i grew up with a large emphasis put on the born again christian lifestyle…
i am no longer religious and have detached from that lifestyle. but i find silimarities in the sober lifestyle and the religious lifestyle- which freaks me out a little because the relugious lifestyle turned me off due to the its sometime exclusive nature.
for instance: when i was living in christianity we were supposed to detach from the secular world. no sexular muaic, attire, friends, etc.
i grew to disagree with this way of life for multiple reason which i do not wish to expand upon/debate right now…
however the only apprehension i have to the sober lifestyle is the separation between sober and not sober friends, music that condones altering ones conscious, movies that condone drug/alcohol use, etc.
I am confused because i dont want to separate myself from mainstream society completely, as i have been there with religion and do not agree with the lack of inclusion in the lifestyle…but i dont want to be negitively impacted by lack of support in my sobritey. will there be a point that i can intermingle where you cant even tell that i am “sober” and i can just simply be a person? this is the underlying affiction that will ultimately decide if i will choose to remain sober or begin drinking again…
Recommendation that we don’t spend time at bars and with people that drink has one purpose at the beginning…so we don’t relapse. After we get enough sobriety time under our belt, we make our own choices. I know people with enough sobriety that can go to a bar and play pool without issue. If you’re new, that’s not a good idea. It’s for protection, not exclusion.
ok great thanks guys that helps a lot. boundaries are different from exclusion
im a bartender :/… should i be concerned about this?
Only you can truthfully answer that. If it’s just a job and doesn’t induce craving, we’ll then, keep at it. If it causes problems, you might have to make a change. You know what you are or aren’t capable of.
This is a FANTASTIC post!
I personally approach my sobriety very uniquely because like you I don’t Like the dogma associated with recovery groups.