Rift

Most of my drinking has been done at night time so I was wondering if anybody has suggestions/ideas/alternatives to drinking especially on weekend nights (Friday and Saturday).

I know I could still go to bars and stuff but just not drink, but I want to steer clear of that scene for a while or permanently.

In the daytime I can pursue new hobbies I suppose and I enjoy a good workout so my biggest concern is nightime. I just feel like I will be totally missing opportunties to socialize and meet new people.

I'm just totally clueless as what in the world to do now.

ItsMe23

Well what do you like to do as hobbies

Draciack

Early on, I read, wrote, studied, played guitar, and watched lots of television. Probably not the most exciting lifestyle but after bottoming out, my body and mind needed some downtime

If you're part of a program, there are usually meetings on Friday and Saturday nights. SR has some too I think.

DayTrader

I downloaded a LOT of movie torrents. I think, in that first year or two, I watched the first several seasons of Lost, The Soprano's, Entourage, and a couple others plus a LOT of movies.

For whatever reason, I got really hooked listening to AA open talks. I found out a lot about myself by hearing those guys tell their story. It helped me remember things I'd forgotten or just buried too far down to remember.

I also did a lot of reading too. The AA Big Book, the 12x12, Sermon on the Mount, and 3 or 4 other books.

I also got WAY too good at playing Call of Duty 4 and Call of Duty-Modern Warefare - those darn games were as addictive as the booze was......lol

Lenina

You might consider taking some classes at night school. How about a cooking class or art appreciation? Join a gym and work out? I read a lot and did some volunteer work. I also took on a new project at work that keep me very busy, I don't advise the last one but it did help me!

I hope this helps!

Love,

Lenina

caribbean

If you do decide to check out AA, many groups go out to dinner or do something social after a weekend evening meeting. It's a great way to meet people who have something in common with you, too.

LaFemme

I also drank at night. I do go to sleep earlier now. I actually cook and eat dinner. I take care of myself and my home which I did not do when I drank. I read a lot of books about self help and self awareness. Mostly I am giving myself a break about everything...I Know I need to focus on myself right now and getting my life back on track...the rest of the world will be there once I've done a little more work:-)

CarolD

AA has given me a fantastic sober life
full of a diverse neew friends who share it.....

We do all sorts of things outside of meetings
I never need to be lonely or bored.

ItsMe23

i used to drink at night, and yes fridays and saturdays are the hardest. Movies are cool (i use netflix through my xbox its a life saver). also this is nerdy as hell, but i will play some chess or just browse the forums.

bellakeller

America's Funniest Home Videos.

If I wasn't laughing, I would have been crying.

AmericanGirl

Nice to meet you, DWD. Great ideas here all around: read, indulge in excessive entertainment (tv, movies, books, etc), play an instrument, make art, try a meeting if AA appeals to you. If you're looking to make sure your weekends are very social one thing I might suggest is to flip the expectation of evening time being the social time; since you say there are plenty of new activities you can do during the daytime, why not try to get in as much as you can during the day? Then by evening you'll probably be tired and content and need to catch up on your chores, work, etc -- I know I do a lot more socializing & activities in the morning/afternoons than I used to, and am happy spending quiet evenings at home.

Kmber2010

I would say that I no longer stay up all hours of the night and sleep all day so I changed up my entire routine. To be honest....I wake up really early these days and sometimes have to stay in bed a bit because it is so early.

What I do now is start the evening earlier. I usually mull over a recipe and do some early dinner then sometimes I watch a movie, read a book, come to SR and do my readings, do puzzles, home projects, etc. I sometimes go out for pool, karoake, etc.

Check out your local newspaper for weekend activities. Like I said....I now have made daytime my evening time so I am usually comfortable around 7:30ish...lol.

Hope this helps and def. getting sober friends helps!

BanjoBob

My goal is to do more productive activities in the evening (like playing music, reading, cooking, volunteering) but right now, early in recovery (15 days) , I'm just watching a lot of movies and going to bed early. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself - the main thing right now is to just stay sober until being sober is my new normal.

Dee74

This is a link to a sticky we have of member-submitted things to do...not specifically nighttime orientated but it may give you some ideas

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ething-do.html

Basically I think we're only limited by our imagination
D