NA Beer or Sober Friends?

My brother-in-law was in the beginning of his sobriety journey when we took a family vacation with him. It was his first vacation without alcohol. He brought ALLLLL the non-alcoholic beer. Also, none of the rest of us drank booze either. 

What do you think was most helpful to him? The stockpile of NA beer, or the fact that he was hanging out with people who also were not drinking? 

Just imagine him in early sobriety with his NA beers and the rest of us pounding regular beers all week, and I think we know the answer to that question.

Not only is it natural for us to want to be accepted and liked by the people we spend time with--it is a basic human need. Because of this, although it’s not realistic for you to be around other sober people all the time, it is important to belong to a sober community. Not only in early sobriety, but for successful long-term sobriety. 

This week I took a look at Google trends, and was struck by the huge difference between the searches for “NA beer” as compared to “sober friends”. There is a lot of hype going on with NA beers right now, as well as NA spirits.

I’ve seen many posts on social media about people’s search to find just the right replacement for liquor. The one that makes them feel like they aren’t “giving anything up”. They want that beverage that tastes exactly like their old favorite. 

Sure, it is easier to spend your time and energy checking out the latest non-alcoholic beverage offerings, but you know what else makes you feel like you aren’t giving anything up? Making wonderful new friends that you wouldn’t have unless you were sober.

Does it take more time and effort to show up for friends then it does to pop open a bottle and scroll through Instagram? Of course. Is it more vulnerable to show up to a group of strangers and say, “I need friends” than to click “Add to cart”?  HELL YEAH. 

But what really works, and what matters in the long run, is finding your people.

NA beverages are fun, but they aren’t going to keep you sober the way love and support that comes from interacting with real humans will.