Namaste,
From one young person to another, I shared your concerns when I first got sober. I'm a student at a party college with college football tailgates, frat parties, drunken escapades, and Saturdays where most people don't wake up until 11AM. And these things are
accepted as part of the culture. When I first decided to get sober, my largest fears were: how am I going to remain sober being part of this environment? And how will I meet people, because everyone I knew was a heavy drinker or budding alcoholic.
Ironically, they were also the first fears to really go away. The truth is, no one cares if I drink or not. They're more concerned with getting drunk. Plus, I'm better sober--more fun, more talkative, just an all around better person. I don't do crazy things. Emotionally, I'm cool. So as long as I'm having a good time and don't make a big deal about my sobriety, no one really cares. The ones that care are problem drinkers and alcoholics, and I don't associate with them anymore. Not out of spite; it's just boring to hang around people who get drunk all the time. Fun for them; not for me.
The free time I filled quickly. I always had a list of things I wanted to do, but getting drunk was more important. All that free time and all that money I used to spend on alcohol (and cigarettes and late night McDonald's runs
) went to new hobbies and new experiences. When I initially quit, I looked at all that as a huge challenge, but it turned out to be a great opportunity. Sobriety is what you make of it.
There's a lot of great advice here about support programs and getting help. Being part of SR and AA helped me meet people like me who struggle with the same things I do. Most people don't understand alcoholism or addiction, so this was crucial for my recovery. I wasn't alone in the struggle anymore.
Glad you're here
Feel free to PM me. Our age group is in a funny position sometimes.
Welcome to SR.