREHUOLYLQJQRPDWWHUZKDW
Sober Living: Travelling without Drugs and Alcohol
$QRWKHUJUHDWZD\WRPHHWSHRSOHRUWRVKDUHWLPHZLWKVREHUIULHQGVLVWRWUDYHO7UDYHOOLQJVREHUIRUWKHILUVWWLPHFDQEHVFDU\HVSHFLDOO\LI
GUXQNHQYDFDWLRQVZHUHDFRPPRQSDUWRI\RXUSDVW7UDYHOOLQJFRXOGEULQJXSFUDYLQJVWRXVHGUXJVRUDOFRKRODJDLQZKLFKLVZK\LWLVEHVWWRWUDYHO
ZLWKDVREHUJURXSDQGPDNHDSODQWRXVH\RXUVXSSRUWVDQGDWWHQGPHHWLQJVZKLOHWUDYHOOLQJ
7KHUHDUHQRZPDQ\WUDYHODJHQFLHVDQGZHEVLWHVGHGLFDWHGWRKHOSLQJ\RXSODQDVREHUYDFDWLRQ6RPHZLOODUUDQJHHYHU\WKLQJIRU\RXIURP
DLUIDUHWRKRWHOERRNLQJVDQGVRPHHYHQUHQWRXWHQWLUHUHVRUWVIRUVREHUWUDYHOOHUVWRH[SHULHQFHDYDFDWLRQWRJHWKHUZLWKRXWWKHWHPSWDWLRQRI
DOFRKRODQGZLWKVHYHUDOUHFRYHU\PHHWLQJVWRFKRRVHIURPHDFKGD\
6REHUOLYLQJGRHVQRWKDYHWREHERULQJDQGRYHUFRPLQJORQHOLQHVVE\PHHWLQJQHZSHRSOHLVLPSHUDWLYH7KHUHLVDORWRIIXQWREHKDGDQG
UHPHPEHUHGZLWKRWKHUSHRSOHZKRDUHDOVRLQUHFRYHU\IURPDOFRKROLVPRUGUXJGHSHQGHQFHRUZKRVLPSO\ILQGWKDWEHLQJVREHULVFRRO