Nervous About Tonight/the Weekend
 

So this is my first weekend sober (6 days, woohoo!) but I'm really nervous. I am 20 and all my friends are going out and drinking and stuff and I know I can't do that I'm not strong enough yet. I told them I was sick and couldn't go out and had plans to hang out with my boyfriend all night. We were gonna watch dumb horror movies or something. Turns out he actually got sick (just my luck, right?) so now I'm going to be alone on a Friday night. I know I can just go on here and use chat and talk which is what I've been doing all week but I feel it is going to be harder to not drink since it is the weekend and the weekend is associated with drinking.

Does anyone have any tips for the first sober weekend?

I don't 'count/do days' anymore and I'm not talking strictly 'sober days'. I mean.. I didn't even know today was Friday. It's just another day to me. When I was drinking, I knew what day it was because I built my life around days and when was 'acceptable' to drink by society's standards. Sure, I blew through those 'rules' on occasion(lots towards the end of my drinking). But, a fri/sat night is no different to me than a tue night nowadays. FOMO kept me drinking when I was trying to quit though. So, I basically became a hermit for 2-3mo when I stopped.

Congrats on day 6 !!!! Find something that you LOVE to do - read, exercise, walk, cook, sewing, shopping - anything besides sitting around being "bored". You will get through it.....just make a plan and stick to it !!

First off- congrats on day 6. Being sober and young can have a set of its own challenges. Do your friends know that you have a problem with drinking?

No they don't think it's a big deal. They think that everyone drinks a little too much when they are young and I am overreacting but I have been drinking to basically blackout drunk every night for 2 years and I realize how bad and dangerous this is and I am trying to stop it now before it gets worse. I figure if I'm young, I can get my life back on track now and only lose 2 years instead of more.

Just remember why you are quitting. Tell yourself, "I don't drink any more." And with that said, start doing non-drinking things you can start associating the weekend with.

Maybe find an AA meeting?

Very smart choice! When I am home alone for the evening I create my perfect world by doing what I enjoy.
Have you ever heard of "Celebrate Recovery"?

For me, it was important to treat myself to something at weekends in the early days - as a reward and also, to still make it different to weekdays :)
At first it was LOTS of ice cream and eventually as the weeks passed and it became more normal, I would buy something like a nail polish or even a new top or jeans - things that saving money not buying booze, made possible.
Just this second finished a gorgeous custard filled donut, which as a Diabetic was a little naughty, but hey - it's the weekend ;)
Well done on 6 days - it just gets better and better, until it's normal again.

Well done on 6 days.
It’s just a weekend.
Each day has the same amount of hours in it.
If you can do a Monday you can do a Friday.
Try not to let your AV tell you any different.
You will have plenty of good days to come now you are sober.
And a few bad days ( but not bad week after week after week.........)
Stay strong
You can do this

Jess,

Weekends are hard for me too since it is sometimes idle time. I do chores, organize, draw with my daughter, take a hot bath, do facials or toenails. I do anything that is distracting-not tv. I get a lot of stuff done that I can feel good about.
I don't know if you live in your own home yet. You may not have the same amount of chores as I do but you can still find some activities to do. Chatting here is what I tend to do and it helps. I can only chat at work during the week since my husband doesn't understand. I will have to stay busy.
:c011:Good job so far!! Stay strong and thanks for helping me last night. It means a lot. I am better now and since I slipped it was awful and now I know I'm not missing anything.

Congrats on day 6!

When I was just starting I was here a lot and I read a lot and I watched da lot of TV at night.
Now, I paint, read, clean the house, etc..
My friday nights now look like this:
Dinner
Laundry- on going all night because I don't want to do another load after Friday night
Work out- if I miss my morning workout like I did this morning.
Paint - I will do this until 1/2 in the morning.
Bed
Every. Single. Friday

Hope you found something enjoyable to do Jess
Here are a few more suggestions :)

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

D

6 Days is AMAZING! Keep going.

Do you yoga? Cycle? Swim? Use your local gym?

Making a plan for the morning will help to get you through the night. That was my take on it early in sobriety. I ran every morning.

You are showing a great deal of determination and drive. Keep on keeping on!

Weekends seem tricky but they really do get easier. I'd suggest doing something completely out of the norm; if it's a treat for yourself, even better. You're doing the right thing to address alcohol issues at your age. :)