Getting sober is already a challenge, but it can also be difficult to stay on the wagon when drinking and hanging out in bars is such a common social activity for adults.
Thankfully, “sober bars” like the Cherokee Recovery Village in Bastrop, Texas are providing recovered addicts and alcoholics with a space for community, fun, and sobriety support.
Instead of serving beer and liquor, the bar serves beverages like kombucha and coffee. Additionally, they host events like karaoke nights, fundraisers, and community dinners.
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Not only has the bar appealed to people undergoing the 12-step program, it has also appealed to people experimenting with the health benefits of sobering up for shorter periods of time.
Cherokee Recovery Village owner Paul French, who is a licensed chemical dependency counselor as well as a former addict, says the bar helps recovering alcoholics become adjusted to typical bar environments without feeling tempted to drink.
“This is exposing yourself to triggers intentionally to weaken those triggers,” he told KEYE in the interview below. “It will allow you to eventually go into establishments where there’s drinking and partying and craziness and it won’t affect you as strongly as it did.”
(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by Cherokee Recovery Village
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Awesome.. its so important for recovering alcoholics to have a place to be social, because, after all, the opposite of addiction is CONNECTION! We have a sober bar coming to Eugene this Spring called Fayou 🙂
Seriously?? Ditch the Kombucha! It’s alcoholic!
Not all Kombucha is alcoholic. But you do have to be careful.
This is a really great idea, and is something that could be copied everywhere…there is just no substitute for the ‘social thing’ that comes with having somewhere to go for a bit of company & conversation just to take the edge off your troubles, and once you are sober, where that happens is a problem. My youngest son was a gradually worsening alcoholic for 20 years, gave up last year & now avoids all social events to keep away from other people swigging drinks all around him. Today – Thanksgiving, he is disappeared -‘working’ he says, but probably holed up in a Motel – hopefully not drinking(I will know if so) – mainly just avoiding anybody else’s ‘jolly’ goings on. It’s tough for him to deal with but really, you can have a happy life without a social circle, if you enjoy your work ! Wishing all recovering-alcoholics a safe Thanksgiving holiday – keep up the resolve, this day is just a day !!!