Be a Sober Ally

When a friend chooses not to drink, do you automatically abstain, too? Should you ask them about it or wait for them to bring it up? Keep them on the happy hour evite or take them off so they don't feel obligated?

This is their thing, not yours.

The truth is, there are no right answers.

Every person's experience of living with – and without – alcohol is unique.

Changing your relationship with alcohol is a personal choice. Sometimes it's motivated by factors that are visible to others, like wanting to get physically fit. For others people, feeling a loss of control over when or why they drink is enough to prompt a more formal change.

Sober Allyship

So, don't sweat the specifics or overthink what's "right" or "wrong." Instead, focus on becoming an amazing sober ally by keeping these mantras in mind:

• Test your knowledge! Take the time to learn more about alcohol use disorder and sobriety. No one needs you to be an encyclopedia, but the more you know, the more you can understand what your loved one is going through.

• Challenge your routines. Just because you've always had girls' night at a bar doesn't mean it has to be. Mini golf, flea markets, geocaching trails, trampoline gyms, cooking classes. There are more alcohol-free activities and destinations than you probably realize!

• Be mocktail-minded. Keep fun non-alcoholic options or ingredients in your fridge. Do research ahead of time to make sure you're picking restaurants that offer more than soda or iced tea.

• Let them set the pace. They should be the one determining the tone when talking about their choice. Avoid jokes or rehashing past drinking stories, as this can be triggering.

• Honor their boundaries. Offer support – not unsolicited advice – and never talk about their status to others without permission.

• Sober doesn't mean sad! Celebrate the milestones that are meaningful to them and cheer them on along the way.

So easy, anyone can do it.

At the end of the day, being a sober ally means being supportive and respectful of another person's relationship with alcohol.

Whether booking a reservation or sending a text, there are opportunities to be a sober ally everywhere, as long as you remember to look.

Are you ready to reset in 2025?

Whether you're sober-curious or ready to push pause on alcohol, start your new year with weekly motivation and healthy habits.

Register online or text "DRYJAN" to 20468 to sign up to for the Dry January Challenge.