GetRealYou’ve heard it from your parents and your teachers for years-alcohol is bad for anyone under 25 as your brain is still growing. Only, your parents don’t have to worry about you and alcohol because you’ve decided drinking just isn’t your thing. Mom and Dad are cool with your decision, obviously, but your friends and peers might not be as into the idea. Your friends just want to have fun, so they might try to pressure you into drinking. No matter how nicely they ask, it’s your decision to drink or not.
How do you stop this from happening? The obvious answer is to simply tell your friends you’re not drinking, right? While some of your friends will be respectful (as they should be) of your decision, others might want you to join in.
We recommend you be Be Low-Key Sober and The Life of The Party (At The Same Time) by:
#1) Faking it. Yes. Get yourself a red solo cup, and fill it to the brim with pop (or whatever). Nobody needs to know that there’s no alcohol in there.
#2) Dancing like you’re drunk. Everyone at the party is dancing because they ARE drunk. So, don’t be afraid to show off your moves. At least you can stand straight! As a bonus, now you know you’re genuinely a good time-not just a drunk good time!
#3) Ordering food. You’re everyone’s saving grace when hunger-hour hits. As a sober person, you can punch in a quick SKIP order better than anyone else in the room. At this point, nobody cares that you’re sober. Nobody notices. All they care about is when the pizza will arrive!
#4) Being the voice of reason. Arguments, or even jokes getting out of hand can happen with a group of people who’ve been drinking. As the sober friend, you have the brain power to know when things have gone too far. Save your pals from an awkward Monday, and help them stop the fight before it happens.
#5) Playing drinking games. What? Hey, just because you’re drinking orange juice doesn’t mean you can’t be the best beer-pong buddy. And again, nobody needs to know it’s not a spiked drink! You can still chest bump your buddy when you crush the competition (although, you may have had an advantage, being sober and all).
Just as much as it’s normal to experiment with alcohol, it’s also normal not to. Some people have no interest for family/personal reasons, while others might take medication that can’t be combined with alcohol. It’s important to remember that drinking is a personal choice, and it’s not up to anyone else.
For whatever reason, if you’ve chosen not to drink, there’s no shame in that. Our tips above can be helpful, but you don’t have to keep sobriety a secret! If others don’t respect your choice not to drink, maybe parties just aren’t the scene for you!