There have recently been occasions in my life where I’ve realized I’m the only sober one — for example, Homecoming, Thanksgiving dinner, etc. I made the decision before I reached university to not drink. It’s not that I haven’t tried alcohol before, it’s just that it wasn’t for me and not something I wanted to continue doing during my university years. There are times when this makes social gatherings awkward because I usually have to explain the reasons why I don’t drink, or constantly refuse drinks from people I just met. Although I feel alone sometimes, I know it’s not just me who feels this way. High school and university can be a pressuring time to fit in and join the crowd. I used to think that in order to make friends, I’d have to succumb to peer pressure and do things I didn’t want to, such as drinking. However, over time, I met the right friends who understood and respected my decision to not drink, and never made me feel pressured to when we hung out.Â
My tip for anyone out there who’s in a similar position to mine is to find your own signature non-alcoholic drink that you like and can bring to parties or social gatherings. For me, my beverage of choice is Dr. Pepper — which is arguably just as bad for you as alcohol — but nonetheless, it’s what I enjoy drinking to stay sober.Â
One benefit to staying sober is that I’m always someone’s designated driver. It’s kind of unspoken now that I’m always the one to drive the family home after a special occasion like Thanksgiving or a night out with friends. I like knowing that the people around me feel comfortable because someone is able to get them home safely. The only request I make is to ask for them to buy me a Dr. Pepper on the way home. Just kidding! It would be a nice gesture though.Â
Another benefit that I enjoy about not drinking is waking up from a long night out and not feeling hungover! I get to wake up remembering every detail of the night, which is sometimes a blessing and a curse. Sometimes, I still wake up in complete shock from rethinking everything I said and did at the function the night before… so basically, I got my own form of hangxiety.Â
Just to make things clear, I don’t shame anyone for drinking — like I said, I’ve done it before too. I’m just writing this to help those who struggle to find comfort in knowing they’re not alone. It’s so easy to look at someone’s life and be envious of them, but that doesn’t mean you have to do what they do to have a fun time. I still go out and go to parties even though I stay completely sober. I still have a good time, and I don’t really miss out on anything important. If people are playing drinking games, I’ll still usually join in and give my drinks to someone else. It’s little things like this that you can alter to still participate in the fun — just minus the drinking.Â