Here you are, trying to start a new sober life, and facing one of the biggest drinking days of the year. Can you be sober, social and still enjoy Super Bowl Sunday? We try to offers some tips for staying sober for our newly recovering addicts and for our alumni. Even if you think that triggers won’t come up, you should still be prepared. Preparation is key. Suss out your surroundings by asking a few questions:

• Who will you be with?
• Will there be alcohol and/or drugs?
• Kickoff is not until the evening, so how much partying will happen before that?

If you know the answers to those questions, you’re setting yourself up well. You probably had a support plan in place when you left alcohol rehab treatment. Dust it off or work from that. Have a wingman with you, to either deflect questions, offer food or get you out of there. Make a list of people you can call, starting with your sponsor. Have an exit plan if you can’t deal with it. Just leave. And remember, you don’t have to do something you don’t want to. Does any of this just seem insane to you? Admit that. That’s OK. If you’re just going to be polite, you don’t have to. If you want to watch the game, you can do it on your own. The important thing is to be gentle with yourself.  If you are going to a party, bring something that you like: snacks, dessert, soft drinks. You can make the day special for you, too, just not with alcohol. Being a support for someone else may help you stay accountable and sober, too. Make it part of your service—to help someone else out. Give some advice or find a place for you and a newly sober friend to enjoy the day without alcohol. Helping them helps you, too. What tips have worked for you in the past? Any situations you didn’t anticipate? How did you handle them? What other tips do you have to stay sober for this weekend? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.